The European continent boasts some of the cleanest and most refreshing bodies of water for swimming, according to the 2025 Bathing Water Report. This is a testament to the stringent EU water quality standards and the efforts of various European countries to maintain their aquatic environments. Cyprus takes the crown for the best overall water quality, with a remarkable 100% of its waters classified as excellent. This is followed by a close competition among Greece, Bulgaria, and Austria, each with over 96% of their waters meeting the highest standards. However, it's not just the coastal waters that shine; Lithuania and Slovenia's coastal waters are also of excellent quality, though their inland sites bring down their overall scores. When it comes to lakes, rivers, and ponds, Austria and Finland lead the way with around 95% of their inland water classified as excellent. Denmark, Luxembourg, and Germany complete the top five, each with over 94% of their inland waters meeting the highest standards. On the other hand, some countries are struggling with water quality issues. Estonia, the Netherlands, and France have over 3% of their bathing waters classified as poor, while Albania has the lowest share of excellent waters at 16.8%. Considering only inland water, Spain takes the unfortunate lead with over 11% of its rivers and lakes classified as poor quality, and only 53.1% considered excellent. This is followed by Slovenia, Portugal, and Croatia, all with low shares of excellent inland bathing water quality. Rivers, in particular, remain a challenge, with only 47% of designated river bathing sites achieving excellent quality. This is largely due to rapid urbanisation and pollution from the Industrial Revolution, as well as short-term pollution events following heavy rainfall, combined sewer overflows, stormwater runoff, agricultural pollution, and faecal inputs from wildlife and livestock. Despite these challenges, the EEA reports that many urban rivers and water bodies have progressively recovered with the support of European water policies, and river bathing is now possible in several European cities. This is a positive sign, indicating that with continued efforts, Europe's rivers can become as clean and refreshing as its lakes and coastal waters.
