Netherlands 24: Bosbad Amersfoort, an outdoor swimming pool in the forest

We were fortunate to have some really fantastic weather during our week in Amersfoort. It was so good that we were keen to find somewhere to go for a swim. Given where we were, there weren’t any beaches nearby, so it’d mean a travelling further afield or finding an alternative.

Inspired by our trip to the public outdoor swimming pool Zwembad De Breek, when we were staying in Zaandam, we thought we’d see if we could do something similar. Remarkably, it turned out there was a public outdoor swimming pool literally at the end of our street.

The simming pool Bosbad Amersfoort is set in the Birkhoven forest, with the name Bosbad translating as Forest pool. This is located just outside of Amersfoort, at the end of Soesterweg.

Finding the pool wouldn’t be an issue, but getting access to the pool might have been. Prior to going there, we’d read that it was necessary to buy tickets online, with them selling out quickly on sunny days.

Unfortunately, to buy them online, you had to use the iDEAL payment method. Unlike credit/debit card payments, iDEAL requires you to have a Dutch bank account, as it’s effectively a bank to bank payment system, similar to open banking. We did investigate using Revolut, who in theory support iDEAL, but we couldn’t get it working.

iDEAL is widely used in The Netherlands, which does cause issues for tourists at times. There can also be issues using Visa and Mastercard based credit and debit cards, as there’s instances of shops not accepting them. Probably the most significant being Albert Heijn supermarkets (I don’t know if that’s still the case).

Defeated by the online booking process, we headed down to the pool first thing in the morning, to see if there was another way to get tickets. Fortunately, we were able to buy tickets in person and the staff were really helpful.

Going to the pool

After returning to our Airbnb house and gathering the others, we set off to Bosbad Amersfoort. As I mentioned, the pool was located right at the end of our street, Soesterweg, so getting there didn’t take too long, just a 10 minute ride.

Soesterweg doesn’t have any cycling infrastructure, though it’s generally pretty quiet with a 30 km/h limit, so cycling along there was fine. On the way to the pool, Soesterweg crosses the railway to Hilversum, on a level crossing.

Arriving at Bosbad Amersfoort, we were greeted with ample cycle parking. This being the Netherlands, you wouldn’t expect anything different, but it’s always really pleasing to see.

After parking the bikes, we headed into Bosbad Amersfoort and found a nice sheltered spot in the trees to set up. We’d be spending most of the day there, having come with our lunch and enough to keep us going.

We were really impressed with Bosbad Amersfoort, the pools were a good size and there was a decent enough slide. There were places to get food and drinks, plus the obligatory ice cream. While it wouldn’t stand up to comparison with the likes of the Tikibad at Duinrell, it was pretty good for a local pool.

We had a really enjoyable day at Bosbad Amersfoort, it was great having such a fantastic outdoor pool so close by. With temperatures increasing, facilities like this will become even more important.

With a crate full of shopping on Soesterweg

After our day at the beach, we headed back to our Airbnb house, with a short stop off at local supermarket to stock up on supplies, before heading out later.

Riding along Barchman Wuytierslaan, near Bosbad Amersfoort — Riding along Soesterweg

Going for an ice cream

After an enjoyable day at the pool, we headed into the centre of Amersfoort for an evening ice cream and a wander. We found a suitable ice cream bar at Burano, located on the outskirts of the centre near the Stadsring.

After enjoying some very nice ice cream on a warm evening, we continued with a short wander around Amersfoort as the sun was setting. It’s such a beautiful, compact city and great to cycle around.