Bains des Pâquis, Geneva

Monthly water temperature temperature

The surface runs about 22 °C in August. The annual low is 7 °C in January and the high is 22 °C in July. No pronounced summer thermocline is recorded here. For October, the mean surface figure is 16 °C.

Mean water temperature by month (°C)

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
7	7	8	11	15	19	22	22	19.5	16	12	8.5

Safety safety

Sampled fortnightly during the bathing season by the Geneva cantonal laboratory. Léman is a large, well-oxygenated lake with excellent transparency; Geneva's treated effluent discharges well downstream of the bay, and the enclosed bathing area is tested separately.

Safety notes (3)

• The bathing area is enclosed but the water outside the breakwater is open lake with boat traffic. Do not swim out past the boom.
• Lake Geneva has a real thermocline: 22 °C at the surface in August becomes 12 °C below 5 m. Depth jumping without a wetsuit is uncomfortable and, for some, dangerous.
• The bise wind can turn the lake rough within 30 minutes. The establishment closes the water when the cantonal flag goes up — respect the closure.

Where to get in

• Timber steps (north side) — Wide wooden steps with a handrail into 2 m; the main entrance to the water.
• Diving boards — 1 m and 3 m boards over 5 m of water at the southern end, open in the summer season only.
• Ladders (east and west) — Steel ladders into 3–4 m along both flanks, the quickest route in for laps.

On site

• Sauna and hammam (October–April, extra charge)
• Restaurant serving fondue and perch fillets on the pier
• Changing rooms, hot showers and secure lockers included in the entry fee

Getting there arrival · entry · exit

Getting there

Take tram 13 or 15 to Pâquis and walk to the pier at the end of the Quai du Mont-Blanc; the entrance is the wooden building with the flags on the roof, four minutes from the tram stop.

The Bains is a Geneva institution and gets very busy in July and August. Mornings before 09:00 and evenings after 19:00 are calm; the middle of a sunny Sunday is not.

Getting in

Use the north timber steps. They are wide, have a handrail, and put you straight into 2 m of water without the ladder crowding.

The classic swim is a perimeter loop inside the breakwater, about 250 m, with the Alps and Mont Blanc in front of you the whole way. In August the surface is 22 °C and two laps is a comfortable 25 minutes.

Getting out

Climb out at the north steps or any of the ladders. The decking is timber and stays warm in the sun, which makes the exit far more pleasant than at a concrete lido.

Hot showers are included and there is a sauna in the winter months — the combination of a 7 °C January lake swim followed by the hammam is the standard Geneva winter routine.

Depth profile

The bathing area is open lake water enclosed by a timber breakwater, with a depth of 2–6 m over a sand-and-gravel bed. Steps and ladders along three sides give direct entry; there is no shallow shelf, because the structure stands over open water rather than on a beach.

Season window

Year round; the sauna and hammam run from October to April

Cold-water questions

Is the Bains des Pâquis a swimming pool or open lake?

Open lake water enclosed by a timber breakwater. There is no pool basin and no shallow shelf — steps and ladders give direct entry into 2–6 m of Lake Geneva.

Can you swim at the Bains des Pâquis in winter?

Yes, the bathing area is open all year and the water sits around 7 °C in January. The hammam and sauna operate from October to April and are the main draw in the cold months.