Drei Weieren (Three Ponds) are an oasis of peace in the middle of the city. The ponds, which were originally built by the monastery for their water needs with their art nouveau bath houses, are a popular destination for outings and as swimming spot.
A sweet pond landscape stretches out in the south of the city, on a high plateau below Mount Freuden. It is the local recreation area for the city inhabitants and part of a connecting nature protection area that runs along the entire southern slope of the city.
There are still four ponds remaining from the original five. They were dug out, or filled in as the case may be, in the period between the 17th and 20th centuries and served to provide water to put out fires during blazes and also as a water supply for the city bleaching. With the aid of a wangler, the water was pushed over the Mülegg weir into the Steinach and directed onwards into the city.
The ponds are beloved swimming areas for the locals in summer and are a meeting point in winter for lovers of ice skating. A round trip through the pond landscape is attractive at any time of the year due to the panoramic view over the entire city.