A German beach imposes a strange condition to allow entry. Get to know it | Tourism and travel

The administration of Heidi Bad Beach in the city of Halle, the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, announced that those who do not master the German language sufficiently will not be allowed to enter the beach to swim there.

The administration stated that concerns regarding the safety of beach users were the reason behind the decision. The German news agency quoted beach director Matthias Nobel as saying that if it becomes clear at the entrance that there are problems with understanding, a decision will be made on each case individually.

He stated that since the new rule was implemented a few days ago, a limited number of people have already been denied entry. He pointed out that he was criticized for the decision, but stressed that the decision would continue to be implemented “firmly” to ensure the safety of beachgoers.

Noble, who also works as a lifeguard, explained that it is mainly about ensuring that visitors know the rules for swimming in the lake’s waters and how to behave when exposed to an emergency situation.

He said that the severe crowding at the entrances to the beach, especially on hot days like last weekend, necessitated the adoption of this new procedure, in addition to the information signs spread in several locations inside the beach.

He pointed out that the beach recently witnessed an accident, during which a young child was rescued who was in a dangerously deep water area, explaining that the depth of the lake reaches 13 meters in some areas.

Noble stressed that children in particular must understand how to behave near water, and be under the supervision of people who in turn know how to deal in such circumstances.

He also stressed the need for rescuers to be able to communicate with visitors, adding that when a group arrives in which not a single person understands German sufficiently, this raises concerns for him and his team.

Noble explained that the goal of the new rule is also to reduce the burden on lifeguards at the beach, noting that there had previously been discussions because they were not prepared to dictate swimming rules one by one in translation programs. “Our employees are already working at the limit of their capacity,” he said.