Dear residents of Wiesbaden,

Summer vacation has begun, and with it comes a time when our city finds its own unique rhythm. The streets are getting a little quieter, schools and daycare centers are on break, and many families are looking forward to their days off. Not everyone goes on vacation—which is precisely why it’s important to me that everyone here in Wiesbaden can enjoy the summer: with a chance to cool off, get some exercise, meet others, and create wonderful memories.

One place that brings all of this together is our public swimming pools. Anyone who knows me knows I love to swim. It’s not just exercise; it’s also relaxation and a part of my quality of life. That’s why I’m especially happy when our pools are bustling with life in the summer—when children splash around, teens meet up with friends, families spend time together, and competitive swimmers do their laps.

What’s particularly important to me is that access to these facilities shouldn’t depend on how much money you have. That’s why children and teens get free admission to our pools during the Hessian school breaks. This summer, that applies to the Kleinfeldchen outdoor and indoor pool, the Mainzer Straße recreational pool, and the Kallebad outdoor pool. The free tickets are available directly on site.

But in the summer, physical activity doesn’t end at the edge of the pool. Sports bring people together—in clubs, at school, on the sports field, in the gym, in the park, or even spontaneously in the neighborhood. It promotes health, self-confidence, and a sense of community. For children and teenagers in particular, sports are often more than just training: they foster friendships, provide role models, build team spirit, and create a sense of belonging.

That’s why, as a city, we invest not only in our swimming pools but in sports as a whole. Wiesbaden provides around 80 sports facilities—from large sports halls for school physical education classes to competition-grade sports fields. These facilities are available to our clubs free of charge under the “zero-euro principle.” This is a deliberate effort to support volunteer work and all those who, week after week, ensure that children, teens, and adults can train, experience a sense of community, and push themselves to new heights. This also includes building, renovating, maintaining, and further developing sports facilities: from new gyms at our schools to the Rheinhöhe Sports Park as a major future project, and the renovation of key venues such as the Jürgen-Grabowski Sports Field.

At the same time, we support our clubs with issues related to funding and financing and work together with them to bring major sporting events to Wiesbaden. After all, sporting events of every scale bring people together—whether at the local, national, European, or global level—and also demonstrate just how much enthusiasm, fairness, and participation are inherent in sports. That is why I am also very pleased that the 2029 Special Olympics Hessian State Games will be held in Wiesbaden. My goal is clear: Wiesbaden should remain a city that is friendly to sports and physical activity and continue to develop as such.

But physical activity and social interaction aren’t limited to our pools and sports facilities. The city’s youth programs also help ensure that children and teenagers in Wiesbaden can enjoy a variety of summer vacation activities. In addition to the “wi&you Schöne Ferien” summer program, which offers many supervised activities, there are also open and free events: for example, the Reisinger Anlagen will once again be transformed into the popular “Sommerwiese.” A wide variety of outdoor games, physical activities, and creative workshops are offered. These include a giant water slide, a ninja obstacle course, water games, theater and music workshops, as well as quiet retreat areas for reading and relaxing. And beyond the Sommerwiese, there are free activities right in the city’s neighborhoods: From the second through the sixth week of summer vacation, “Schöne Ferien vor Ort” takes place in several neighborhoods. There, children can participate in arts and crafts, games, and sports activities spontaneously and without registration.

With all this, nothing stands in the way of a summer vacation filled with cooling off, fun, and physical activity. All of this is made possible by the many people who work behind the scenes to plan, prepare, and support these activities, dedicating themselves to ensuring that children, teens, and families can enjoy a wonderful vacation. My thanks go out to everyone who makes this possible.

I wish you all a wonderful summer—whether you’re traveling, taking a few days off, or enjoying your free time here in Wiesbaden. Use the coming weeks to enjoy moments of refreshment, exercise that does you good, and time with the people and things that often get neglected in everyday life.

Warm regards

Gert-Uwe Mende
Lord Mayor