Strandbad

The Strandbad in Frankenthal is a large outdoor swimming area in the Vorderpfalz region of Rheinland-Pfalz. It sits southeast of the city centre in a park-like setting near the Isenach stream. The site covers 168,000 square metres and includes grassy lawns, tree-lined paths and the Monte Scherbelino, a landscaped former rubbish tip that rises to 117 metres. During the bathing season it draws between 200,000 and 250,000 paying visitors. Outside these months the gates open free of charge and the whole park becomes a quiet place for walks. Families use the playgrounds and a parkour course installed in 2012. A pair of white storks nested on a high tree stump at the northern edge of the lawns from spring 2021. Visitors find a 50-metre sports pool, a hexagonal non-swimmer pool with a mushroom fountain, a small teaching pool and a shallow children’s area with a slide. Two linked ponds shaped like an eight provide natural bathing water; the larger western pond is called the Badeweiher and the smaller the Schwanenweiher. Near the entrance stands a Siegfried statue by Georg Schubert. In summer free concerts are held under chestnut trees, and the annual Strandbadfest ends with fireworks.