Hallenbad City

This is the cleanest pool I’ve ever been to. There was a mix of swimming speeds but it's easy to pass people in the wide lanes. You can use a refundable 5 franc coin to use lockers, but bringing your bag on deck is fine, too.

This is a staggeringly beautiful indoor pool. It was built in the 1940's in an Art Deco style and refurbished about ten years ago. Light floods through huge 30 ft. (~10m) high floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides and skylights. The comments below capture the workings of the lanes and swimmers but don't reflect the simply gorgeous setting. You leave happy you swam here.

Large, light and bright, the swimming pool and changing rooms are immaculate - you would not expect anything less in Switzerland, would you?! Opening hours 0600-2200, 7 days a week. Water temperature consistent (circa 28ºC). The main pool is 50m, varying in depth from 1.3m at the ends to 3.9m in the middle. There are 6 marked lanes and these are divided into 3 sections (in the mornings, not sure about other times):

1. Two lanes for front crawl or backstroke only, swim toys permitted. The outer lane somewhat faster, with swimmers doing short distance sprints.
2. A double-width middle lane for breast-stroke, for those who like a leisurely pace.
3. And two lanes designated "freistil", meaning that any stroke permitted, including breast-stroke and butterfly, swim toys permitted. (One or both of the freistil lanes are often occupied for lessons or club training.)

Lane circulation is counter-clockwise (I am used to the UK's contra-rotating lanes, so stray limbs at speed in near proximity and in the opposite direction somewhat disconcerting).

Lane etiquette is variable. However 50m usually provides sufficient opportunity to overtake the lane hogs.

Lifeguards inform me that crowding is weather-dependent. In sunny weather everyone heads for Zurich's oldest and largest outdoor swimming pool, Zürichsee, which is 135m at its deepest and provides plenty of opportunity to overtake along its 40km length!

P.S.: there are not many bargains to be found in Switzerland. However for regular swimmers the 240CHF annual pass provides good value with access to all of the city's indoor, outdoor and lakeside pool facilities.

This is a beautiful and clean facility. The day I was there it had five lanes. Four lanes were about 1½ times what we are used to in the US. The center lane was huge and looked like chaos with people of all levels doing all kinds of strokes. In the other four lanes there were 6-8 people or more sharing the lane, swimming in circles. The lanes are so wide they allowed faster folks plenty of room to pass. Many would pause just a second on the wall to see if anyone was closely trailing them before beginning their next length. It's a busy place but I easily go my workout in with minor adjustments.

This is an attractive pool that's very clean and well appointed (as you would expect) - but if you arrive at a busy time you'll have a frustrating session. Lane discipline is largely absent, with lots of swimmers swanning around doing the head-out-of the-water breaststroke. If you're doing crawl the main skill you'll practice is sighting - prepare for a sore neck! When I visited, the fast lane was hogged by men doing crawl at every speed from fast to snail's pace. In the middle of the pool, the ends feature steps, so you can't push off or do swim turns. And a strong sideways current nudges you into the lane markers. Things thin out later in the evening, however, between 9 and 10 PM) and more competent swimmers appear, allowing a more focused swim.

This is one of the nicest pools I have ever swum in. The locker rooms are immaculately clean. The showers have good water pressure and good temperature choices. The pool has a light airy feel due to the windows and skylights. The center of the pool has a deep section.

It can be crowded in early evening but the lanes are wide so one can pass without difficulty. The crowd is familiar with swimming etiquette.

One thing that may make some uneasy-the men's locker room are thoroughly cleaned about every hour by an attendant (who is often female) so some may feel uneasy about women being in the men's locker room.

I swam here from 9 to 10 PM and it was still quite busy.
The fast lane is marked with a sign saying "Tempo". It's not particularly fast, but there is enough room to overtake down the middle (as long as nobody is overtaking in the other direction!). All-in-all a good facility and an easy experience for a non-German speaker.

Lanes are classified by speed, three or four are generally available. Of course no changes lanes to do exercises or kicking drills, so some slow traffic is possible. It's a long course and lanes are large, so follow others with similar speed; overtaking is feasible and safe.

Busy and full of slow swimmers.

There are always three lanes and swimming etiquette is OK. Avoid noon to 2 PM and 5:30 to 7 PM if you can, as the lanes get pretty crowded then. Thursdays from 4 to 6 PM is women only.

Call in advance and the helpful staff will check and tell you the number of swimmers in the lanes. Open 6 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week. All lanes are circle swim; three to five roped lanes at all times. A fantastic facility!