What Bäderland Hamburg does

Bäderland Hamburg GmbH is a municipally owned public swimming pool and wellness operator that, under an exclusive mandate from the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, runs 27 facilities across Hamburg: 21 indoor pools, 13 outdoor pools (including 7 year-round), 4 thermal baths, and 5 state performance centers, totaling approximately 45,000 m² of water surface and serving roughly 4.2 million guests annually. The portfolio is organized around five pillars: public swimming facilities (indoor, summer outdoor, year-round outdoor), wellness and sauna, the Bäderland Schwimmschule swimming school and Bäderland Akademie instructor training, Aqua Fitness and health courses, and the Schwimmclub membership and Multi Card loyalty programs. Additional services include a mandated school swimming program serving 15,000-17,000 children per semester, children's group bookings, advertising space sales, and corporate fitness partnerships with EGYM Wellpass, Hansefit, Urban Sports Club, and Wellhub.

The operating technology stack combines physical pool infrastructure — continuous 24/7 sand filtration meeting DIN 19643 standards and heat recovery systems that have driven a 69%+ CO2 reduction since 1990 with a 2040 climate-neutrality target — with a thin digital layer comprising the AI-camera safety system (lynxight.com), the Parloa voicebot for telephone customer service, the in-house WaMaSys water-surface booking system for schools and groups, and an e-commerce shop (baederland-shop.de) integrated with PayPal for tickets, courses, and gift vouchers.

Bäderland monetizes through a mix of transactional entry fees, recurring Schwimmclub subscriptions (Basis-Tarif and Flexi-Tarif), prepaid Multi Card credits with tiered discounts of 8-18%, recurring B2B corporate fitness revenue, subscription and one-time fees for swimming and Aqua Fitness courses, advertising space sales reaching nearly 5 million annual visitors, and gift vouchers. FY2024 sales revenue was €38.6 million against an annual result of -€22.4 million, with the operating gap covered by a municipal subsidy averaging €5.29 per guest. The company employs approximately 500 staff, is led by Managing Director Susan Zetzmann under the chairmanship of Dr. Alexander von Vogel, and is undergoing a CEO transition in summer 2025.

Name

Bäderland Hamburg

Legal name

Bäderland Hamburg GmbH

Website

https://baederland.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Bäderland Hamburg GmbH is a municipally owned operator of 27 public swimming pools, saunas, and thermal baths across Hamburg, serving 4.2 million guests annually with a mandated school swimming program, Schwimmclub memberships, and B2B corporate fitness partnerships under an exclusive city concession.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Aquatic Leisure Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Parks (Outdoor/Indoor, Wave Pools & Slides) (THAJAEAB)

Keywords

• Public swimming pools
• Aqua fitness courses
• Wellness spa facilities
• Swimming education programs
• Thermal bath services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Bath Entry Fees: Revenue from individual entry tickets to swimming pools, saunas, and thermal baths across 27 locations in Hamburg.
2. Swimming Courses: Revenue from various swimming courses including baby courses, children's courses, adult courses, pregnancy courses, and preventive health courses.
3. Academy Training Programs: Revenue from professional training and continuing education for pool instructors, aqua fitness trainers, and lifeguards.
4. Schwimmclub Memberships: Monthly membership fees from Schwimmclub with Basis-Tarif and Flexi-Tarif options for regular swimmers.
5. Multi Card Prepaid Cards: Prepaid cards with discounts (8-18%) on entry fees when loaded with credit (€25, €75, or €125).
6. Corporate Advertising: Revenue from advertising surfaces in and around bath facilities, reaching nearly 5 million visitors annually across Hamburg.
7. B2B Corporate Benefits: Partnership revenue from corporate fitness programs including EGYM Wellpass, Hansefit, Urban Sports Club, and Wellhub.
8. Gift Vouchers: Revenue from gift vouchers sold through the online shop for baths, saunas, and birthday celebrations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Bäderland Hamburg operates 27 public aquatic leisure facilities in Hamburg — including 21 indoor pools, outdoor pools, year-round outdoor pools, thermal baths, saunas, and 5 state performance centers — offering recreational swimming, swimming instruction (children and adults), aqua fitness, prevention and rehabilitation courses, sauna and wellness experiences, and massage services. The company additionally delivers a mandated school swimming program, an Academy for instructor training, a Multi Card loyalty program, Schwimmclub memberships, corporate benefits access, advertising space sales, and an online shop for tickets, courses and gift vouchers.

Product overview

Bäderland Hamburg operates a unified portfolio of aquatic leisure and sports facilities across Hamburg as Europe's second-largest swimming pool operator. The core offering spans 27 locations: 21 indoor pools, 13 outdoor pools (including 7 year-round), 4 thermal baths, and 5 state performance centers, with a total water area of approximately 45,000 m². The product portfolio is organized around five integrated pillars: (1) Public swimming facilities — indoor pools (Hallenbäder), outdoor pools (Sommerfreibäder), and year-round outdoor pools (Ganzjahresfreibäder); (2) Wellness & Sauna — sauna areas and thermal baths (Thermen) including the historic Bartholomäus-Therme (1909) and Kaifu-Sole brine pools; (3) Swimming School & Courses (Bäderland Schwimmschule) — structured swimming instruction from baby courses through adult learning, complemented by the Bäderland Akademie for professional instructor training; (4) Aqua Fitness & Health Courses — water-based fitness programming including Aqua Cycling, Aqua Fit Fight, Aqua HIIT, prenatal aquatics, and rehabilitation courses; and (5) Club & Membership Programs — Schwimmclub membership (Basis/Flexi tariffs) and Multi Card loyalty system. Additional offerings include School Swimming (Schulschwimmen) serving ~1,400 classes/15,000-17,000 children per semester, children's group programs, Corporate Benefits partnerships, advertising spaces, and an e-commerce platform (baederland-shop.de) for tickets, course registration, and vouchers. The company also operates Eisland for ice skating and offers accessibility services including pool lifts and barrier-free facilities. Key digital properties include the WaMaSys booking system for schools/groups and a voicebot (Parloa) for telephone customer service.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bäderland Akademie: Training and continuing education division for swimming instructors, Aqua Fitness trainers, and lifeguards, operational since 2015.
• Bäderland Schwimmschule
• Bäderland Schwimmclub
• Multi Card

Products and services

• Indoor Pools (Hallenbäder) 21 indoor swimming pools operated year-round across Hamburg, offering swimming, fitness and leisure facilities for the general public.
• Summer Outdoor Pools (Sommerfreibäder) Seasonal outdoor swimming facilities opened during summer months for recreational swimming and leisure activities across Hamburg.
• Year-Round Outdoor Pools (Ganzjahresfreibäder) 7 outdoor pools operating throughout the year, combining open-air swimming with year-round accessibility.
• Saunas Multiple sauna facilities across Hamburg locations, including Finnish saunas, steam baths, infrared cabins and themed sauna experiences (e.g., Japanese garden at Bondenwald, Himalayan salt sauna at Kaifu-Sole).
• Thermal Baths (Thermen) 4 thermal bath facilities offering warm water pools, relaxation areas and wellness experiences, including the historic Bartholomäus-Therme (dating to 1909) and Kaifu-Sole with brine pools.
• Bäderland Schwimmschule (Swimming School) Comprehensive swimming instruction for children and adults, covering Seepferdchen, Bronze, Silver and Gold badges plus intensive holiday courses.
• Aqua Fitness Courses Water-based fitness courses including Aqua Fitness, Aqua Cycling, Aqua HIIT Circuit, Aqua Fit Fight, Aqua Power, Aqua Jumping, Aqua Jogging, Aqua Deep Water Workout, Aqua Rückenfit, Aqua VIPR H2O and Aqua Kettleball Warrior.
• Baby and Children Swimming Courses Swimming courses for babies, toddlers and children, including parent-child water familiarization, breath training, movement exercises and early swimming skills.
• Pregnancy Courses (Schwangerschaftskurse) Aqua fitness courses designed for pregnant women, offering gentle water exercise for health during pregnancy.
• Prevention Courses (Präventionskurse) Health-focused water exercise courses aimed at disease prevention and rehabilitation, including Aqua FASZIO.
• Adult Swimming Courses Swimming instruction programs for adults who want to learn or improve their swimming skills.
• Bäderland Akademie (Academy) Professional training and continuing education for aquatics instructors and lifeguards, including Aqua Fitness Instructor, Kursleitung Schwimmen Lernen, Aqua Cycling Instructor, Babyschwimmtrainer Ausbildung, Aqua Fit für Schwangere, Schwimmlotse, Aqua Floatfit Instructor, Aqua Fit Fight and Aqua Fitness ohne Geräte.
• Bäderland Schwimmclub (Swimming Club Membership) Membership program with Basis-Tarif (2 days per week during morning club hours) and Flexi-Tarif (daily access during morning or regular opening hours); members access designated club pools with QR-code check-in.
• Multi Card Loyalty System Stored-value card providing tiered discounts on entry fees: 8% discount with €25 loading, 16% with €75 and 18% with €125 card value.
• Online Tickets and Shop E-commerce platform at baederland-shop.de for purchasing tickets, course registrations, vouchers and the Multi Card online, integrating PayPal for payment processing.
• Women-Only Sauna and Swimming Women-only sauna sessions and dedicated swimming times providing a protected environment for female visitors.
• Accessibility Services (Barrierefreiheit) Accessibility features including barrier-free changing rooms, elevators, accessible sanitary facilities, pool lifts and mobile lifts for basins; accessibility declaration available with known limitations noted.
• Massage and Wellness Massage services offered at wellness facilities, including Kaifusole brine pools for relaxation and therapeutic applications.
• School Swimming Program (Schulschwimmen) Mandated school swimming instruction program for Hamburg's 3rd and 4th grade students under a unified city-wide curriculum, serving approximately 1,400 classes and 15,000-17,000 children per semester; over 80% achieve at least the Seepferdchen badge.
• Children's Group Programs (Kindergruppen) Group swimming rates and programs for kindergartens, day-care facilities, all-day school care (GBS), open children's and youth work (OKJA) and social spatial offers (SAJF); includes combined rescue exercises for educators.
• Corporate Benefits Corporate partnership program allowing employees of partner companies to access Bäderland facilities through membership apps (EGYM Wellpass, Hansefit, Urban Sports Club, Wellhub).
• Gift Vouchers (Gutscheine) Gift voucher products purchased through the online shop, suitable for corporate gifting or personal presents for baths, saunas and birthday celebrations.
• Advertising Spaces (Werbeflächen) Advertising space offerings across indoor and outdoor areas of Bäderland facilities, reaching approximately 5 million annual visitors across Hamburg; contact: Andrea Mackrott.
• Eisland Ice Skating Rink Ice skating rink facility operated by Bäderland, offering ice disco and ice sports activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 80% of children achieve at least the Seepferdchen badge through school swimming programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EGYM WellpasscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate fitness partnership allowing EGYM Wellpass members to access Bäderland facilities for swimming and sauna. Members check in via partner app.
• HansefitcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate fitness partnership allowing Hansefit members to access Bäderland facilities. Members check in via partner app.
• Urban Sports ClubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate fitness partnership allowing Urban Sports Club members to access Bäderland facilities. Members check in via partner app.
• WellhubcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCorporate fitness partnership allowing Wellhub members to access Bäderland facilities. Members check in via partner app.
• HEnW KommunalEnergie GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationSolar energy partnership: Bäderland takes 100% of electricity produced from photovoltaic systems at locations, covering approximately 25% of annual consumption at those sites.
• Rehasport-Verband HamburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRehabilitation sports association offering rehabilitation exercise programs in Bäderland facilities.
• Hamburger FernwärmenetzcoreTechnology or IntegrationDistrict heating network connection for numerous Bäderland locations, supporting the path to climate neutrality by 2040.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NürnbergBad: Nuremberg's municipal bath operator runs the city's public swimming and wellness facilities under a city mandate, with comparable school-swimming and aqua-fitness offerings.
• Hannover Bäder (Stadtwerke Hannover): Hanover's municipal pool operation under Stadtwerke Hannover, offering indoor/outdoor pools, sauna, and courses under a similar public-service mandate.
• Frankfurter Bäder: Frankfurt's municipal bath operator with multiple indoor and outdoor pools plus sauna/course programming — directly comparable as another large German city municipal pool operator.
• Berliner Bäder-Betriebe: Berlin's municipal pool operator running a public network of indoor/outdoor pools, saunas, and swimming instruction under a city-owned mandate — the closest structural analogue to Bäderland Hamburg.
• Stadtwerke München (M-Bäder): Munich's municipal utility operates the city's public baths (M-Bäder), offering a comparable mix of indoor/outdoor pools, sauna, courses, and school-swimming programs under a city mandate.
• Kölner Bäder GmbH: Cologne's municipal pool company operates multiple public bath facilities with similar service pillars (swimming, sauna, courses) under city ownership — directly comparable in mandate and operating model.
• Bädergesellschaft Düsseldorf: Düsseldorf's municipal bath company runs the city's indoor and outdoor pools plus wellness offerings, with a comparable mix of school-swimming, courses, and public-mandate operations.
• Stuttgarter Bäder: Stuttgart's city-owned pool operator with public indoor/outdoor baths, sauna, and a swimming school — similar mandate, scale, and service mix to Bäderland.

Broad incumbents

• Tropical Islands: Large indoor water-park resort in Brandenburg — competes for leisure/thermal/water-park visitor spend in Germany, but as a destination attraction rather than a multi-site public-pool operator.
• Therme Erding: Europe's largest thermal-spa complex near Munich — overlaps with Bäderland's thermal-bath and sauna offering, but operates a private destination/resort model rather than a municipal public-bath mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubepolicies.google.com/privacy?hl=de
• Facebookfacebook.com/about/privacy
• LinkedInprivacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung
• Instagramhelp.instagram.com/519522125107875

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bäderland Hamburg