50-metre swimming lanes, a leisure area with massage jets and a rapids ride, slides and a water playground for children – this is what the new swimming complex, opening next to the Water Park, will look like. On Friday, 23 October, the investment project was officially launched. Work is scheduled to be completed in May 2028, with the facility opening to the public a month later.

– Today is a special day, because in a sense our shared ultimate dream is coming true – to raise an Olympian. Thanks to this facility, there is a chance of making that dream a reality,” said Tomasz Pąchalski, coach of MKS Park Wody Tarnowskie Góry, whilst presenting the project at a press conference organised for the occasion. The symbolic first spades were driven into the ground by the male and female swimmers of MKS Park Wodny.

The start of the works coincided with the final stages of the refurbishment of the indoor section of the Water Park. Michał Fajer, chairman of the Tarnowskie Góry Sports and Recreation Centre, which runs the Water Park, pointed out that after 25 years of operation and 13 million visitors to the Tarnowskie Góry water park, it is now time to take a step forward.
“We were missing an outdoor swimming pool. Now we’ll have one – and it’ll be 50 metres long!” said Fajer happily.

The new swimming pool will be built on the south-western side of the Water Park, on the site where the ice rink used to stand. The facility will be seasonal and will be accessible both to Water Park visitors and separately – as a distinct area with separate tickets.

The centrepiece of the project will be a multi-purpose outdoor swimming pool made of stainless steel, divided into three zones. The first of these will comprise a 50-metre sports pool with four swimming lanes and starting blocks. In the mornings and evenings, it will be used for training and swimming lessons. During the rest of the day, once the lane ropes have been removed, it will serve a recreational purpose, with the option of using short 10-metre lanes.

“A 50-metre pool is a great asset for athletes and a reason for them not to have to travel elsewhere from Tarnowskie Góry.  At the same time, I hope that everyone will make use of this large Olympic-sized pool, not just athletes,” said Otylia Jędrzejczak, multiple Olympic champion and president of the Polish Swimming Federation, who, together with Marek Jabczyk, president of the Silesian Regional Swimming Association and vice-president of the Polish Swimming Association, inaugurated the construction project together with the Tarnowskie Góry authorities and young swimmers from the town.

The second outdoorarea will be dedicated to relaxation and water play. It is planned to feature, amongst other things, water jets, loungers and a rapids ride. The third section will be a shallow paddling pool for the youngest children, up to 30 cm deep, equipped with attractions and slides.

– The new swimming complex will combine sporting and recreational functions. It will be a space both for those training in swimming and honing their skills, and for families looking for ideas for active leisure on warm days. “I wish everyone, and above all the residents of Tarnowskie Góry, a timely completion of the works,” said Jolanta Tuszyńska, Deputy Mayor of Tarnowskie Góry for Social Affairs.

The project also includes the construction of two water slides – a tube slide and a family slide – as well as a water playground covering an area of approximately 215 m². There will also be beaches with surfaces suitable for walking barefoot, foot-washing pools, green spaces and areas dedicated to catering facilities.

The site will also feature a volleyball court, an administrative building with ticket offices, toilets and technical facilities, as well as underground technical chambers. The installation of 50 kW of photovoltaic panels is also planned.

“I always mark the completion of a new facility by swimming in the new pool. I hope it will be the same here, and that I’ll have enough strength for 50 metres,” joked Mikołaj Jankowski, CEO of Demiurg, the main contractor for the works.

The construction of the swimming pool is part of a larger project entitled ‘Improving the energy efficiency of the Water Park building and land development, including the construction of an open-air swimming pool’. The project is funded through a preferential loan facility from Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego as part of the National Recovery Plan and the ‘Green Urban Transformation’ programme.

The programme supports investments aimed, amongst other things, at improving energy efficiency, greening urban areas, adapting to climate change and making more efficient use of resources.

The launch of the project took place on the day marking the 100th anniversary of the Silesian Regional Swimming Association. Following the press conference, participants were invited to the anniversary celebrations at the Tarnowskie Góry Cultural Centre, dedicated to the history of Silesian swimming and to those who have developed the sport over the years.