From mountain lakes to hidden rivers, these places are home to Europe's cleanest swimming spots.
Where can you find Europe's cleanest swimming spots?
Source: Lukas S/Unsplash
While Europe's seas are appealing, the lakes and rivers in 3 countries are so pristine they must be seen to be believed!
According to a new report from the
The yearly report ranks the cleanest swimming water among all EU member states, as well as Switzerland and Albania. It uses data from yearly assessments of bacterial contaminants like Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci. Because bacteria can get into water from sewage and farm runoff, local and national authorities test thousands of places, including beaches, rivers, and swimming holes.
"We can all be happy that most of our bathing waters are clean enough to swim in. This is due to systematic work done under EU rules, which has steadily improved the health of our waters. It shows that monitoring and coordination at the European level helps all of us," said Leena Ylä-Mononen, the executive director of the EEA, in a statement. "Of course, there's more work to do to make our waters cleaner and more able to handle new problems caused by climate change and overuse."
The report notes that coastal areas have a higher percentage of excellent ratings than inland water sites, with 89% of coastal sites in Europe receiving top marks compared to only 78% of inland sites.
Source: Deny Hill/Unsplash
In Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania, very few sites were tested, which may have contributed to their perfect scores. In Bulgaria, the Pchelina Reservoir and 2 other inland waters were tested, while in Romania, Lake Ciuperca received top marks.
Greece is well known for its sea beaches, but its many lakes and rivers are also worth exploring for a swim. While Bulgaria and Romania both have coasts along the Black Sea, the lakes in their more mountainous inland regions are also excellent for swimming.
Austria and Finland also ranked high for clean inland waters, at 95.8% and 93.8%, respectively. Both countries also had a much higher number of inland bodies of water tested (260 for Austria and 225 for Finland).
ParkingNearAirports.io: your parking pass to pristine waters!
Inspired to dive into Bulgaria's reservoirs or Romania's Lake Ciuperca? Maximize your getaway budget before you go! Skip terminal stress with ParkingNearAirports.io – your source for transparent airport long-term parking fee comparisons and exclusive airport parking coupons. We specialize in cheap car parking at secured off-site lots near 50+ U.S. and Canadian airports, featuring free shuttles and 24/7 surveillance. Perfect for week-long swim trips to Greece's alpine lakes! Save up to 40% versus on-site rates and invest in eco-tours instead. Lock in convenience: browse https://parkingnearairports.io/ and park with confidence!
