The ice swimming area at the Inner Harbour will open on 1 November

The winter swimming area is located at the end of Hietasaarenkatu and has two heated changing rooms: one for men and one for women. In addition, the pier area is equipped with lights and recording surveillance cameras.

The opening in the ice is kept from freezing over by a pump. Swimmers can enter the water using a ladder or more gently inclined steps.

The city now owns the changing rooms

The changing rooms are open to all and feature benches and hooks for clothing. Each changing room also has four storage lockers that can be locked with a small padlock. Swimmers wishing to use the lockers should bring their own padlocks.

– Previously, we used to rent the changing rooms but now the city has bought them. This means that we can now make small improvements, such as adding clothes hooks and a floor drain, says Jarmo Latvala, Service Manager of the Green Spaces Team responsible for the maintenance of the winter swimming area.

The winter swimming area, opened in December 2023 and open to all, was very popular last winter: it attracted more than 10,000 swimmers during the season.