Europe’s Best and Worst Places to Swim This Summer, According to New EU Report
Europe’s beaches and lakes remain some of the cleanest in the world, with over 85% of monitored bathing waters rated “excellent” in the latest assessment.
The European Environment Agency, in cooperation with the European Commission, released the 2024 European bathing water quality report in June 2025, analyzing more than 22,000 sites across all 27 member states of the European Union (EU).
Most coastal and inland swimming spots met or exceeded water quality standards, with 96% passing the minimum level for safe swimming.
Southern Europe Leads on Water Quality, With Cyprus, Greece and Croatia Among the Cleanest
Southern Europe continues to dominate Europe’s bathing water rankings, with Cyprus topping the 2024 list at 99.2% of sites rated “excellent,” followed closely by Bulgaria (97.2%), Greece (97%), and Croatia (95.2%).
All but one of the four countries even improved compared to 2023, when Cyprus stood at 97.6%, Greece at 95.8%, and Bulgaria at 94.8%. These consistently high scores underscore the region’s long-standing popularity as a swimming destination. This complements the global popularity of Greek resorts, Cypriot beaches, and Bulgarian seaside towns.
Croatia was the only country among them to experience a slight decline, dropping from 96.7% in 2023 to 95.2% in 2024. However, it still remains well above the EU average of 85.4%.
Austria’s Rivers and Lakes Outshine Coastal Nations in Water Quality Rankings
Austria, despite being landlocked, consistently outperforms many coastal nations in terms of bathing water quality. With 95.8% of its rivers and lakes rated “excellent” in 2024, it secured the No. 4 spot across 27 member states of the EU.
While it is a slight dip from its No. 2 position in 2023 (96.9%), Austria’s consistently strong performance underscores the high quality of its freshwater sites.
Austria is home to some of Europe’s leading nature hotels and low-impact wellness retreats, many of which are located near its crystal-clear lakes. This country proves that you don’t need a coastline to offer some of Europe’s best swimming conditions.
Eastern Europe Lags Overall, But Romania Makes One of the Biggest Leaps
While several Eastern European countries continue to struggle with bathing water quality, Romania and Lithuania stand out as notable exceptions in 2024.
Romania had one of the strongest year-over-year improvements in the EU’s 2024 bathing water report, with 84% of its swimming sites now rated “excellent”, up sharply from just 70% in 2023.
Lithuania also remained strong at 86%, although slightly down from 89.3% the previous year.
Meanwhile, Poland (58%), Estonia (61.5%), and Hungary (67%) all fell below the 70% threshold. However, Poland’s results may be understated, as more than 20% of its sites were not classified. If those unclassified locations followed the same quality breakdown as the rest, Poland’s overall share of “excellent” waters could rise to 72.9%, surpassing the mark.
Slovakia (77.1%), Czechia (76.5%), and Latvia (76.3%) all made modest gains but still trail the EU average.
However, like Poland, Slovakia also had a significant share of unclassified sites, with 14.3% of its bathing waters not assessed in 2024. Notably, among the classified locations, none fell into the “poor” or “sufficient” quality category. It is a rare distinction that sets Slovakia apart from several of its regional peers.
Swedish Surprise: Clean Image, Mixed Results
One of the most unexpected results in this year’s bathing water report came from Sweden, a country often associated with unspoiled nature and high environmental standards, such as its ambitious climate goals of achieving 100% renewable electricity generation by 2040 and carbon neutrality by 2045.
Despite that reputation, Sweden trailed its Nordic neighbors with only 73.5% of its monitored sites earning the “excellent” rating. In contrast, Denmark achieved an impressive 92.9%, and Finland followed with 85.5%, both comfortably above the EU average.
The trend is not entirely new. In 2023, Sweden reported an even lower 72.9%, while Denmark and Finland stood at 94% and 87.2%, respectively. Although Sweden saw a slight improvement this year, the gap between it and its Nordic peers remains significant.
Syndicated from The Roam Report.
Emese Maczko is a travel blogger behind Eco Lodges Anywhere. Having explored several destinations around Europe, the US, Indonesia, and Australia, and resided in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg, Emese possesses a keen understanding of diverse cultures and an appreciation for the beauty of each destination she visits. She advocates for sustainable travel and ecotourism.