Waldbad Birkerteich

The Waldbad Birkerteich is a public open-air swimming pool set in the Lappwald hills near Helmstedt. It opened in 1952 and covers 27 500 square metres of woodland clearing. Three separate pools share the site: an eight-lane 50-metre competition pool, an 18-by-21-metre diving pool with a ten-metre platform, and a curved children’s pool fed by a small water slide. The complex is recognised by the state of Lower Saxony as a cultural monument because its original layout survives almost intact. The diving tower, changing pavilions, lawns and tree cover all date from the mid-20th century. Local clubs use the pools for training and galas, while the surrounding meadows host open-air events. Visitors find wide grass terraces for sunbathing beneath mature pines. The competition pool is bordered by a starter’s platform, and the diving area has one-metre boards on either side of the main tower. A gently curving path links the three basins, shaded by oaks and beeches. The site remains a quiet retreat where swimmers and divers share space with the sounds of the forest.