A British travel provider has sorted ten countries by the proportion of their bathing lakes with the top rating of "excellent," based on data from the European Environment Agency (EEA). Only officially designated bathing waters that are regularly monitored according to the EU Bathing Water Directive were considered.
At the top of the ranking is Austria, where 96.5 percent of bathing lakes achieve top ratings. Two-thirds of the country lies in the Alps, whose mountain landscape acts as a natural filter for clear water. Finland, the "land of a thousand lakes," follows with 95.2 percent.
Germany lands in third place with 91.3 percent - beach lidos with changing rooms, lawns, and restaurants are popular here. Lake Constance, as Germany's largest body of water, extends with its shores into Switzerland and Austria. An insider tip is Lake Walchensee in Bavaria, whose turquoise water is reminiscent of the Caribbean, caused by fine lime particles from the limestone of the Karwendel mountains that scatter the sunlight.
From Italy to Poland
Further south, warmer waters beckon. In Italy, in fourth place in the ranking, approximately 87.7 percent of inland waters achieve the top rating according to the 2025 EEA report. Switzerland follows, scoring points with its "Badi," traditional outdoor pools, and the mild Lake Lugano. France is in sixth place, ahead of Sweden in seventh.
Hungary offers something special in eighth place: Lake Hévíz is the world's largest natural, biologically active thermal lake in which one can bathe, fed by warm springs. The Netherlands and Poland complete the top ten. The percentage values of the ranking refer exclusively to bathing lakes; the official EEA value for all inland waters of a country, meaning lakes and rivers combined, may differ.
Cooling off yes - but safely
Caution remains necessary, however. In France alone, during the most recent heat wave since June 18, at least 55 people drowned according to authorities, many of them young people at unsupervised locations; authorities expect the numbers to continue rising. Experts advise only entering the water at supervised bathing areas and taking warnings about water quality, currents, or hidden obstacles seriously.
Overall, Europe's bathing waters are in good shape: According to the EEA report for 2025, 78 percent of all inland waters - lakes and rivers combined - as well as 88 percent of coastal waters achieved the top rating. Within inland waters, rivers perform significantly worse with only 47 percent, while lakes are clearly above that. Those who pay attention to water quality are therefore better off at a lake than at a river.
