Welcome to the Planetswimmer blog! Stories from swimming indoors and outdoors, from ice swimming to tropical beaches. Not to mention hotel pools! The Planetswimmer has explored beaches and pools in 37 countries, in a total of 219 places. You can also click on the map below to see where in the world they took place.
The Planetswimmer articles appeared originally in the Blogspot Planetskier series, at TGR posts, or at the Relaa website. See also the articles about skiing, caving, urban exploration, climbing, cycling, flying, and saunas.
All swimming-related articles:
| Thermae Grimbergen Thermae Grimbergen is in the outskirts of Brussels, I chose it as an affordable hotel for my business trip. The Thermae looked like a regular hotel, and a small spa, split among multiple buildings. The entrance to the spa was downstairs past the reception in the main buildimng, and I expected a usual basement spa experience. But, it turned out that the buildings were just a front to what was hidden behind: a lush garden with a pond, more than a dozen different saunas and endless relaxation spaces. You wouldn't think the city exists outside the garden. Full story April 2025, Thermae Grimbergen, Grimbergen, Belgium Swimming (Indoor, Outdoor, Waterbody-Pool, Waterbody-Lake); Sauna (Steam, Normal, Infrared) | |
| Swimming hall on floor -8 Hervanta, a suburb of Tampere. I was told there was a swimming hall here, an underground one. Usually there'd be some signs but now I see nothing, at least not at the parking lot. But the map points to the yard of the nearby apartment block, so after walking just 50 meters I see the entrance, a small concrete building is the only thing that sticks out above ground. Full story April 2025, Hervannan uimahalli, Hervanta, Tampere, Finland Swimming (Waterbody-Pool, Indoor); Sauna (Normal); Caving (Man-Made, Basic, Rock); Urban-Exploration (Bunkers) | |
| Swimming at the Imperial Palace The Imperial Palace ... and a swim at their Crystal Spa. Even from the names you can tell that this is a high-level experience. The Palace is the highest end hotel in Annecy, and it is by the lake. It is a nicely renovated classic building from 1912. Even the smallest rooms can run up to 700 € per night at busy times, though we stayed here for much less, on a very nice day but with less crowds. Crystal Spa is their spa facility. Much recommended! Full story April 2025, Imperial Palace, Annecy, France Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Steam, Normal) | |
| Swim at the Bangkok Sukhumvit DoubleTree While at a conference in Bangkok, I stayed at the Hilton chain's "DoubleTree" branded hotel, the Bangkok Sukhumvit DoubleTree. Nice, affordable hotel, had nothing bad to say about it even if it is on the lower scale of the Hilton brands. They had a very nice pool at the 7th floor, check out the moon! Full story March 2025, DoubleTree by Hilton, Sukhumvit, Bangkok, Thailand Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Pool) | |
| Olympic Lodge Pools While skiing in the olympics :-) I stayed of course at the Olympic Lodge (of Port Angeles, Washington). They had a pool... which I had to try of course. The main pool was ok but not super warm in the winter (heated, still, of course). But the jacuzzi was very warm! Full story March 2025, Olympic Lodge by Ayres, Port Angeles, Washington, USA Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Pool) | |
| Swim @ The Vihdin uimahalli Found another Helsinki area swimming hall, again! Great! This time in Vihti, at the Vihti Swimming Hall. It is a 25-meter swimming pool and smaller kiddie pool, a part of the school building complex in Nummela. Full story March 2025, Vihdin Uimahalli, Nummela, Vihti, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal) | |
| Swims and saunas in Ulaanbaatar I was in Ulaanbaatar for skiing and caving, but of course I also had to visit the local saunas and pools. I stayed at the Best Western Tuushin hotel and their spa had a sauna. And possibly the best hotel in town, the Shangri-La, has an entire sports club with 25 meter pool, saunas, etc. Full story February 2025, Best Western Premier Tuushin Hotel, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; Shangri-La Centre Sports Club, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Waterbody-Pool, Indoor); Sauna (Normal) | |
| There's a swimming hall in Siuntio! Didn’t realize there was a community swimming hall in Siuntio. And I guess it’s pretty new, previously part of the closed hotel but since the hotel has been revived and the Siuntio community took on the spa part in 2023 … quite nice. Dated, but well done. Two 25-meter pools. Just few people, life guards will say hi unlike in Espoo or Helsinki, etc. Worth a visit. Full story February 2025, Hotelli Siuntio, Siuntio, Finland Swimming (Waterbody-Pool, Indoor); Sauna (Normal) | |
| Matinkylä saunakontti want Showed the Matinkylä beach to a friend, have not been here during the winter before this. It was a dark night, but people were using the ice swimming hut, which looked funny when the hut made of white plastic was lit up from the inside, and they descended the stairs to the water. The use of the hut is free, same for the changing rooms. However, there's also a "sauna container" (saunakontti in Finnish) where you get your sauna fix, or recover from hypothermia :-) Full story January 2025, Matinkylän uimaranta, Matinkylä, Espoo, Finland; Matinkylän saunakontti, Matinkylä, Espoo, Finland Swimming (None, Outdoor, Waterbody-Sea, Beach); Sauna (None, Normal) | |
| Porvoo swimming hall Today I wanted to try a new swimming hall, and ended up driving all the way to Porvoo, an hour away from where I live. Porvoo is of course a wonderful historic city with wooden houses alongside the river banks. Their swimming hall was constructed in the 1970s probably, but then more recently expanded. Full story January 2025, Porvoon uimahalli, Porvoo, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal, Steam) | |
| Elite school swimming hall Suomalainen Yhteiskoulu or SYK is an elite school, known for the highest grades their students get. But, they also serve the broader public with their open-for-everyone swimming hall. I actually had not realized I was still missing visits to some public swimming pools in Helsinki, but I was. Full story January 2025, Suomalaisen Yhteiskoulun uimahalli, Helsinki, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool) | |
| Back in my swim school, after 48 years When I was in elementary school, our class would get swimming lessons by taking a bus to the Tikkurila swimming hall, a dome construction from 1968 and Finland's first 50-meter indoor swimming pool. Besides that pool, there's a teaching pool and a jumping platforms up to 10 meters. Three saunas at least on the men's side. The hall has been renovated multiple times, but the basics have not changed, exactly same layout and no new fancy pools or saunas for instance. Full story January 2025, Tikkurilan uimahalli, Tikkurila, Vantaa, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal) | |
| Thermal spa and sauna in Andorra I've been to Andorra couple of times before, but never had the opportunity to visit a sauna or do a swim. Now I did! Hotel Spa Termes Carlemany provided both! They are situated in an area of Andorra la Vella, by the river, where there's 72 degree water flowing from the ground. The water is also used to run interest pipe displays and art work. Full story December 2024, Hotel Spa Termes Carlemany, Andorra La Vella, Andorra Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Waterbody-Pool, Indoor) | |
| Hotel Ramonda pools and saunas Hotel Ramonda (Хотел Рамонда, Ртањ) is named according to a flower that only grows on the mountain it is on, the Rtanj mountain in eastern Serbia. It is a luxury hotel that started out five years ago and has recently expanded with even more rooms and pools and saunas. It has outdoor and indoor pools and several different saunas. Full story December 2024, Hotel Ramonda, Rtanj, Serbia Sauna (Normal, Steam); Swimming (Indoor, Outdoor, Waterbody-Pool) | |
| Barcelona Beach Dip Just what the doctor ordered for the darkest day of the year, December 21st. We saw amazing, mind-blowing things (such as Gaudi's creations) during the day, but still.. what felt best was walking barefoot on beach sand, feeling the sunshine and wind on my skin, and dipping my feet into the sea. Full story December 2024, Nova Icaria Beach, Barcelona, Spain Swimming (Beach, Waterbody-Sea) | |
| Bogovina Cave The Bogovina cave is a karst/river cave in the village of Bogovina in eastern Serbia. In local alphabet the name of the cave is Боговинска пећина. The cave is (depending on source) 5020 or 5892 meters long, up until few years ago it was Serbia's longest cave. It is a show cave, that is you can't enter on your own but need to arrange the local tourist office to give you a tour. The show cave part is half a kilometer long, consisting first from an excavated tunnel and then the cave proper. The stalactite formations in the cave are wonderful, but at the end in the Hajduk hall they are especially spectacular. Full story December 2024, Bogovina Cave, Bogovina, Serbia Caving (Basic, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Showtour); Swimming (Indoor) | |
This is the 1th set of articles. The next sets are set 2, set 3, set 4, set 5, set 6, set 7, set 8, set 9, set 10, set 11, set 12, set 13, set 14, and set 15.