Lido “De Onderste Molen” in Venlo, 1950 (aerial photograph, Municipal archives Venlo, image collection no. 35-0064)

Swimming pool

The Onderste Molen beach in Venlo was created in 1934 when the old mill was shut down. The pond was deepened, and the dug-out sand was used to raise the banks.

The outdoor swimming pool, surrounded by woody slopes, covered approximately 2.75 hectares and consisted of a half-circle swimming pond, two beaches, a playground, a restaurant and a parking area. The slopes were planted with Douglas fir, birch, acacia, larch and a variety of shrubs.

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Design for outdoor swimming pool “De Onderste Molen” in Venlo, 1934 (WUR Library, Special Collections, 25.020.02)
Design for outdoor swimming pool “De Onderste Molen” in Venlo, 1934 (WUR Library, Special Collections, 25.020.02)
Outdoor swimming pool “De Onderste Molen” in Venlo, 1950 (aerial photograph, Municipal archives Venlo, image collection no. 35-0064)
Outdoor swimming pool “De Onderste Molen” in Venlo, 1950 (aerial photograph, Municipal archives Venlo, image collection no. 35-0064)
The former outdoor swimming pool “De Onderste Molen” in Venlo, 2014 (photo: J. Karssen-Schüürmann)
The former outdoor swimming pool “De Onderste Molen” in Venlo, 2014 (photo: J. Karssen-Schüürmann)

The swimming pool area was planted with low dwarf pine and rosehip. This made it possible to naturally integrate the separation between the mill and the swimming pool in the planting. As a romantic touch, Bergmans added a few weeping willows around the swimming pool. For a long time, separate swimming was enforced with a long fence. Bergmans did not use a natural spit of land as separation as was done at the Oisterwijk beach.

In 1991 the swimming pool was closed down due to dwindling visitor numbers, and villas were built on the grounds. The mill and two beautiful weeping willows on both sides of the pond are the only reminders of a once beloved recreation resort.

Other outdoor swimming pools, designed by John Bergmans, in Noord-Brabant and Limburg can be found in Database TUiN.