Massive Price Hikes Come for Prague Swimming Pools

As the temperature outside skyrockets, people are beginning to look to spend time in and around water. However, visitors to the swimming pools will have to dig deeper into their pockets than ever before.

A relentless wave of price increases has hit. PrahaIN.cz has been looking into the price increase–as well as people’s preferences for pools in and around Prague.

“Due to higher operating costs, we had to raise prices by about 10 to 15 percent. Everything is simply more expensive today,” the operator of the Divoká Šárka swimming pool said.

Here, an adult visitor pays 150 crowns, children from 5 to 15 years 60 crowns, students under 26 years, seniors from 65 years and ZTP pay 120 crowns. For a season ticket, you have to cough up 3,000 crowns. Ticket prices have also risen in Prague’s Petynka Swimming Pool.

“Yes, we had to raise prices. Basically because of inflation, but also for other reasons. Specifically, by 15 to 20 percent, depending on the type of entrance fee,” said the local operations manager Petr Šimánek.

The all-day entrance fee here costs 180 crowns, the family entrance fee (1 adult + 1 child) costs 250 crowns, and the family entrance fee (2 adults + 1 child) costs 330 crowns. Some pools blamed the increase on other factors: “Admission is more expensive this year. We had to take into account higher operating expenses,” an employee of Areál Pražačka told our editorial office.

You can buy a basic all-day ticket for 180 crowns. From 10 am to 3 pm for 140 crowns, admission after 4 pm also costs 140 crowns, an hour’s stay at the swimming pool is 100 crowns, a two-hour stay for 120 crowns. A family ticket (1 + 1) costs 280 crowns, two adults and one child pay 400 crowns.

The current trend is also confirmed by the operator of Koupaliště Stírka. “Yes, I can say that we have been forced to raise the price of admission, due to rising energy costs. On average, it is about 10 to 20 crowns per ticket. However, we have left a compromise entrance fee for season tickets, which means that the price from last year remains with visitors when it is purchased.”

Adults on Stírka pay 180 crowns. Children up to 160 cm and ZTP pay 120 crowns. Students under 26 years of age and seniors from 65 years of age cost 130 crowns and family admission (2 adults + 2 children up to 160 cm) costs 450 crowns.

Because of these price hikes, and a general spirit of adventure, people have been getting creative about finding places to swim–and those with their own private pools can count themselves lucky. “I haven’t been to the pool or the pond yet. Fortunately, we have a swimming pool in the garden, so I can swim there. Otherwise, I have no problem with the swimming pool, but if you have a swimming pool at home, you are a little lazy,” says Martin Bartko, a mother on parental leave.

Prague businesswoman Jana Stránská also prefers her own swimming pool. “I refresh myself most often in our pool. I don’t go to the swimming pool much.”

“I prefer to be in my parents’ pool. There are a lot of people at the swimming pool, which I don’t have to,” says photographer Romana Gritzerová.

An exception is the Prague artist Monika Sekavová. “I always try to go to the sea in the summer. But if I’m in the Czech Republic, I tend to go to the swimming pool, because I don’t have a car and natural swimming is less accessible for me.”