Anonymous
The facility can be reached by a pleasant 15 minute walk from the City Centre along 'Der Promenade', an attractive greensword that virtually encircles the Inner City. The pool itself is situated in a modern building with sheet glass walls on two sides, giving views out onto the surrounding sylvan open space. All in all, it's a fine piece of recent local authority architecture that harmonises its use with its immediate environment.Access is through an unstaffed reception area: tickets are purchased from a machine not unlike those found in rail stations (English instructions can be displayed by touching the Union Jack on the machine's screen). The ticket takes the form of a credit card-sized bit of plastic. Hold it against the turnstile scanner to gain access to the facility: keep hold of it because you will need it again to release the turnstile when you leave.
Shared sex changing facilities with cubicles having both dry and wet side doors. After changing, take your outdoor clothes through to lockers on the wet side. Lockers require a €1 coin deposit, returnable when you remove your stuff. Gender-specific showers: plenty of space poolside for stuff that you want to keep with you.
On my early morning visit the pool was reasonably busy (about 30 swimmers, all lap swimming). Only one lane was roped off: although unclassified it was being used by those that one would expect to find in the fast lane in a rigidly segregated facility. So far as the rest of the pool was concerned, swimmers were all observing rigid lane discipline nevertheless (without the assistance of enforcing ropes) by keeping to the right of their chosen lane stripe.
A good experience marred by one serious concern about the management of the facility. There were no staff poolside: the two present in the pool hall observed from inside a glass bubble at the back of the bleachers. I hope that, at times when there are higher levels of risk, the staff place themselves in positions from which they would be more able to intervene without delay.
The facility doesn't open to the public every day so check the website if you are thinking of going.
Shared sex changing facilities with cubicles having both dry and wet side doors. After changing, take your outdoor clothes through to lockers on the wet side. Lockers require a €1 coin deposit, returnable when you remove your stuff. Gender-specific showers: plenty of space poolside for stuff that you want to keep with you.
On my early morning visit the pool was reasonably busy (about 30 swimmers, all lap swimming). Only one lane was roped off: although unclassified it was being used by those that one would expect to find in the fast lane in a rigidly segregated facility. So far as the rest of the pool was concerned, swimmers were all observing rigid lane discipline nevertheless (without the assistance of enforcing ropes) by keeping to the right of their chosen lane stripe.
A good experience marred by one serious concern about the management of the facility. There were no staff poolside: the two present in the pool hall observed from inside a glass bubble at the back of the bleachers. I hope that, at times when there are higher levels of risk, the staff place themselves in positions from which they would be more able to intervene without delay.
The facility doesn't open to the public every day so check the website if you are thinking of going.