Kildeskovshallen (50m pool)

I'm staying in the centre of Copenhagen, but I spotted this pool on the outskirts of the city and knew I had to check it out. At the moment, we're using public scooters to get everywhere - and despite torrential rain, we decided to brave the 20-minute ride on tiny electric wheels to add this pool to the list.

We arrived to a busy reception area with a small queue - clearly, this place is popular! After a slightly confusing conversation with the lady at the counter (and some hand gestures), I managed to get a ticket and headed into the changing rooms.

The pool area is huge. Exiting the changing rooms, you step into a cavernous pool hall featuring a 25m pool and a separate diving pit. Massive floor-to-ceiling windows wrap around the hall, pulling in views of the neighbouring park. From what I gather, this part of the pool is the original build from the late 1960s. While it's tempting to squeeze in a second swim here, I'm actually here for the 50m pool - a much later, more modern addition.

Following the signs past the short-course pool, I found steps leading down into an absolutely stunning 50m pool with a raw concrete design. There's a striking contrast between the old and new parts of the building - and I'm here for it. The descent takes you through a concrete passageway with brutalist vibes, all angles and raw materials. Unfortunately, my photos didn't quite capture the drama of the design, so I've included a photo by Thomas Ibsen that really shows off the space. (Hopefully, Thomas doesn't mind me sharing it!)

Poolside, the 50m pool is sleek and minimalist - six lanes across, and thankfully much less busy than the pool upstairs. I jumped into a lane and got to work. I didn't have a ton of time here, as I wanted to squeeze in a quick 1000m in the 25m pool upstairs before heading back into the city.

Swim done - and yes, I did get that second pool done (details in the next post)! We were relieved to find our VOI electric scooters still waiting where we left them, as we weren't keen on trekking back with an Uber. Just as we set off, the rain picked up - and then it really came down. By the time we got back to the city centre, we were drenched, and all attempts to stay dry post-swim were completely pointless. Still, it was an awesome swim at a seriously cool pool, so I didn't mind in the slightest.