Kosmos

Elegant bathing

Who invented it? Probably the people of Zurich.They have certainly kept urban bathing alive with wonderful floating bathing areas called Badis in the Limmat River and Lake Zurich. A favorite is the Frauenbadi, established in 1888 for women only. It does admit men in the evening.

Danish style

The Danish take on the Zurich concept can be found in Copenhagen harbor, hence the name, Havnebad (harbor baths). Iceland’s Brygge is the biggest and best-known harbor bathing area,
but the Copencabana has the most original name.

Left Bank Location

Not in, but at least near the Seine River, the Piscine Joséphine Baker in Paris has a 25-meter pool atop a pontoon moored beside Quai François Mauriac. While you swim, you can admire the four impressive glass towers of the French National Library right next door.

Built 150 years ago, St. Alban’s Church in Liverpool, England, inspires aspiration to other spheres. Today, visitors no longer come here to pray, but to climb its venerable walls, including an overhanging 17.5-meter lead wall.

The cooling tower of the former nuclear reactor in Kalkar, Germany, stands 58 meters high and has been repurposed as a climbing wall. If you prefer a different kind of thrill, there’s a roller coaster next door.

Surrounded by authentic Alpine peaks, the steep wall of the Lago di Luzzone reservoir in Switzerland offers a unique challenge: It is the world’s highest artificial climbing wall with 650 holds over a vertical distance of 163 meters.