Basel serves as a model for urban river swimming

Basel, Switzerland, serves as a model for urban river swimming, where residents swim in the Rhine alongside international commercial shipping. The city is considered a central hub for this activity, with the river playing a vital role in daily life for many locals.

Tim Edler, co-founder of Flussbad Berlin, participated in the Swimmable Cities European Forum in Basel to discuss making urban waterways like the Spree in Berlin accessible for swimming. Successful river bathing requires more than just clean water; it necessitates dedicated infrastructure including showers, stairs, access points, rescue concepts, and clear regulations. In Basel, these safety measures and infrastructure improvements have been developed over many years to allow swimmers and boat traffic to coexist safely.