The Swimming Pool and Kneipp Basins in Bayrischzell

The Pool and the Four Kneipp Basins

Bayrischzell is officially a health resort with a healing mountain climate. That gets a lot less fanfare than it used to, but the tradition is still kept up. You can see it most clearly in five spots around town: the Alpine open-air pool and four Kneipp basins scattered across the community.

I'm rarely the one doing laps, and I don't do my Kneipp cold-water routine every single day either. Even so, I pass by all five of these places regularly, and I've got a different story for each one.

Freshly Renovated, and for a While It Wasn't Clear We'd Get to Keep It

The idea of building an open-air pool goes all the way back to just after World War I. A good hundred years later, the Alpine open-air pool is still right there on Michael-Meindl-Straße, fully renovated in early 2023 to the tune of about 1.5 million euros, with an air-source heat pump, solar panels, all-new pool systems, and a new stainless-steel basin.

The fact that the pool is even open today wasn't a given. At one point, closing it for good was very much on the table. For a town of barely 1,600 people, keeping a facility like this going is no small thing, and anyone who grew up here knows what a gift it is.

Here's what changed with the renovation: the old swim-through channel is gone, and overall the pool shrank by about a third. What's left is two 25-meter (27-yard) lap lanes, a diving area with a 1-meter board and a 3-meter platform, a slide, a kiddie pool and a baby pool, a bistro with a sunny terrace, and the old heated indoor hall, which is still in use. For a town our size, that's still plenty.

From Earning My Swim Badges to Being a Regular at the Bistro

I took every swim class here as a kid, all the way up through the top badge. My own kids loved the pool when they were little, though that tends to fade as they get older and other places start pulling them away.

These days I'm there more often than most people would guess. Just rarely to actually swim. I'm a regular at the bistro, which in 2026 is run by Franzi Müller. She's also a guest on one of my Talgeschichten podcast episodes.

Back when I was a teenager, I was there for the grand opening of the swim-through channel and the heated hall. The channel is gone now, but the hall is still standing. Even after being downsized, the pool still feels big and calm to me compared to other places in the county. It's rarely packed.

Current admission prices are posted on bayrischzell.de↗. They're still kept reasonable. This is not an expensive day out.

Early Birds in the Morning, Families in the Afternoon

On a normal day, the mornings belong to the regular crew of early swimmers. Quiet, not much going on, a great time for peaceful laps. It usually fills up in the afternoon. On the really hot days it's busy all day long, and there's no way around that. If you want some quiet, come in the morning.

The other watery side of town

The Four Kneipp Basins

Four Kneipp basins for a town of 1,500 is a lot. They're spread out across the whole community: one right in the center, one in Osterhofen, one in Geitau, and one tucked away up at Seeberg. Three have been renovated in recent years, and one has deliberately been left exactly as it is.

I walk past all four. Rarely for the classic water-treading routine, more because each one has its own setting. Here's my take on each.

Behind the Schönborn Chapel, the Meeting Spot

The central basin sits a little above town, behind the Schönborn Chapel. Renovated in 2016, with a water-treading basin, a barefoot path, and reclining sky loungers. That combination is exactly what makes it a gathering place. On weekends it's basically nonstop now, and you rarely find it empty.

I'm up there a lot myself, though usually not to do the Kneipp routine. It's just a really lovely place to sit and take it in, the view over town, the mountains, the calm. I once ran into Simone Thomalla up here, before she moved over to Schliersee.

For the Frühling fans out there: a scene in Season 15 was filmed right at this basin.

Parking: Right in front, if you get lucky. They're not official spaces, but they're not off-limits either. Often taken on weekends.

By the Station, a Short Walk from the Wendelstein Railway

The Osterhofen basin sits right by the Osterhofen train station, just a few steps from the base station of the Wendelstein railway. Renovated in 2021, with a new wildflower meadow, an insect hotel, and a sky lounger.

I like to head over in the evening, especially in the summer months when the sun dips behind the mountain. After a hike, that basin is the most honest test there is: cold, clear, and you feel it right away.

Parking: There are no dedicated spaces at the basin itself. The closest option is the paid lot at the base station of the Wendelstein railway. And if you're riding the Wendelstein railway anyway, it's practically at your doorstep.

Small, Old, with a View of the Wendelstein

The basin in Geitau is the oldest of the four and the smallest. Nothing much has been redone here in recent years. The basin is modest and the bones of it come from another era. That's exactly the appeal. While the other three got upgraded, this one was left just the way it is.

What still makes it special: the setting. From the basin, you look straight out at the Wendelstein. That combination, a small, original water-treading basin against a big mountain panorama, is something none of the other spots can match.

Parking: There are spaces at the Geitau train station, and it's a short walk from there.

Hidden Along the Trail Toward the Zipflwirt

The fourth basin lies out back at Seeberg, along the trail heading toward the Zipflwirt. It's fed by a mountain stream that comes straight down off the Seeberg, unlike the three in town, where the water comes from the tap.

For me it's mostly a photo stop. I come by every few weeks. The spot is idyllic and far enough from town that there's rarely anyone else around.

Parking: There's no lot right at the basin. If you want to go, you get there on foot along the trail.

Health Resort with a Healing Climate, and the "Water March"

Bayrischzell has held the title of a health resort with a healing mountain climate for a long time. It used to be front and center in the tourism pitch, less so today. The recognition and the upkeep are still there. It's the marketing that has changed.

If you want to string all four Kneipp basins together into one tour: the tourist office has a brochure for the Kneipp trail called "Der Wassermarsch" ("The Water March"), which links up the stations. I'll admit it, I've never actually walked that route on purpose. I know the basins one by one, not as a connected loop.

In the basin, march in place or use the "stork step," lifting one foot all the way out of the water with each stride. Don't towel off afterward. Just wipe the water off your legs with your hands. Then keep moving until your legs warm back up. The payoff: your circulation wakes up, the blood gets pumping, and after a hike it's the fastest cure there is for tired legs.