The European Pools Rating — our methodology

The European Pools Rating is an independent quality mark that assesses swimming pools, baths and swimming spots across Europe with 1 to 5 stars (in half-step increments). It was developed and is maintained by De WaterExpert. One thing up front, because it matters most: the score is never for sale. We stand behind the method — not behind advertisers. That's why we explain below exactly how the rating comes about.

Why our own quality mark

Most sites simply pass on the Google score. That mainly tells you whether visitors had a nice time — not whether a place is safe and clean. We believe what matters most should weigh most heavily. That's why the European Pools Rating assesses every pool on five pillars, with safety and hygiene as the most heavily weighted factors.

The five pillars

1. Safety & supervision — 30%. The heaviest, and rightly so. Active lifeguard supervision, depth zoning, water clarity, a well-rehearsed emergency action plan.
2. Hygiene & sanitation — 25%. Water treatment, cleaning, changing rooms and sanitary facilities.
3. Facilities & experience — 20%. Lanes, slides, wellness, atmosphere and maintenance.
4. Family-friendliness — 15%. Shallow water, toddler pool, separation of shallow and deep areas, suitability for families.
5. Accessibility & value — 10%. Ease of access, facilities for people with reduced mobility, value for money.

How the score is calculated

The engine is hybrid and deliberately transparent:

- Fixed rules set a baseline score from structural, verifiable data (facilities, type of pool, public data). - Nuance from real experience: we read review texts and the pool's own website according to a fixed rubric, to refine the picture — not to polish it. - Tiered and fair: where there's too little data, we show "not yet rated" rather than guessing. Thin data is capped at a maximum of 4 stars; five stars is only possible with rich data *and* a positive score on safety and hygiene. Every score comes with a data-confidence label, so you know how solid the verdict is. - Recalculated monthly, so a score stays current.

What the score is *not*

The European Pools Rating is not an advertisement and not a paid quality mark. A pool cannot buy, influence or remove its score. That's not a minor detail — it's the whole point. A rating you can trust precisely because no one can buy it.

Open water: safety first

For open water (sea, lakes, rivers) a separate safety module applies, grounded in the guidelines of national safety organisations. Flowing water, tides and coastline are subject to stricter caps than a lake or pond, and current measures (such as a swimming ban or blue-green algae) lower the score immediately or strip away the stars altogether. Open water never receives the highest confidence label — nature changes too quickly. Never swim alone.

Sources

We combine public facility data (OpenStreetMap), the public Google score and the review texts, the pool's own website, and for open water the official water quality (European environmental data) and national measures. Everything is verifiable; always confirm opening hours and prices with the pool itself.