Bavarian bathing bliss by the old apple tree
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Bavarian bathing bliss by the old apple tree

A natural swimming pond between apple tree, cottage garden and timber terrace – with a water lily belt in three colours.

LocationRottach-Egern
SizeSwimming lane 15 × 4 m, approx. 80 m² of water surface (built 2011)
DesignDipl.-Ing. (FH) Hans Rampf, landscape architect and head of Biotop Swimming Pond & Living Pool at Fuchs baut Gärten · Larch terrace: our joinery Fuchs Holz · Parasol: Weishäupl
ImplementationFuchs baut Gärten GmbH – Gärtner von Eden
PhotographyBenjamin Klopp / frames for good
AwardLonglist “Gärten des Jahres” 2026 (Callwey)

“A natural swimming pond in the Bavarian Alpine foothills – set among apple trees, vegetable garden and timber terrace. Water lilies, a fountain and a shower make the swimming experience perfect.”

— from our entry for “Gärten des Jahres”

A swimming pond just as it should look in the Bavarian Alpine foothills: a traditional timber house with shutters, an old apple tree, a cottage garden with a fountain, natural hedges – and in between, a natural bathing pond with a broad belt of water lilies. It was built from midsummer 2011 and planted by summer 2012 – and ever since, it has been part of our pond service every year without a break: winterising and spring start-up, cleaning, and replanting of the aquatic plants in 2013 and 2015. Nothing more was needed in fifteen years. The water lily belt is now a spectacle in its own right.

The brief was for the most generous swimming pond possible, natural in style, with a large timber terrace for dining and relaxing. And the existing trees were to stay. The whole plan hinged on that – the pond had to be as large as possible without endangering the roots of the existing trees. Its shape and depth were therefore not drawn up on a drawing board, but follow the conditions on site exactly.

The timber terrace wraps around the corner: one area for the large seating group by the house, a second as a quiet retreat by the shower, with a view across the water. This small seating spot is the detail we are proudest of – a different place, a different perspective, just a few steps away. The terrace was built from larch by our own joinery, Fuchs Holz.

This used to be lawn. Today the garden is clearly structured: water, terraces, targeted planting. At the heart of the aquatic planting are water lilies in white, yellow and pink – three colours for a long flowering season. Alongside them are marginal plants and an insect-friendly yet structured perennial mix; at the edge stand specimen yews, serviceberries and a velvet hydrangea, with mountain avens, yellow archangel and winter heather beneath, and a clumping bamboo as privacy screening.

The technology

A swimming pond with Biotop technology, built with masonry walls and a liner: a swimming lane of 15 × 4 metres – a real lap lane – within roughly 80 m² of total water surface. It includes 250 m² of pond liner with protective fleece, 38 metres of laminated sheet metal on the basin wall and 30 metres of shaped shoreline with gravel zones in different grain sizes. The water is cleaned without chlorine, using plants and microorganisms: a wildlife-friendly skimmer for the surface water, the plant filter in the integrated regeneration zone with its own pump, plus a technical shaft. The pond maintenance has been in our hands since it was built – which is why a system from those years is still so clear today.

If you would like to know how a swimming pond differs from a Living Pool: the regeneration zone is the difference. You can read more in the comparison.

What defines the garden today is best put like this: it feels calm, natural and alive, with dragonflies, butterflies and clear water. Not a show garden, but a habitat. Working together was just the same, by the way – open, good-humoured and decisive. There were no notable challenges, and we say so explicitly here because it rarely happens.

The numbers behind the water

The most important number is the lane: 15 metres in one go – if you swim your lengths in the morning, you don't need an indoor pool. The second is not at the pond, but in our files: fifteen years of uninterrupted pond service, from the first season in 2012 to today. With a swimming pond, longevity is not a claim but a maintenance record.

The defining feature is the water lily belt: it takes up a large part of the regeneration zone, shades the water and so keeps it cooler. You can find out how this works technically under Swimming Pond.

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Impressions
The old apple tree on the bank of the swimming pond, with the house behindAerial view: swimming area, timber deck and regeneration zone from aboveWater lilies by the wooden jetty, a pink flower on the waterSun lounger on the timber deck in front of the reed screen, with the garden shower beside itThe furnished terrace by the house, reflected in the waterView through the trees across the pond to the topiarySeating area on the terrace, with the pond behindPink water lily close-upYellow water lily among the floating leavesWhite water lily close-upView across reeds and grasses to the red ornamental mapleThe reed belt on the opposite bank, with water lilies in frontSun lounger on the jetty between box balls and grassesCarpet of water lilies by the wooden jettyView across the pond, with white hydrangeas in the foregroundPurple loosestrife at the edge of the pondThe timber deck by the water with reed screen and sun lounger

Photos: Benjamin Klopp / frames for good · Longlist “Gärten des Jahres” 2026 (Callwey)

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