The glass roof
Art Nouveau iron arches and glazing.
Luftschiffhafen — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luftschiffhafen — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Luftschiffhafen — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Luftschiffhafen — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Altes Hallenbad is a public indoor swimming baths built in 1906 in Art Nouveau style, closed as a pool in 1983 and left derelict for decades before being restored and reopened — though not as a pool. Today it is a food hall and commercial space inside the complete original structure. What makes it worth stepping into is that the restoration did not hide its past but built on it: the swimming basins are still there as recesses in the floor, now used as sunken seating areas, and the original tiling, iron columns and arched glass roof are all in place, while the changing rooms have become small shops. The building now holds food stalls, a bakery, cafes and a small market of local produce. Entry is free, of course, since it is a commercial space, and it makes a practical lunch or rest stop away from the pricier old-town restaurants — about ten minutes' walk west of the centre.
Art Nouveau iron arches and glazing.
Floor recesses kept, now filled with tables.
Bergheimer Strasse 147, 69115 Heidelberg
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