Amsterdam – Paradise for People Who Love to Swim (and Break a Few Rules)

 Forget Venice! Amsterdam is secretly the real swimming paradise of Europe. With its endless canals, lakes, and rivers, the city has basically turned into one giant outdoor swimming pool. Perfect for when the Dutch summer hits that scorching… 27°C. ☀️😂


picture: AP

Back in 2023, Amsterdam only had one official outdoor swimming spot. Fast forward to this summer? Boom – 13 official spots! And that’s not even counting the “unofficial” places where locals have been jumping in for years (sometimes while pretending the police don’t see them).

One of the coolest new spots is the Marineterrein, an old naval base from the 17th century that used to be all cannons and ships, but now it’s towels and sunscreen. On hot afternoons, it’s packed: people swimming, sunbathing, chilling in the shade – right next to a replica of a giant 18th-century Dutch East India trading ship. (Nothing says summer vibes like cannonballs… literally.) 💣🌊

Locals say the water’s cleaner than you think. “Everyone assumes it’s dirty, but it’s not,” said Mike, an Argentinian who was just casually hanging out on the pier. Honestly, if it’s good enough for the Dutch, it’s probably fine – they’ve been biking through worse. 🚲💦

And it’s not just casual swimmers: in the mornings, you’ll see sporty types doing laps, joggers jumping in mid-run, and… yes, some folks skipping the swimsuit altogether. Amsterdam being Amsterdam, some swimming areas even require nudity (imagine explaining that to tourists 😅).

Meanwhile, the truly rebellious locals keep diving into canals anywhere they feel like it, whether it’s legal or not. As Hans (no last name given, because he’s literally breaking the rules) said:

“I swim every day. Never had a problem.”
Legend.

🏊 The Bottom Line:

Amsterdam isn’t just about tulips, bikes, and coffee shops – it’s also Europe’s unofficial urban swimming theme park. Just bring a swimsuit (or don’t, depending where you go), a sense of adventure, and maybe a towel that doesn’t smell like canal water. 😉

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