Großer Woog, Darmstadt

To the east of Darmstadt lies the Großer Woog- a natural outdoor swimming pool. Woog translates to 'Standing water' in German. It is a 5.7 hectares lake with an average depth of  2meters. Although close to the city's center, this lake is very calm and secluded. The Darmbach, a stream that originates from multiple springs in 'Darmstater Ostwald,' traverses through the Woog. 

The entire area consists of the "family Pool"( Familienbad) in the north-west and the "island" (Inselbad) to the southeast. 

The family pool ( das Familienbad) consists of a non-swimmer area, concrete walkways, a 50-meter pool, and a 10-meter diving tower. 

The Island area (das Inselbad) consists of large sunbathing lawns, a children's playground, a volleyball court, a slide, and a shallow beach. Here, rowing boats and sun loungers are available for hire.

The Woog houses many species of birds and is also a popular fishing location. The association/club ( Verein in German), Anglergemeinschaft Großer Woog, promotes fair game fishing on the Woog and takes care of preserving and caring for the fish population there. 

The association 'Woogsfreunde,' -a non-profit organization, takes care of the preservation and maintenance of the Großer Woog in Darmstadt. More information about them and the Woog can be found here:

https://www.woogsfreunde.de/index.html

Like many other places of interest in Darmstadt, the Großer Woog also has a history:

In 1567, the Landgraves created the Großer Woog and the Kleiner Woog as a fire-fighting pond and amusement park. Around 1820, it is said to have been opened as a public bathing lake. Later in 1888, the Kleiner Woog was filled up and is now the Woogsplatz.

In the same area,  there is a restaurant in the south-west and a youth hostel (Jugendherberge) in the north-east.The restaurant with an open-air terrace area gives excellent views of the lake and can be accessed from the dam (Woogsdamm). It can be visited for breakfast or lunch. Alternatively, the restaurant can be completely booked for events and parties. More information can be found on their website:

https://www.woog.me/

The Darmstadt Youth Hostel (Judendherberge) is quite popular with youth groups because of its location on the lake. More information can be found here:

https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/darmstadt-476/portraet/

Adjoining the restaurant is a play area for small kids and a path for walking/cycling along with benches where one can relax and enjoy the serenity of the place.

From May to September, the Woog is open for swimming and other recreational activities. During these months, it becomes a popular destination amongst the residents of Darmstadt and nearby areas for swimming/sunbathing and for spending a relaxing day under the sun. From October to mid-May, it is not accessible. Still, a walk on the dam to enjoy the scenic beauty or a cycle along the lake's periphery can be an enjoyable experience. 

The location is given here. I have marked it with reference to Luisenplatz.

To know more about places and experiences in Darmstadt, click here.