Swim to the Office: Summer River Commuting in Switzerland

Summer river commuters on the Rhone in Basel, Switzerland. July 26, 2022.

During the hot summer months in at least two Swiss cities—Basel and Bern—workers commute to or from their jobs via river.

And no, not in a boat.

Depending on where you live and where you work along the river and its natural current, you can choose to either go to work with the flow—or come home with the flow.

And lest you think I jest, as I haven’t yet personally captured video of the endeavor, check out this video I found with visual proof. (I had to hunt to find it… I guess it’s too normal and every day for the Swiss to think to document?)

River Commuting Logistics

The commuters have foldable or rollable dry bags—often shaped like fish—into which they put their clothes and even work items and where they keep their towels and swimsuits during the day.

They change into the proper attire at an easy entrance zone—of which there are several all along the riverfront—pop into the river, and float along with their bag attached to the most convenient exit point for their final destination.

An insider heads up: In the mornings, the river water hasn’t had all day to soak up the sun—so expect a wide-awakening when you jump in (or wear a wetsuit). In the evenings, though, the river water is much more temperate—the perfect way to relax and wind down on the way home.

The History of River Commuting in Switzerland

When the heck did a swimming commute get started?

I can’t find any concrete information to answer that question. (Though I still maintain it’s a valid one!)

I’ve read reports about the Swiss initiative—launched in the late 20th century—to clean up its lakes and rivers to make them more amenable to swimming, though. A few reports I read indicated that it was around the same time that the river commuting started, as did all river swimming.

Makes sense to me: The local river suddenly becomes swimmable, you get in to try it out and enjoy it one warm summer day, you take note of the current, and the idea breaches: “Actually, this flow goes work-ward. What if…”

Join the Commuters for a Fun Float

Yes, as mentioned, people do also float and swim in the rivers for fun, not just for commuting, during the summer.

But a refreshing commute to or from work—what a better way to wake up or wind down?

If you decide you’d like to see river commuters for yourself—or even try it!—and pick Basel for your dip, here’s an article I wrote with ideas for other things you can do on your trip to the city.