The people of the region love the lake in Großkrotzenburg.

When the weather is nice, the bathing water attracts thousands of visitors.

Strictly speaking, the lido, operated by Bäderservice Deutschland GmbH on behalf of the municipality, is called Spessartblick, and the lake is called "Freigericht West".

But everyone simply says Großkrotzenburger See.

In it you can swim across the Hessian-Bavarian border.

Luise Glaser-Lotz

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Main-Kinzig district.

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    The bathing lake, which is known for its good water quality, arose from a former open-cast lignite mine. Its sandy beach is almost 300 meters long, and the sunbathing lawn is around ten hectares in size, according to the municipality. There is play equipment for children, a mini golf course and the opportunity to play badminton or beach volleyball. The lido, which opened more than 50 years ago, is undoubtedly very popular with water rats and those in search of relaxation in the region. However, the leisure facilities are getting on in years and exude the flair of the seventies and eighties.

    A project by the Hanau restaurateur Christian Holle could give the lido and the recreational value of Großkrotzenburg a major boost in modernization. Holle still operated the popular beer garden at the Congress Park in the Schlosspark in Hanau last year. Now he is concerned with the old town hall in Bruchköbel, which stood empty for years and is now being renovated. Holle wants to offer regional cuisine and a beer garden there. He also runs the Hannibal restaurant in the new center of Nidderau and the inn on Großkrotzenburger See, albeit on the Bavarian side, which also has a large beer garden.

    When it comes to lido, however, Holle is currently only thinking of gastronomy as a secondary issue. He would like to bring the leisure area up to date. This is new entrepreneurial territory for Holle. He wants to offer the concept not only in Großkrotzenburg, but also for suitable areas throughout Germany. An area of ​​4,000 to 5,000 square meters is to be designed in Großkrotzenburg.

    As Holle explains when asked, a so-called adventure golf course is to become the main attraction.

    The new leisure trend combines elements of mini golf and real golf and relies on a design with an amusement park atmosphere.

    An 18-hole course is planned for the Großkrotzenburger See.

    Only the golf course should not be freely accessible from the lawn.

    An entrance fee of approximately 6.50 euros per player, who can be bathers as well as visitors from outside, is charged.

    Two new volleyball fields are planned

    Holle wants to build a wooden children's playground for the sunbathing lawn and a log cabin for the Großkrotzenburg holiday games. There will also be two new volleyball fields, an area for "soccer tennis" and a basketball hoop. Holle is also interested in the Strandbad kiosk, which will be put out to tender in two years. Promising negotiations are in progress with the operators of the lake, said Holle. If he can realize his plans, renovation work on the lake could begin in October after the end of the bathing season, and the golf course would then be opening in April or May of the next year.

    According to Holle, there has not yet been an opportunity to present the concept to the community. Recently, however, the restaurateur presented his plans to the “Initiative Zukunftssicheres Großkrotzenburg” faction, which ran for the first time in the most recent local elections and became the largest group from scratch. Group chairman Aloys Lenz, former CDU member of the state parliament and member of the municipal maritime advisory board, was impressed by Holle's proposals, so that political support for the project can be expected from this side. There is a second project that the initiative would like to see realized with Holle.

    For a long time there has been a desire to create an open-air gastronomic offer, especially for walkers and cyclists, on the banks of the Main in Großkrotzenburg below the Catholic Church. A FDP application to the magistrate to support such a project was made a few years ago. The initiative took up the topic in the most recent meeting of the municipal representatives and resulted in a unanimous decision that the mayor should prioritize the project. He should "do everything possible to achieve it by mid-June". Far too much time has passed that could have been used for the project, Lenz criticizes. A tour of the area with the restaurateur and the head of the construction department had already taken place last summer, but the implementation of the project is only progressing slowly. Thereon,The community representatives are now jointly pushing for the mobile beer garden to become a reality.

    A difficult and lengthy business

    Holle would also like to get started soon, as he says.

    But mayor Thorsten Bauroth (independent) takes the wind out of their sails a little.

    The matter is difficult and lengthy.

    So the benches and tables should not be set up on the meadow, but only on a paved surface.

    Only part of the area belongs to the community, other parts are privately owned, including the Catholic Church, and others are leased.

    In addition, the consent of the residents and several authorities, including the nature conservation authority, is required because the site is located in the "Hessische Mainauen" conservation area.

    "It's the turn of the construction management, but it still takes some time," said Bauroth in an interview with the FAZ.

    According to the mayor, there will be nothing more with the gastronomy on the Großkrotzenburger Mainufer this summer. However, Bauroth is not opposed to the project and refers to the summer of 2022. It will definitely serve to revitalize the banks of the Main.