Overview

• As the season wraps up this weekend, early heat lifted June turnout, but volatile weather in July and August depressed attendance compared with 2024.
• NRW snapshot: Bochum counted about 163,000 visits (down 8%), Münster logged 215,000 (down 15,000), Bonn reported 340,000 with one of five pools closed yet called the season very good, and Dortmund was roughly flat at around 120,000.
• Düsseldorf stood out with about 255,000 visitors, up roughly 5,000, which officials linked to renovations and added attractions such as a new fitness area in Benrath.
• Thuringia saw steeper declines of around 20% in places like Nordhausen and Weimar, and local leaders urged state support beyond 2025 to keep facilities open and maintain swim-instruction capacity.
• The DRK in Thuringia reported no noticeable change in rescue operations as some patrons shifted to indoor pools; in Leipzig, outdoor pools drew 175,753 visitors, 75,000 fewer than 2024 yet slightly above the 15-year average.