Most of Europe's bathing waters, ranging from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean, are of outstanding quality for swimming. Heading to the beach or lake and taking a swim in the cool water is an essential part of going on holiday for many. But to save spending the rest of your hard-earned break sick, it's good to know how clean the water you’re jumping into really is.
Most of the EU's bathing spots are safe to swim in, according to the European Environment Agency. There is some variation, however, depending on where you are and in what kind of water you decide to take a dip. The quality of is generally better than that of rivers and lakes, for example.
In 2023, around 89 per cent of coastal bathing waters within the EU were classified as excellent, compared with just under 79 per cent of landlocked bathing waters. In 2023, 85 per cent of Europe's reported 22,081 bathing waters were of excellent quality. Destinations like , Austria, Croatia, and Greece lead the way with 95 per cent or more of bathing waters rated excellent.
However, destinations like Albania, Belgium, Estonia, Hungary, and fell short, with less than 70 per cent of their bathing waters meeting this standard. Overall, 96 per cent of all EU bathing waters met at least the minimum quality standard by the 2023 season, as required by the Bathing Water Directive (BWD). The report highlights that the quality of Europe's bathing water has improved because of good policies.
Treatment and management have cut pollutants a.
