Swimming pool culture recognized by UNESCO

The swimming pool culture of Iceland has been formally placed on the UNESCO list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This was confirmed yesterday following an 18-month evaluation period, at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in New Delhi, India.

The inscription constitutes a recognition of the cultural value of swimming pool culture. The nomination emphasized swimming pools as public spaces and public goods, where all generations, people of all shapes and sizes, come together to swim, exercise, chat with friends or strangers, and enjoy community or solitude surrounded by water. Swimming pool culture is part of the daily life of the nation, where people meet in their swimsuits on an equal footing. Swimming pool culture therefore supports physical, mental, and social health.

In North Iceland, you can find a variety of swimming pools in almost every town, a beer spa with hot tubs outside, and three diffierent geothermal lagoons, Earth Lagoon, Geosea and Forest Lagoon. Click here to discover more about bathing and wellness in North Iceland.

UNESCO has strict requirements for the participation of those who know and practice the tradition, and therefore, public support for the nomination was sought. Meetings were held throughout the country where the nomination was presented and feedback was requested from attendees. Numerous swimming pool visitors and swimming groups from all over the country contributed to the nomination, shared their experiences of swimming pool culture, and expressed their support. The same applies to swimming clubs, as well as the Icelandic Swimming Association and UMFÍ (The Icelandic Youth Association).