The European Beach Where Men and Women Still Swim Apart (VIDEO)

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A beach in Trieste has separated men and women for more than a century, with a three-metre-high wall dividing the bathing areas at La Lanterna, known locally as El Pedocin.

The beach is widely regarded as the last in Europe where men and women swim separately. While the arrangement may appear outdated to some visitors, many Trieste residents see it as a symbol of freedom, privacy and independence.

Visitors pay €1.20 to enter La Lanterna before going their separate ways. Women use the entrance on the left and men enter on the right. The dividing wall continues towards the beach, keeping the two sections separate.

Even couples who arrive together must split up at the entrance. To meet again, they effectively have one option: swim far enough from the shore to get around the wall.

A tradition dating back more than a century

The tradition dates from the late 19th or early 20th century, with 1903 commonly cited as the starting point, although the exact date remains uncertain.

What is clear is that the beach existed before Trieste became part of Italy. At the time, the city belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, where it ranked as the fourth-largest city and the empire’s most important port.

The nickname “Pedocin” comes from the Italian word for “louse”. Local tradition says Austrian soldiers used the area to wash and clean their horses of lice.

The unusual beach returned to the spotlight last summer when a couple from Milan arrived without knowing about the gender-separation rule.

The tourists paid the entrance fee but objected after learning that they would have to separate. According to local media reports, the woman described the arrangement as “absurd and medieval” and asked for her money back.

Her reaction appears to contrast sharply with the way many Trieste residents view the beach. Following the publicity surrounding the incident, visitor numbers surged.

According to CNN figures cited in the report, La Lanterna recorded 34,885 entries in July 2025. That figure rose to 53,610 in July 2026, an increase of more than 50%.

Why women want to keep the wall

El Pedocin’s history remains closely connected to Trieste’s distinctive social history and, particularly, the position of women in the city.

When Trieste became part of Italy in 1918, the city already had an educated and dynamic middle class in which women played a prominent role. Over time, the separation at the beach acquired a meaning that differs from what a modern visitor might expect.

“Women did not have to be bothered or face interference. It was a place where they could sunbathe without fearing interference from men,” Pizzi explains.

For many women in Trieste, their section of the beach became a space where they could feel completely free.

La Lanterna sits about a 20-minute walk from Piazza Unità d’Italia in the city centre, making the historic beach easily accessible to visitors and locals alike.

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