Have a Swimming Pond Built – Swimming Pond
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Have a Swimming Pond Built – Swimming Pond

Natural swimming ponds without chlorine – Biotop partner for over 30 years, over 440 water features built.

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Swimming pond

Swimming in a living biotope

A swimming pond – known internationally as a Swimming Pond – works like a natural lake: aquatic plants and microorganisms clean the water, entirely without chlorine. As a Biotop partner with over 440 water features built, we specialise in swimming ponds – Fuchs baut Gärten designs and builds them from Lenggries throughout Upper Bavaria.

How a swimming pond works

The pond is divided into a swimming zone and a regeneration zone. Plants and microorganisms break down nutrients, and the swimming area is deliberately kept low in nutrients. To start, the pond is inoculated with plankton (water fleas, paramecia) – these tiny helpers keep the water clear. Tip: keep lawn fertiliser away from the pond.

Swimming pond with regeneration zone
Dimensions & construction methods

The right dimensions

For a swimming pond to work reliably in the long term, size and construction method are key.

Without supporting technology, the rule of thumb is: regeneration zone to swimming area about 1:1, swimming depth at least 2 m, from around 30–40 m² of water surface. With more technology, the regeneration area and depth can be reduced.

Angle-element construction

Recyclable prefabricated system with plug-in connections; timber cover doubles as a seating step.

Earth-bank construction

Flowing, natural shapes on undisturbed ground. We rarely build this way today – where there is no wall, we usually use angle elements.

Masonry construction

The most stable solution, making full use of the space, with a smooth liner (ideal for robotic pool cleaners).

Does my swimming pond in Bavaria need planning permission?

Within built-up areas, swimming pools in Bavaria have been exempt from the permit procedure regardless of size since the 2025 amendment to the BayBO (Art. 57 BayBO) – so a building permit is generally not required there. Exempt from the procedure does not mean free of rules, though: the provisions of the local development plan, as well as neighbour, nature conservation and water law, still apply. Two points are particularly important in the Bavarian Oberland: in the outlying areas – for example on a meadow beyond the edge of the village – swimming ponds and pools require permission and usually cannot be approved. And in landscape protection areas (there are many around Lenggries, the Isar valley and the lakes), even a pond that is exempt under building law needs a permit from the district office, because creating new bodies of water there requires authorisation. Fuchs baut Gärten from Lenggries clarifies these questions for you as part of the planning – directly with the responsible district office if necessary.

Maintenance through the year

In spring: water analysis, vacuuming the pond and cutting back plants. In summer: checking the skimmer baskets and cleaning the walls. In autumn: fitting leaf protection nets. The pump is protected from frost. If you wish, we take care of all the maintenance.

Swimming pond maintenance
Biotop partner

Proven technology from 40 years of Biotop research

As a long-standing Biotop partner, we plan with a proven, discreet and silent water circulation concept. Nothing needs to be dismantled or drained in winter. Our quality standards follow the FLL (the German Research Society for Landscape Development and Landscape Construction). We are happy to provide you with the Biotop catalogue.

Biotop swimming pond

Swimming pond construction in Upper Bavaria

Fuchs baut Gärten builds swimming ponds throughout the Oberland from Lenggries – including Bad Tölz, Tegernsee, Miesbach, Wolfratshausen and around Lake Starnberg (all locations). If you prefer the clean look of a pool without a planted zone, take a look at the Living Pool – or read our comparison swimming pond, natural pool or pool. For municipalities, we build the same principle on a large scale: natural outdoor swimming pool for municipalities.

Two examples of our swimming ponds to explore: Thomas Huber's swimming pond against the backdrop of the Berchtesgaden Alps and the 6,000 m² show garden in Gilching.

The second season

When the pond freezes over, it starts all over again

This is the advantage no pool has: a swimming pond stays filled throughout the winter. Nothing is drained, nothing is dismantled – and if it stays cold long enough, the swimming area turns into an ice rink in your own garden.

Children playing ice hockey on a frozen swimming pond in Lenggries, surrounded by snow
Ice hockey on your doorstep. In winter, this pond in Lenggries becomes a playing field – goal set up, snow pushed aside, done. For children, that is worth more than any summer day.
Two children with an ice hockey goal on the frozen surface of a swimming pond in the snow
Curling works too. The surface is big enough for a lane. What is the swimming zone in summer becomes the place where the neighbourhood gathers in winter.
Illuminated ice surface of a swimming pond at night with a curling stone in the foreground
And in the evening, the lights come on. If you planned the garden lighting too, you can keep playing in January after dark.

Technically, nothing dramatic happens: the water stays in the basin, the technology stays in place, and the liner is protected from ice pressure. For municipalities, that is exactly the point – more on the page natural outdoor swimming pool for municipalities.

Photos: Andrea Rosin. The children shown appear with the family's consent.

Project

A swimming pond we have maintained for over ten years

What a pond like this looks like once it has had time to mature – and who looks after it.

Water lily belt with timber jetty in a swimming pond in Rottach-Egern
Rottach-Egern, “Bayrisches Badeglück am alten Apfelbaum”. Photo: Benjamin Klopp / frames for good.

This pond is one of our older swimming ponds: 50 m² swimming area, plus a 50 m² regeneration zone and a 15 m² plant filter – built in masonry, with a liner, without chlorine. The water lily belt has become a spectacle in its own right over the years. This is exactly what you cannot see on a new pond: a swimming pond becomes more beautiful when someone looks after it. We have been responsible for its maintenance since it was built.

View the whole project

We have the manufacturer's catalogue as a PDF. Construction methods, technology in cross-section, design options and maintenance on 19 pages – download without registering.

Exposed concrete slab cantilevering over the swimming pond, the pavilion reflected in the waterFrom a projectA swimming pond with a concrete slab cantilevering above itIn Bad Tölz, we built a swimming pond whose swimming area sits at exactly a right angle beneath an exposed concrete slab – possible because the separation from the planted zone is formed by plug-in angle elements. 27 m² for swimming, 76 m² of filter area. Well worth a look for the photos.View project
★★★★★

“How wonderful that the water creatures there bring nature so close to the children! Personally, I can't imagine staying indoors when I could be outside. … For us, the garden is an extended living room. That's why we also have a glasshouse by the pond with seating and a desk, so we can be in the middle of the garden even in winter.”

— The Tien family – approved customer quote from the press

The garden behind this quote: A pond like a small lake.

★★★★★ 4.8 / 5 from 48 Google reviews
★★★★★

“Simply brilliant – and for years now!”

— Bernd Soffer
★★★★★

“An absolute dream come true, and we can recommend Fuchs baut Gärten without reservation!”

— Stefan Herrlich
★★★★★

“The lads got stuck in. Thought ahead. Developed ideas. Simply first class.”

— Werner Bittner

Swimming ponds on video

Natural swimming without chlorine – some of our swimming ponds on video.

Swimming Ponds by Fuchs baut Gärten and Biotop

Video from our YouTube channel. It only loads when you click play – no data is transferred to YouTube beforehand.

Impressions

More impressions: swimming pond

Swimming pond with reeds and a timber jetty, with a house and mountains in the backgroundSwimming pond with reeds and water lilies, timber jetty on the near bankWater lilies and marginal plants at the swimming pond in front of a natural stone wall and houseClear swimming pond with timber deck, stainless steel ladder and reed zone along the bankSwimming pond with reeds, water lilies and steps at the bankCleaning a swimming pond next to a delicate timber and glass pavilionNatural stone stepping stones in the swimming pond between water lily leavesGarden house with timber jetty reflected in the calm swimming pondPerson reading on the timber jetty at the swimming pond in front of a garden house
Frequently asked questions

Answers about swimming ponds

How much does a swimming pond cost?
The price depends on size, construction method and technology. A masonry swimming area is the most elaborate; without a wall, we now usually build with angle elements. After a consultation, you will receive a reliable quote from Fuchs baut Gärten. Guide prices from 21 completed ponds can be found on our page How much does a swimming pond cost?
How large and deep does a swimming pond need to be?
Without supporting technology, from about 30–40 m² of water surface, with a ratio of regeneration zone to swimming area of around 1:1 and a swimming depth of at least 2 m. With more technology, it can also be more compact.
Can you use a swimming pond all year round?
Yes. You can swim in it in summer, and in winter it becomes an atmospheric ice surface – the pond stays filled all year, and nothing needs to be drained in winter.
Swimming pond or natural pool – which is the better fit?
A swimming pond looks like a living biotope with plants; the natural pool (Living Pool) has a clear, pool-like look without a planted zone. Both work without chlorine – Fuchs baut Gärten from Lenggries advises you on the right option throughout Upper Bavaria.
Are there mosquitoes or algae in a swimming pond?
Natural predators such as dragonfly larvae prevent mosquito breeding; with the right technology, algae growth also stays low in the long term.
How much maintenance does a swimming pond need over the year?
A regular rhythm, not a constant building site: in spring the sediment is vacuumed off and the technology is started up, in summer the underwater plants are cut back and the skimmer basket is emptied regularly, and in autumn come the leaf net and winter preparation. Every three to five years, the regeneration zone is thoroughly cleaned and replanted. If you prefer, you can hand all of this over to our maintenance team – as annual maintenance or individual visits.
What is a swimming pond?
Swimming Pond is the international term for the Schwimmteich – a natural bathing pond that is cleaned by plants and microorganisms without chlorine. Our partner BIOTOP, the inventor of the swimming pond, has used this term since 1985 – we have been building to this system since 1993.
How does a swimming pond work?
A swimming pond cleans its water without chlorine: in a planted regeneration zone with a gravel filter, plants and microorganisms absorb the nutrients, a pump keeps the water moving, and a skimmer removes leaves and pollen from the surface. The swimming and regeneration areas are separate – roughly 1:1 without supporting technology, and more compact with technology. Fuchs baut Gärten has been building such ponds for over 30 years as a Biotop partner in Upper Bavaria.
Which company specialises in natural pools and swimming ponds?
In Upper Bavaria, that is Fuchs baut Gärten from Lenggries: Biotop partner for over 30 years, with over 440 water features built – swimming ponds, Living Pools and two public natural swimming facilities (Naturfreibad Lenggries and Aschauerweiher). Design, construction and maintenance all come from one company, and projects can be visited by arrangement, including our own company pool in Lenggries.
Does a swimming pond in Bavaria need planning permission?
Within built-up areas, generally not: since the 2025 amendment to the Bavarian Building Code (BayBO), swimming pools in Bavaria are exempt from permit procedures regardless of size. Development plans, neighbour, nature conservation and water law still apply – and outside built-up areas or in landscape protection areas, a permit or consent from the district office is required. Fuchs baut Gärten from Lenggries helps clarify this during planning.
When does a swimming pond need a permit after all?
In two cases, both of which are common in the Oberland. If the plot lies outside built-up areas – for example on the meadow beyond the edge of the village – a swimming pond requires a permit and usually cannot be approved. But it is not impossible: it depends on the individual case. And in a landscape protection area, of which there are many around Lenggries, in the Isar valley and by the lakes, even a pond that is exempt under building law needs consent from the district office, because creating new bodies of water there requires a permit. Before you give up on your plans: ask us. We will look at the site and clarify what is possible.
Who submits the building application for the swimming pond?
If one is needed: we do. At Fuchs baut Gärten, both owners are authorised to submit building plans – Ludwig Fuchs as a registered architect, Balbina Fuchs as a registered landscape architect. So we can prepare the application drawings for garden structures such as a swimming pond ourselves and submit them to the district office, rather than sending you on to a planning office. Hardly anyone in landscape gardening can do that. With over 440 water features built and two public natural swimming facilities, we know the procedures from experience.
From the garden guide

Related reading

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Does a swimming pond need planning permission?

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