Warm outdoor pool in Kreuth starts the season - hot fight for staff

Created: 05/19/2022, 1:00 p.m

By: Gabi Werner

Swimming pool supervisors are hard to come by.

The municipality of Kreuth is also struggling with a bottleneck in its heated outdoor pool.

© Archive Thomas Plettenberg

One more week, then the outdoor pool season will also start in Kreuth.

There was a lot to do for the municipality in the run-up: they had to go on the difficult search for staff.

Kreuth

- In view of the rising temperatures, the desire for summer is growing - and for a refreshing swim.

After the lake and warm baths in Rottach-Egern, the municipality of Kreuth is now starting the paddling season on Ascension Day (May 26).

The fact that the operation in the warm outdoor pool can take place without restrictions is not a matter of course.

"The biggest problem is getting staff," says Mayor Josef Bierschneider (CSU).

Municipality of Kreuth looking for staff for the outdoor pool

The shortage of skilled workers - it has long since arrived in the Bavarian open-air pools.

In Kreuth, too, employees were urgently needed to get the outdoor pool season dry.

"Unfortunately, an employee will leave us in the course of the summer," reports the town hall boss.

A gap that is difficult to fill.

With the support of temporary staff, the necessary supervision at the edge of the pool should be ensured this summer.

"I hope that no one is absent due to illness - then I'm in good spirits that we can handle the operation," says Bierschneider.

The municipality is still looking for additional cashiers who work on an hourly basis and can thus relieve the supervisory staff.

Swimming pool is heated exclusively by solar energy

The rising energy prices, on the other hand, do not cause any problems for the Kreuther warm outdoor pool.

The swimming pool is heated exclusively by solar collectors and is therefore self-sufficient in terms of energy.

According to Bierschneider, the system was already installed in the 1990s and has "proven itself very well".

It does take a certain amount of time for the water in the pool to reach a comfortable temperature, and it cools down more quickly in the fall, but the pool is independent of energy price developments.

Warm outdoor pool Kreuth: This year higher entrance fees are due

Nevertheless, the warm outdoor pool is a bargaining chip business for the municipality of Kreuth.

"A swimming pool can never be operated economically," explains Bierschneider.

In order to at least reduce the deficit a little, the Kreuth municipal council decided in February this year to increase the admission prices for the new season.

"But we are still moderate and are now roughly on par with the other pools in the district," says the mayor.

A day ticket for the Kreuth outdoor pool now costs six instead of five euros

For example, the day pass for adults and children over the age of 16 now costs six euros instead of the previous five.

The price for the day ticket for children from six to 15 years is 2.50 instead of two euros.

Small outdoor pool visitors up to five years of age continue to pay nothing.

The Kreuther Bad also offers season tickets again: Adults pay 97 euros (previously 90 euros), children 35 euros (previously 30 euros).

The outdoor pool is always open between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., in September until 6 p.m.

It remains closed when it rains or the temperature falls below 20 degrees.

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"We're in the starting blocks," says Bierschneider, hoping for a smooth outdoor pool season.

It is the first after the past two Corona years with their restrictions.

In Kreuth, according to the mayor, they had hardly any effects anyway.

“We have a huge open space,” he says.

As a result, visitors rarely had to be turned away.

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