For summer’s most devoted sun-seekers, few pleasures rival whiling away a sizzling afternoon at a beach club. Soft sand, cool water, ice-cold drinks delivered at a moment’s notice, a menu brimming with freshly made snacks and meals: what could be more idyllic?
But across Europe, a new kind of beach club is making waves – and they’re not by the sea. Lakeside clubs are bringing the same laid-back luxury to the serene shores of the continent’s most beautiful inland waters. Offering the service, style and atmosphere of their coastal cousins, these tranquil retreats are quickly becoming the season’s hottest ticket. Whether they’re exclusive dockside spots offering five-star service to hotel guests, or historic city baths that have been reimagined for the 21st-century, with kiosks and saunas added to their waterside offering, here are five we’re loving across Europe right now.
But across Europe, a new kind of beach club is making waves – and they’re not by the sea. Lakeside clubs are bringing the same laid-back luxury to the serene shores of the continent’s most beautiful inland waters. Offering the service, style and atmosphere of their coastal cousins, these tranquil retreats are quickly becoming the season’s hottest ticket. Whether they’re exclusive dockside spots offering five-star service to hotel guests, or historic city baths that have been reimagined for the 21st-century, with kiosks and saunas added to their waterside offering, here are five we’re loving across Europe right now.
Seebad Utoquai | Credit Claire Menary
Open April to October, the complex includes a lakeside pool, sunbathing areas, two further indoor pools, a sauna and a kiosk serving light, summer-ready plates, from pasta salads to fresh fruit with yoghurt. Single-entry access costs around £7, but if you’re staying at the elegant La Réserve Eden au Lac Zurich hotel nearby, you can enjoy unlimited, complimentary access.
seebadutoquai.ch
Seebad Utoquai
Zurich, Switzerland
Dips in Zurich’s sailboat-dotted lakefront are a city staple during the summer months – butask any urbanite where the best swimming spot is and they’ll point you to Seebad Utoquai. One of the city’s oldest lakeside bath houses, it recently underwent a 21st-century overhaul, transforming it into a holistic wellness hub. Located within sight of the city’s Opera House and Bellevue Palace, this 130-year-old landmark attracts locals for sunrise yoga, midday meditation and post-work dips (paired with author readings and sunset concerts).Open April to October, the complex includes a lakeside pool, sunbathing areas, two further indoor pools, a sauna and a kiosk serving light, summer-ready plates, from pasta salads to fresh fruit with yoghurt. Single-entry access costs around £7, but if you’re staying at the elegant La Réserve Eden au Lac Zurich hotel nearby, you can enjoy unlimited, complimentary access.
seebadutoquai.ch
The floating infinity pool at Mandarin Oriental Lago di Como
The nearby Nami Cafe offers an exclusive lakeside dining experience for sun-kissed pool wallowers, plating up an Asian-inspired menu of sandwiches and salads throughout the day. After a swim, order some vegetable-packed maki rolls – think scallops with espelette pepper and melon, and salmon with courgette and cream cheese – or pick a more substantial option, like the luxurious wagyu burger. In a nod to the group’s origins, cocktails can be ordered inside fresh coconuts.
mandarinoriental.com
Alongside more heart-thumping wildlife adventures (wolf tracking, anyone?), you’ll be able to enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, horse riding, biking, tennis, stargazing, forest bathing and hiking amid the striking Tuscan landscapes, before flopping down on the lakeside deck for a little decompression. The naturally purified, floating “bio-swimming pool” sits in the centre of the lake, while sun loungers and forest-green parasols line up along the “solarium” on the water’s edge, serviced by a hut-housed bar mixing mountain-inspired cocktails.
oasyhotel.com
Nami Cafe, Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Lombardy, Italy
On hazy summer days, the shimmering, floating infinity pool at Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como steals the show on the shores of this legendary European lake. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron, it’s a self-contained oasis, open only to hotel guests and flanked by crisp white parasols and blindingly brilliant sun loungers.The nearby Nami Cafe offers an exclusive lakeside dining experience for sun-kissed pool wallowers, plating up an Asian-inspired menu of sandwiches and salads throughout the day. After a swim, order some vegetable-packed maki rolls – think scallops with espelette pepper and melon, and salmon with courgette and cream cheese – or pick a more substantial option, like the luxurious wagyu burger. In a nod to the group’s origins, cocktails can be ordered inside fresh coconuts.
mandarinoriental.com
Oasyhotel
Tuscany, Italy
At this wild Apennines retreat, dragonflies skim the startlingly green waters of the forest-crowded lake, making for an easy wildlife-watching experience. Oasyhotel – a collection of 17 minimalist, low-impact cabins scattered across meadows and woodland within the Oasi Dynamo Nature Reserve, Italy’s first WWF-affiliated nature reserve – might not have the buzz of an Ibiza beach club, but those who swap Balearic house for a nature-made soundtrack will find themselves cocooned in the restorative tranquility of the wild. The family-owned park is a blueprint for regeneration and environmental custodianship: carefully restored old agricultural buildings have been transformed into restaurants and communal lounges, while the sleek cabins scattered across the site promise minimal impact on the landscape.Alongside more heart-thumping wildlife adventures (wolf tracking, anyone?), you’ll be able to enjoy kayaking, paddleboarding, horse riding, biking, tennis, stargazing, forest bathing and hiking amid the striking Tuscan landscapes, before flopping down on the lakeside deck for a little decompression. The naturally purified, floating “bio-swimming pool” sits in the centre of the lake, while sun loungers and forest-green parasols line up along the “solarium” on the water’s edge, serviced by a hut-housed bar mixing mountain-inspired cocktails.
oasyhotel.com
See Club at Rosewood Schloss Fuschl
Set within the immaculate grounds of Rosewood’s reimagined 15th-century hunting lodge, this lakeside spot is perfect for a sun-soaked afternoon at leisure. Feast on fresh, healthy fare from noon, including salads, grilled seafood and sharing platters like tomato, apple, and burrata, alongside standout dishes such as trout ceviche, prawn carpaccio, and the See Club fish and chips – beer-battered pike perch with yuzu aïoli and fries.
Open 9am to 7pm, day passes cost £167, including a sun lounger, £38 food and drink credit, beach towel, sunscreen, a welcome drink and a mid-afternoon prosecco. Chin chin.
rosewoodhotels.com
See Club, Rosewood Schloss Fuschl
Salzkammergut, Austria
Perched above the bottle-green waters of Lake Fuschl, See Club brings the Mediterranean to mind, albeit you’re in the heart of the Austrian Alps. Stylish sun loungers and dining tables shaded by smartly scalloped parasols invite you to unwind in style, a signature Fuschl spritz – a refreshing mix of hibiscus bitters, raspberry and Grüner Veltliner – in hand.Set within the immaculate grounds of Rosewood’s reimagined 15th-century hunting lodge, this lakeside spot is perfect for a sun-soaked afternoon at leisure. Feast on fresh, healthy fare from noon, including salads, grilled seafood and sharing platters like tomato, apple, and burrata, alongside standout dishes such as trout ceviche, prawn carpaccio, and the See Club fish and chips – beer-battered pike perch with yuzu aïoli and fries.
Open 9am to 7pm, day passes cost £167, including a sun lounger, £38 food and drink credit, beach towel, sunscreen, a welcome drink and a mid-afternoon prosecco. Chin chin.
rosewoodhotels.com
T Beach at Grand Hotel Tremezzo
grandhoteltremezzo.com
T Beach, Grand Hotel Tremezzo
Lombardy, Italy
A second Lake Como address? Well, it is one of Europe’s most beautiful bodies of water. This time, we’re whizzing – by Vespa – to one of the region’s most iconic addresses. At Grand Hotel Tremezzo, the private – and secluded – T Beach is a riot of marigold orange, from its candy-striped parasols and oh-so-loud sun loungers to the bold attire of the dynamic team. There’s a floating swimming pool, and, within a stone’s throw, fresh salads, pastas and pizzas for lunch, but in the evenings, you’ll want to book a table at Da Giacomo al Lago – the waterside sister restaurant of Milan’s renowned seafood go-to – to devour platefuls of spaghetti alle vongole and fresh grilled lobster. The drink of choice? An orange-hued Aperol spritz, of course.grandhoteltremezzo.com
