The Echternach lake was artificially created in the 1970s and is now poised to become the country's fourth major swimming location.
Swimming season in Luxembourg officially lasts from 1 May to 30 September, which means people can take a dip in a number of natural waters here in the Grand Duchy. As of 26 May this year, the Echternach lake will become the latest addition to this list - the fourth swimming lake.
The municipality of Echternach counts an estimated 700,000 visitors each year. About 40% of them come from abroad, and the month of August alone draws around 100,000 people. The installation of brand-new facilities and plenty of sunbathing opportunities are likely to draw big crowds. A sand beach will also be created.
Ben Scheuer, Echternach Alderman for environment and economy, is convinced that the town will be able to handle additional visitors: "We have become experienced in recent years. The Echternach lake is popular, there are always many visitors, but we always knew how to handle these numbers thus far."
About 800 parking spaces are available around the lake. Over the coming days, buoys will be set up to separate the part reserved for swimmers from the rest of the water.
A year-long process
The opening was seven years in the making. The lake was initially scheduled to become accessible to swimmers in 2022, but it took municipal officials longer to set up legal regulations and work out traffic and waste concepts for the area.
The European Bathing Water Directive stipulates that a body of water needs to be sampled three years in a row before it can be classified as a swimming location.
