Yikes. Too many geese around. And their shit. But I have to swim today, so no avoiding it.
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September 2026, Laaksolahden uimaranta, Laaksolahti, Espoo, Finland
Swimming (Water, Waterbody-Lake, Outdoor, Beach)
I spent a week in Kista in meetings, and tried out a new hotel that I've never been to (!) Voco Stockholm Kista is a nice hotel, rooms are spacious, and most importantly, there was a spa. I used every day for five days, and only on the last day after checking out somewhere else.
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September 2026, Voco Stockholm Kista, Stockholm, Sweden
Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal, Steam)
Today a bit better swim at the Störsvik sand pit in Siuntio.
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September 2026, Störsvikin hiekkakuopan uimaranta, Siuntio, Finland
Swimming (Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Lake, Beach)
The Blue Spring Beach, or in Finnish, Sinilähteen Uimaranta is a nice, sandy beach in a pine peninsula by the Ruukinpohja part of lake Päijänne in Heinola. Conveniently reachable from the highway, I used it as a cleansing opportunity from the dirt and sweat gathered on my caving expedition.
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August 2026, Sinilähteen uimaranta, Heinola, Finland
Swimming (Water, Waterbody-Lake, Outdoor, Beach)
Tašmajdan is a popular park and hill in Belgrade, Serbia. Besides the park, it hosts a stadium and free-for-entry swimming pool. But underneath the park are gems, caves, bunkers, and history. Sadly, none of that is accessible, part of the caves are filled with construction rubble from the stadium, some are closed due to danger of German ammunition from WWII, and the rest is just closed. It is a shame, obviously something like this could be a very interesting tourist destination in any city.
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August 2026, Tašmajdan cave, Belgrade, Serbia; Sports Center Tašmajdan, Belgrade, Serbia
Caving (None, Rock, Rock-Limestone, Morphology-Karst); Swimming (Water, Waterbody-Pool, Outdoor)
As I was visiting my mom nearby, I also wanted a swim for the day. And Pornainen's Laukkoski school beach was easy to get to. In fact, I wanted to start a challenge: swim every day. Let's see how long I can make that work.
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August 2026, Laukkosken koulun uimaranta, Pornainen, Finland
Swimming (Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Lake, Beach)
Garaško jezero is an artificial, dammed lake in Garaši, Serbia. This is near Aranđelovac.
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August 2026, Garaško jezero, Garaši, Serbia
Swimming (Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Lake)
What a sunset! And how incredibly clear water there is! And no one around. Granted, it is late in the evening on a Thursday night, but still.
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August 2026, Punkaharjun yleinen uimaranta, Punkaharju, Finland
Swimming (Water, Waterbody-Lake, Beach)
Kruunupuisto is a hotel and a spa in the classic Finnish lakeside area of Punkaharju. The hotel has a spa with easy and affordable access. They also have a beach with free access. However, until now I had not realized they also had a spectacular sauna by the beach. Sadly, it has been available for rent for 320 euros, but has this year become available on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings for a mere 5€ per person.
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August 2026, Kruunupuiston uimaranta, Punkaharju, Finland
Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Lake, Beach)
I'm on a health rehab course at Kruunupuisto, in beautiful Punkaharju. But I arrived late due to stopping at friends and caves... it was dark, almost closing time of the hotel reception. But I was on a mission: have to swim every day. Hence I headed to the by now dark beach at Kruunupuisto.
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August 2026, Kruunupuiston uimaranta, Punkaharju, Finland
Swimming (Water, Waterbody-Lake, Beach)
Hollywood. Not that one, not in Los Angeles... I mean the one in the outskirts of Belgrade's airport... the water park and swimming hall. That one.
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August 2026, Aqua Park Hollywoodland, Belgrade, Serbia; Wellness Land, Belgrade, Serbia
Swimming (Indoor, Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool)
Karjalankallion laavu (the lean-to of Karelia Cliffs) is a nice, easy to reach fire-pit and viewing point near the Punkaharju Arboretum. The arboretum hosts among other things Finland's tallest tree.
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August 2026, Karjalankallion ranta, Punkaharju, Finland
Swimming (Water, Outdoor, Waterbody-Lake)
A wonderful German beach, Freizeitanlage St.Alban, in the town of Dießen am Ammersee. Wasn't particularly overcrowded as lakes go in Germany, either. There's a grass, trees, places to sit, restaurant/kiosk, bathrooms, playgrounds, several piers, a floating platform a bit further out, boating, etc.
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August 2026, Freizeitanlage St.Alban, Dießen am Ammersee, Germany
Swimming (Water, Waterbody-Lake, Beach, Outdoor)
... too busy, too little time to swim. I hope floating on the basement jacuzzi qualifies as a swim on my swim-every-day challenge?
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August 2026, House Arkko, Kauniainen, Finland
Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool)
It was a long drive, two hours from the office/home. But I found a small fishing village with a great spa, access was affordable (just 12€), they had nice outdoor pools shielded from the wind by glass, a 25-meter indoor pool, a good, dark-wood-colored sauna, a steam room, and even an infrared sauna (though with additional cost).
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August 2026, Kasnäs bad, Kasnäs, Finland
Swimming (Indoor, Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal, Steam)
After another sweaty cave exploration, I had to get the sweat off. I was returning from Punkaharja back home to Kauniainen, but splitting the drive to two days by stopping for the night in Mikkeli. I always love the underground swimming halls (like those in Itäkeskus or Tampere), so now it was time for another one: the Naisvuoren uimahalli in Mikkeli. Deep inside the rocky hill in the middle of the city, home to gyms, swimming hall, and WWII-era command centers. Interesting place, must be like Swiss cheese inside that hill!
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August 2026, Naisvuoren uimahalli, Mikkeli, Finland
Swimming (Water, Indoor, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal); Urban-Exploration (Bunkers)