Why I keep returning to Switzerland for summer swimming

Something magical happens inside my brain on a warm summer’s day when I descend into an open body of water, be it the sea, a lake or a river. I’m not especially woo-woo, but swimming in the sun recharges my batteries with a boost of serotonin and endorphins in a way no other activity does. And nowhere does it better in summer than Switzerland. My happy place, which I return to at least once a year, is Seebad Utoquoi in Zurich – a cross between a sports club, a café and a pool, except that pool is Lake Zurich itself. The city has 17 similar badis, as the swim clubs are called, and you can also jump in the River Limmat – a popular way to cool off when the mercury climbs. It’s certainly not the only Swiss city with a strong swimming culture, though and this year I wanted to try somewhere new. So, on the advice of aquatic friends, I went to Bern, just an hour away from Zurich by train. People have been enjoying the cooling currents of the River Aare, which runs right through the city centre, since at least the early 1700s, when the activity was first recorded – although it’s assumed locals were using the river for recreation long before that. I can’t think of any other European capital where government workers pop their work clothes in a dry bag and commute to work by jumping into a river. The River Aare flows through Bern (Photo: bloodua/Getty) When I arrived, it was a baking hot day. Before I could slip into my trunks, I checked into my hotel, across the square from the main railway station. The imposing Schweizerhof first opened its doors in the 1850s, though it’s been rather splendidly refurbished since then. The hotel restaurant, Jack’s Brasserie, evokes Belle Epoque grandeur with immaculately polished wooden floors, crisp white tablecloths, old-school waiters, chandeliers, brass lamps and the day’s newspapers in German and French. It’s the kind of place Hercule Poirot would come, tucking into a schnitzel garnished with cranberries and washing it down with a glass of chilled white wine from Valais before heading off to solve a Mitteleuropean murder mystery. Founded on a peninsula in a curl of the river in 1191, Bern is very walkable. Wandering its quaint streets with no particular destination in mind occupied the whole of my first morning. After a fire in the early 15th century destroyed most of the wooden town, it was rebuilt in sandstone and that medieval grid is still there today, complete with kilometres of arcades, painted Renaissance fountains, the Zytglogge clock tower and the Berner Münster (cathedral). It’s been a Unesco World Heritage site since 1983. The Zytglogge, a medieval astronomical clock tower in the old town of Bern (Photo: Vicente M/Getty) The River Aare is a prominent feature, bisecting the city through a deep gorge. It flows down from glaciers in the Bernese Oberland via several lakes, giving it a milky turquoise hue. Even on a hot day, it’s certainly on the fresh side, as I found out. A plunge here takes a healthy amount of respect for the powerful currents. A dip is not for beginners and absolutely not for anyone who’s already cooled down with a few beers and thinks this is going to be a gentle bob downstream. The city launched an “Aare you safe?” campaign to highlight tips for swimmers, after a 22-year-old Indonesian tourist drowned here four years ago. I was in safe hands, though, accompanied by Salome Oeri, a member of Bern’s local lifesaving club who’s been swimming in the river since her teens. After wandering down residential streets, we followed a steady flow of locals heading in the same direction. We passed volleyball players and sunbathers towards the Eichholz campground, which would be our entry point – although some of the more adventurous water babies started earlier by jumping off the Schönausteg pedestrian bridge. A river beach at Eichholz campsite is a popular spot to begin a float downriver (Photo: Joel Carillet/Getty) It’s a shallow entry from a small sandy ledge and I felt the coolness of the water immediately, even just up to my ankles. There was no time to dither, though; I threw my dry bag out, following it into the river and using it as a buoyancy aid as I got used to my surroundings. A feeling of calm came over me as I was pushed downstream. The river was smooth and deep and the current shunted us along at a decent pace as we floated past the trees and apartments on the riverbanks, with some of the baroque buildings of downtown in the distance, including Parliament. I could feel the current’s fast-flowing power and excited groups of locals laughed as they went past, some in rubber dinghies. Sunlight reflected off the surface and there was no sound except moving water and Swiss-German-accented glee. Summer crowds along the banks of the River Aare (Photo: Joel Carillet/Getty) After about 30 minutes, as we approached downtown, Salome told me it was time to get out – the hardest part – and I should keep left. Easier said than done in the swift current. Somewhat tired, I had to kick hard to reach the exit and grab the steps without being swept past. I grabbed the metal sides and hauled myself up the steps, exhilarated and happy. One more go? Yes – and more tomorrow, which promised to be another warm day. Afterwards, I towelled off before walking back up to the old town, where I bought some bread and a hunk of local Emmental from Zur Chäshütte, a shop run by two brothers and pure heaven for a cheese addict like me. I sat outside near the Zytglogge with a cold Berner beer, my hair still damp. A joyful short break in Switzerland is easy: just add water. How to get there Will Hide was a guest of Travel Switzerland and Swiss International Airlines, which flies to Zurich from Heathrow, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. Where to stay The Schweizerhof Hotel has room-only doubles from £345. More information The Bern Tourist Board has tips on swimming in the Aare at bern.com.