Austria voted the cleanest place to swim in Europe: Here are 5 wild spots to take a dip

If you’re a keen swimmer, forget the beach - head to landlocked Austria this summer.

The mountainous country has the cleanest bathing water in Europe, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency. 

Almost 98 per cent of Austria’s bathing waters - areas where people regularly swim - were given an ‘excellent’ rating. Across Europe, nearly 85 per cent of waters scored this highly.

When you think of alpine Austria, swimming might not be the first thing to spring to mind. But don’t let the lack of coastline put you off: the central European nation boasts countless stunning emerald lakes, including Lake Achensee, dubbed ‘Tirol’s ocean’ by locals.

Before you don your bathing suit, here’s where to swim - and where to avoid - this summer.

Most European countries have plenty of swimming spots that were rated ‘excellent’ by the EEA.

In Malta, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark and Germany, at least nine in ten sites received the top ranking.

Holiday hotspots Italy and Spain also scored above the continental average, with 87.9 and 87.4 per cent of sites getting top marks.

Ever-popular France did less well - just three quarters of sites were rated as excellent.

Overall, Poland received the worst grade in Europe, with just 44.5 per cent of sites recieving the top rating.

In some countries, you should think twice before taking a dip, the report’s authors warned.

“Swimming at bathing sites with poor water quality can result in illness,” they write.

“Bathing water sites classified as poor must be closed throughout the following bathing season.”

Just 1.5 per cent of bathing water sites in the EU were of poor quality, a mere 332 sites. Some 45 sites were closed permanently after receiving ‘poor’ ranking for the fifth consecutive year.

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