This is what the people of Aachen have been waiting for: "their" Hangeweiher outdoor pool is finally complete again! The good news: everything is ready in time for the traditional opening of the season. Gone are the two outdoor pool seasons in which changing rooms and showers were housed in temporary containers and parts of the site were a building site. A new, modern, architecturally outstanding building with a redesigned entrance area has been created. With state-of-the-art technology - including a high-performance solar roof - it now houses the showers, changing rooms and staff rooms.

Official OpeningThe new
building, which was constructed with financial support from the federal program “Renovation of Municipal Facilities in the Areas of Sports, Youth, and Culture” (SJK), will of course be celebrated in style. The official opening ceremony, led by Aachen’s Mayor Dr. Michael Ziemons and those involved in the construction project, will take place on Thursday, April 30, starting at 1:00 p.m. On that day, all season ticket holders will have the opportunity to check out the new showers and changing rooms. Following the official opening ceremony, they will have the exclusive opportunity to take a dip in the cool water. Season ticket holders who would like to attend should please register by email at sportamt@mail.aachen.de by Monday, April 27.

Season opener on May 1 at a “trial
price” Right on schedule on May 1, it’s “All systems go!” again for all swimmers and anyone who’s simply curious about the new facility. For the entire first weekend—from Friday, May 1, through Sunday, May 3—swimming will be available at a “trial price” of just one euro per person. The outdoor pool’s opening hours for this season can be found at www.aachen.de/schwimmen.

The Federal Program “Renovation of Municipal Facilities in the Areas of Sports, Youth, and Culture”The
Federal Program “Renovation of Municipal Facilities in the Areas of Sports, Youth, and Culture” (SJK) supports cities and municipalities across Germany in maintaining their social infrastructure. It was first launched in 2015. By 2021, the federal government had provided a total of 1.54 billion euros.

Around 900 projects were selected for funding, a good 750 of which relate to sports facilities. The focus is on social interaction and climate protection. Funding is provided for investment measures - refurbishments and, in exceptional cases, replacement new builds - with particular regional and supra-regional significance and very high quality in terms of their energy impact and climate change adaptation performance. The projects are also of considerable importance for social cohesion and social integration in the municipality.

Since 2022, the program has been financed by the Climate and Transformation Fund and continued with a clearer focus on the energy-efficient refurbishment of the facilities to be funded.

The federal program "Renovation of municipal facilities in the areas of sport, youth and culture" (SJK) is the responsibility of the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction.