Laugaskarð Swimming Pool

The swimming pool in Laugaskarð is a 50-meter outdoor pool located in a sheltered environment in Laugaskarð in Hveragerði. The pool is 50 meters long and 12 meters wide and was for a long time the largest swimming pool in the country. It is a flow-through pool, heated with geothermal steam, which ensures a constant temperature and clean water without extensive use of chlorine. In the pool area there is also a hot shallow sitting pool, a cold tub, a hot tub with electric massage, and a natural steam bath that is one of the most remarkable in the country. By the pool there are also two beach volleyball courts and a gym, which the sports club Hamar operates in the pool building. The swimming pool has a long history and was first taken into use in 1938 after a major volunteer effort organized by the Youth Association of Ölfushreppur. In 1945 it was then expanded to its current size. Lárus Rist, a swimming champion and pioneer, played a key role in the choice of location and development. For a time the Icelandic national swimming team trained in the pool, until 1966 when Laugardalslaug took over that role. The operation and maintenance of the swimming pool is in the hands of the municipality of Hveragerði.