Auebad

The Auebad is a combined indoor and outdoor swimming pool in Kassel’s Südstadt district. It stands beside the Fulda on the Auedamm, with the Karlsaue park to the west and the river promenade running between the water and the pool fence. The 2009-opened Fulda promenade links the site to the city centre. A bridge at the northern edge carries pedestrians toward the eastern suburbs.

The pool opened in 1923 as a river bathing station with seven swim zones and eighteen small pools. After war damage it became a 32 000 square metre sport stadium in 1955, complete with a ten-metre diving tower and portable stands. By 2008 the old bath had fallen into ruin, its changing rooms broken and floors hazardous. A 2007 low of 36 000 visitors showed the need for change, leading to a 32 million euro rebuild finished in 2013.

Visitors now find a 50-metre competition pool indoors, a warm teaching pool, a toddler splash area and a sauna section. Outside are more toddler pools, water games, a slide, a playground with a pirate climbing boat and the preserved historic diving tower. A 58.5-metre speed slide with colourful lighting was added in 2022. The site draws crowds of around 400 000 each year, peaking at 415 559 in 2024.