Aquarena Zapfendorf | Opening Hours & Prices

The Aquarena Zapfendorf is a heated outdoor swimming pool located in the Upper Main Valley between Bamberg and Bad Staffelstein, offering a summer destination for families, swimmers, and those seeking relaxation alike. The official description already places swimming, sliding, sunbathing, and sauna side by side, which is exactly the mix that transforms a quick swim stop into a real day trip. With the address Laufer Straße 49 in 96199 Zapfendorf, the location is clearly defined; there are also ample parking spaces at the bathing area and an environment that allows for relaxed hours at the forest edge. Particularly striking is the 120 m long giant slide, which makes the Aquarena well-known far beyond the region. This is complemented by a warm water offering, family areas, a wellness area, and gastronomy, ensuring that the visit is not only sporty but also comfortable and pleasure-oriented. For the 2026 bathing season, the municipality also specifies concrete opening hours and prices, making planning for day visitors, families, and clubs significantly easier. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/willkommen-im-aquarena))

Opening Hours, Prices & Admission 2026

For those who want to plan their visit precisely, the Aquarena Zapfendorf provides very clear seasonal dates. According to the municipality, the bathing season 2026 starts on May 1, 2026, and ends on September 14, 2026. From Monday to Friday, it is open from 1:30 PM to 8:00 PM, and on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, and during school vacations from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM; the last admission is at 7:00 PM. This is particularly practical for families, as the day can be organized either as an early summer program or as a relaxed afternoon after school and work. Those who want to experience the warm pools as quietly as possible can use the middle of the week; on the other hand, those who prefer the full outdoor pool experience with more hustle and bustle have longer opening hours on weekends and during vacations. The municipality also points out that swimming days in changeable weather are worthwhile, as the warm water temperatures and the wellness area with steam bath and soft sauna make the visit independent of the weather. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/oeffnungszeiten-preise))

In terms of prices, the Aquarena relies on a comparatively transparent tiered system. Adults aged 15 and over pay 6.00 euros, children and teenagers aged 6 to 14 years as well as other eligible groups pay 3.50 euros, and children aged 3 to 5 years pay 1.00 euro. Families can purchase a ticket for 14.00 euros, additional children can be added at a low cost, and children up to 2 years have free admission. Those who only want to stay briefly can use the evening swimmer rate; additionally, there are twelve-visit cards and season tickets, for which the municipality also offers discounts for early purchases. The practical difference between price and use is also interesting: newly issued twelve-visit cards are valid for a maximum of two bathing seasons, and season tickets purchased during the closure period between November and March 31 receive a 10 percent discount. This makes the Aquarena attractive not only for spontaneous visits but also for frequent swimmers, families, and regular guests. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/oeffnungszeiten-preise))

Pools, Slide & Water Temperatures

The actual strength of the Aquarena lies in the variety of water and experience areas. The municipality mentions a 120 m giant slide, a children's splash pool with various attractions and sun sails, a wellness area with Turkish steam bath, soft sauna, and warmth hall, as well as a 50 m swimming and multipurpose pool with eight competition lanes. The offering is complemented by diving boards at 1 m and 3 m heights, a warm water and leisure pool with waterfall jets, floor sprayers, and massage jets, as well as roll loungers by the pool. For sporty guests, this is a clean mix of training, cooling down, and regeneration; for families, it is the ideal combination of action for the children and comfort for the adults. The loving focus on different target groups is also evident in the fact that the outdoor pool is not only conceived as a classic swimming pool but as a recreational place with an experience character. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/willkommen-im-aquarena))

Even beyond the pools, the facility is remarkably family-friendly. The municipality refers to a mother-and-child building with changing table, refrigerator, heating facilities, and separate toilets, a spacious sunbathing area of about 26,000 square meters on the southern slope, a children's and water playground, a toy box for free use, a beach volleyball court, lockable changing lockers, and table tennis. In addition, there are the warm pools: Currently, the municipality reports 28 degrees in the splash pool, 29 degrees in the wellness pool, and 26 degrees in the swimmer/diving pool. This temperature combination is a central reason why the Aquarena is perceived as a heated outdoor pool and feels pleasant even on days with less summer heat. For those traveling with smaller children, this provides a place where play, safety, and relaxation come together sensibly. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/willkommen-im-aquarena))

Gastronomy, Michel’s Kiosk & Café and Relaxed Breaks

Another plus point is the gastronomy. Since the 2022 bathing season, Michel’s Kiosk & Café has welcomed guests at the Aquarena and provides them with food and refreshing drinks. According to the municipality, the indoor area, terrace, and beer garden invite guests to linger, and it is even accessible via a separate entrance, allowing Michel’s to be visited independently of the swimming pool. This quickly turns a short swimming visit into a longer stay, as no one is stuck at the sunbathing area with hungry children or a drained battery. For families who need a break between sliding, splashing, and sunbathing, this is the decisive comfort factor: a place to sit, eat, breathe, and later return to the water. Even in changeable weather, the visit remains more relaxed because the swimming day does not fail due to catering. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/gastronomie))

The gastronomic integration fits well with the atmosphere of the entire area. The Aquarena is not an anonymous pool with a pure swimming fee, but a facility where bathing landscape and stay are consciously intertwined. Those who just come for a coffee or a dish can use Michel’s independently; those who stay all day benefit from the terrace, beer garden, and the short walk back to the pool and sunbathing area. The combination of children's area, wellness zone, and gastronomy makes the place interesting for different daily routines: swimming a few laps in the morning, having lunch, sliding with the children in the afternoon, and enjoying a quiet break outdoors in the evening. This variety of use is a strong argument for a municipal outdoor pool, as it not only extends the visit but also strengthens the character of the facility as a social meeting point. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/gastronomie))

Access, Location & Parking in Zapfendorf

The location of the Aquarena is also an essential part of its success. The outdoor pool is located at Laufer Straße 49 in 96199 Zapfendorf; the municipality explicitly describes the site as a place in the beautiful Upper Main Valley between Bamberg and Bad Staffelstein. This makes the place interesting for residents of the region as well as for day visitors looking for an uncomplicated swimming stop on their way through Upper Franconia. The clear address is important because it makes the swimming pool quickly findable and simplifies planning with navigation or route functions. Those coming from the surrounding area will therefore find not only a beautiful outdoor pool but also a place that can be directly accessed without long searching. For a family destination, this is a real advantage, as arrival, unloading, and swimming day can function without detours. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/willkommen-im-aquarena))

Parking at the Aquarena also remains pleasantly uncomplicated. The official site states that there are sufficient parking spaces available at the bathing area; this eliminates the typical search for parking spaces on hot summer days for many guests. This is particularly practical for families with bags, swimming aids, and strollers, but also for clubs, groups, or older guests who appreciate short distances. The municipality also provides a map for orientation and describes the route to the pool on the page “How to find us.” In practice, this means: drive up, park, change, and jump into the water. This simplicity is often the difference between a stressful outing and a relaxed swimming day. Together with the location between Bamberg and Bad Staffelstein, the Aquarena thus becomes a well-accessible leisure destination that does not require complicated travel or elaborate logistics. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/willkommen-im-aquarena))

Offers, Swimming Courses & Events

In addition to the classic outdoor pool operation, the Aquarena also plays an important role as an event and course location. The municipality lists various offers such as swimming courses and aqua jogging for each bathing season; in 2026, AQUA-Zumba will also be offered, with the second course starting on July 7, 2026, and taking place on Tuesdays at 6:30 PM. According to the municipality, the children's swimming courses are parent-child swimming courses with ten units of 45 minutes each, with up to eight children aged five and older and one accompanying adult each. This is practical for families who see swimming not only as leisure but also as a learning and development topic. Additionally, there are small but clever ideas such as the open bookshelf that has been in the pool since August 2023, allowing guests to read, exchange, and take breaks, as well as a UV index board that has been informing about sun protection since the 2025 bathing season. This mix shows that the Aquarena not only offers water but also knowledge, movement, and consideration for health and everyday life. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/angebote-events))

The program is particularly attentive when it comes to events. The swimming pool committee decided in October 2025 that the summer night festival and cinema summer should take place in annual alternation starting from the 2026 bathing season; in the years without a summer night festival, a long swimming night is planned as a substitute. For 2026, this long swimming night is scheduled for July 31, with the outdoor pool open until 10:00 PM and the leisure pool beautifully illuminated. Additionally, the Franconian cinema summer 2026 will be back, with admission starting at 8:00 PM at the swimming pool ticket office and the film starting at sunset. The municipality also mentions swimming festivals of the primary and secondary school Zapfendorf as well as the integrative swimming festival of the special schools from the city and district of Bamberg as recurring events. This makes the Aquarena a place that regularly offers more than just swimming in the summer: shared evenings, local community, school and club life, and family experiences in the open air. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/angebote-events))

History, Renovations & Special Features

Historically, the Aquarena is firmly anchored in Zapfendorf. A municipal document mentions the opening of the outdoor pool in 1972 and a comprehensive renovation in 1988/89. In a later overview of the municipality, it is also mentioned that the wellness area was redesigned in 2006 with a soft sauna, steam bath, and showers. Today, when walking through the pool, one not only feels the summer leisure vibe but also the long development of a municipal pool that has been continuously modernized and adapted to new needs. This mix of tradition and renewal defines the character of the Aquarena: it is not an interchangeable standard pool but a place with history where multiple generations have collected swimming memories. For many people from the region, this is an important emotional factor, as the outdoor pool is not only used but also supported. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/fileadmin/documents/Mitteilungsblatt/Mibl_26_2020-12-18.pdf))

The renovations of recent years show that the municipality actively develops the pool. In 2020, for example, the entrance area, flower beds, and stairways were renewed, in 2021 the warmth hall was completed with new drying areas, storage spaces, and seating, and the terrace of the swimming pool café was also rebuilt. The water attractions in the children's splash pool were also modernized, where the former octopus was replaced by a splash fountain, as well as the water playground with the theme of the Main Valley, which was co-designed by artist Thomas Gröhling. Additionally, there is a measure to replace pool water pumps with controllable high-efficiency pumps. The development of the pool is also supported by the Aquarena Friends Association, which, according to its own presentation, is committed to the preservation and improvement of the swimming pool as a sports, leisure, and meeting place. The result is an outdoor pool that does not stand still but gets better step by step. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/sanierungsarbeiten-im-aquarena-2020))

Therefore, when visiting the Aquarena Zapfendorf, one does not simply get a pool with water surface, but a carefully curated leisure offering: warm pools, long slide, family infrastructure, gastronomy, good accessibility, and an event calendar that revitalizes the summer every year. This is exactly why the pool works so well for different target groups. Children experience movement and play, adults find relaxation or sport, clubs and schools have a functional place for activities, and day visitors get an uncomplicated outing with clear planning. In an environment located between Bamberg and Bad Staffelstein that also offers tranquility at the forest edge, a combination is created that is rarely found regionally. The Aquarena is thus an outdoor pool with profile, history, and real recognition value. ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/willkommen-im-aquarena))

Sources:

• Market Zapfendorf - Welcome to AQUARENA ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/willkommen-im-aquarena))
• Market Zapfendorf - Opening Hours & Prices ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/oeffnungszeiten-preise))
• Market Zapfendorf - Gastronomy ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/gastronomie))
• Market Zapfendorf - Offers & Events ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/angebote-events))
• Market Zapfendorf - Renovation Work at AQUARENA (2020) ([zapfendorf.de](https://www.zapfendorf.de/erleben/aquarena/sanierungsarbeiten-im-aquarena-2020))