Summertime at the Ruhrverband reservoirs: relaxation, water fun and excellent bathing quality
The summer holidays are just around the corner - the region around the Ruhrverband's dams and reservoirs offers the best conditions for recreation, water sports and enjoying nature. There is also good news for all bathing enthusiasts: the North Rhine-Westphalia State Agency for Nature, Environment and Climate (LANUK) has once again confirmed that the bathing areas at the Ruhrverband's reservoirs have "excellent" water quality.
The Seaside Beach Essen bathing area on Lake Baldeney (operated by Seaside Beach Baldeney GmbH) achieved a "good" result. The Ruhrwiesen bathing area in Linden-Dahlhausen (operated by the city of Bochum) was rated as "sufficient" and the Mülheim an der Ruhr swimming area (operated by the city of Mülheim an der Ruhr / PROVA Unternehmensberatung GmbH), which opened in 2023, has not yet been classified.
River bathing areas are subject to different conditions than bathing areas at the Ruhrverband reservoirs. In the event of prolonged precipitation, the hygienic water quality at river bathing areas may be impaired. This is caused by run-off from agricultural land and discharges from the combined sewerage system. Bathing areas on rivers are therefore not comparable with bathing areas on reservoirs, but must be equipped with an appropriately calibrated early warning system. The early warning system measures the precipitation at defined points near the bathing area and issues an alarm if a certain amount of precipitation is exceeded. A temporary bathing ban is then issued - an effective protection for the health of bathers.
The LANUK provides a comprehensive overview of the officially designated bathing areas in NRW via an interactive map:
Visitors can also find out which areas of the Ruhr Association waters are open to bathing at
Important: Swimming is only permitted at the appropriately labelled areas. In addition, the ban on allowing dogs or other animals to swim in the water continues to apply at all Ruhrverband reservoirs.
And if the weather doesn't play along during the summer holidays, it's still worth visiting the Ruhrverband reservoirs on less hot days:
- The "Historical Collection of Ruhr Water Management" vividly conveys the development of the Ruhr region from wastewater flow to modern water management.
- At the Baldeneysee fish lift info point, visitors can find out how fish migrate in Essen using a fish lift.
- Guided tours inside dams - such as the Möhne, Henne or Biggetal dams - offer exclusive insights into the heart of water management.
You can find information on all offers at
From canoeing, rowing boats and SUP to sailing and leisurely passenger boat trips - the Ruhrverband's dams and reservoirs offer a varied leisure programme. Climate-friendly electric boats are already in use on several lakes. A visit is worthwhile in many places, e.g. in Bochum, Essen, Hagen, Wetter and in the Sauerland region on the Bigge, Henne, Sorpe and Möhne.
Further excursion and leisure ideas:
The Ruhrverband wishes all citizens an eventful and relaxing summer holiday!