German bathing waters receive top marks
If you plan swimming and sunbathing in a local lake this summer, we have good news for you: The hygienic water quality of Germany’s bathing waters remains at a very high level. This is shown by the quality classification based on the reported data for the year 2025. The corresponding report on the quality of European bathing waters by the European Commission was presented in Brussels on June 16, 2026.
Of the 2,291 official German bathing waters in lakes, rivers, and coastal areas, a total of nearly 98 percent met the EU minimum requirements, and 97 percent were even classified as “excellent” or “good.” In a Europe-wide comparison, Germany ranks 7th.
The assessment of bathing water quality according to EU criteria is based on microbiological tests, which are generally collected over a four-year period (2022 to 2025) and statistically analyzed. Regular testing for bacteria that serve as indicators of pollution is required. Of the numerous German bathing waters, only three were rated “poor.” To protect public health, temporary bathing bans were imposed during the last bathing season for various reasons. The main reasons were usually a massive bloom of cyanobacteria (“blue-green algae”) which resulted in reduced water clarity, or heavy rainfall. Heavy rainfall can lead to the inflow of wastewater and runoff, thereby impairing water quality.
All German bathing waters at a glance
The measurement data for the current season can be viewed online for each bathing water on the websites of the federal states.
An interactive map application from the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG) provides a nationwide overview of the classification of bathing waters. Data from previous reporting years is also available. In addition, the bathing water quality of individual European countries can be viewed on the website of the European Environment Agency (EEA) [KF1].
From Sample to Report
The monitoring of bathing waters in Germany is the responsibility of the federal states. During the bathing season, regular analyses of water samples are conducted and evaluated. At the end of the season, the results of the water quality tests and any other relevant events for each bathing water body are submitted to the Federal Institute of Hydrology (BfG). The UBA and BfG check the entries for consistency, compile the data sets, and forward them to the European Commission on behalf of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN). There, the data from all EU member states is analyzed by the EEA, and the quality of each individual bathing water is assessed. In the form of an annual report, the European Commission informs citizens about the quality of European bathing waters during the previous bathing season.
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