Prague experienced its first weekend with summer temperatures this year. Sun and nature lovers looking to cool off can visit natural swimming areas such as Motol, Hostivař, Šeberák, and Džbán. The natural biotopes in Radotín and Lhotka also offer swimming options. Health inspectors started measuring water quality in mid-May, and the results for the beginning of the season are excellent.
We asked about the weekend attendance at the Motol natural swimming area. The new season began there on Saturday, May 20. According to the operator, the visitor turnout was quite decent.
“People are excited for summer and the swimming areas to be open, so we had a good weekend. We are fully prepared for the new season, with a new trampoline and repaired slide. We also have a new entry into the water, and we fixed the diving platform,” said Milan Kirlík, the Motol natural swimming area operator, listing the improvements made to the facility.
The full-day admission for adults is 100 Czech korunas, while children and seniors pay 60 korunas for the entire day. “We have the only nude beach in Prague. The older visitors especially appreciate it as an oasis of tranquility in the city,” added Milan Kirlík, mentioning that nudists had already occupied their beach in sufficient numbers over the weekend.
Another popular natural swimming area is located in Prague 4. Šeberák, also known as Šeberovský rybník, is a pond in Kunratice on the southern edge of Prague 4. With its area, it ranks sixth among the largest bodies of water in the city. Visitors have been coming here to swim for many decades. In the 1980s, one of the first nudist beaches was established here. To this day, naturism enthusiasts gather between the tributaries formed by the Kunratice and Olšany streams. No facilities are available, but visitors can enjoy the area without fees.
Quality of Water is Excellent
The Hygiene Station of the Capital City of Prague (HSHMP) is monitoring the water quality at four natural swimming areas this year: Motol, Šeberák, Hostivař, and Džbán. The hygiene authorities also check the water quality in two Prague biotopes: Lhotka and Radotín, as well as in the concrete reservoir at the Divoká Šárka swimming area.
Motol and Šárka Receive the Highest Marks
Water suitable for swimming with a low probability of health issues is classified as grade 1 regarding water quality. Grade 2 indicates water ideal for swimming with slightly impaired properties and a low likelihood of health issues.
Health inspectors collected the first water samples on May 15 and will continue at regular fourteen-day intervals until August 21. Water quality evaluation includes visual inspection, transparency, presence of algae and cyanobacteria, microscopic image, and chlorophyll-a levels.
The best ratings were given to the water at the Motol and Divoká Šárka swimming areas, while the facilities at Hostivař, Šeberák, and the Džbán reservoir received favorable evaluations. Measurements have not yet been conducted at the two biotopes.
Lhotka Opens in June, Radotín Is Already Open for Swimming
The Lhotka natural biotope announced on its website that it will open its gates on June 1. The Radotín natural biotope started operating on May 15 this year. The basic full-day admission fee is 150 Czech korunas, and the area is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.