Vienna offers free swimming lessons for kids to compensate for Covid closures of pools

The city hopes to turn the new swimmers into lifelong practitioners of the sport

Today, authorities in Vienna announced the launch of a new city programme aimed at compensating kids for missing out on swimming classes in school during the Covid pandemic. The programme is called ‘Vienna Swims’ and it combines public subsidies with private infrastructure, i.e., pools.

It is also a social programme, as the whole course will be as cheap as 25 euros, while lower-income families are exempt from paying the fee altogether. This is because public schools in Vienna provide swimming courses as part of the curriculum; however, during the last three years, both pools and social gatherings were prohibited.

Furthermore, all children who were in school during the COVID-19 pandemic will have 6 free entries to an indoor or outdoor pool in the city between July and September this year. According to a statement by the city, the campaign aims to attract both kids and their families as long-term visitors.

Swimming courses are the best prevention against swimming accidents

‘Vienna Swims’ is specifically aimed at children who have attended the 3rd grade in the past 3 years and have missed swimming lessons due to pool closures. They will have the opportunity to learn to swim in a 10-day intensive course during the summer with the whole course costing only 25 euros.

Registration will be open until May with parents able to choose between a few venues. The different venues offer different time slots and daily attendance from Monday to Friday for two weeks in one of these pools:

• 07 until 15.07.2022: indoor swimming pools in Simmering and Döbling;
• 07 until 29.07.2022: indoor swimming pools in Hietzing and Großfeldsiedlung;
• 08 until 12.08.2022: indoor swimming pools in Hietzing and Großfeldsiedlung;
• 08 until 26.08.2022: indoor swimming pools in Floridsdorf and Donaustadt.

According to Deputy Mayor Christoph Wiederkehr, the campaign will help teach over 1,100 children. He went a step further by saying that the Austrian capital considers swimming training among its priorities.  

Peter Hacker, City Councilor for Sports was quoted in a press release, saying: “Swimming courses are the best prevention against swimming accidents. In addition, swimming is a great sport for children. They strengthen their muscles and improve endurance and coordination. Children can use this offer of the sports city of Vienna inexpensively and easily. And best of all - it's a lot of fun to move in the water."