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Summary Diving clubs and swimming enthusiasts braved cold and snow to take part in the annual Danube swim.
The snowy river banks and frosty water temperatures proved to be no barrier to hundreds of swimming enthusiasts who took a cold plunge into Germanys Danube river on Saturday.The town of Neuburg became a picturesque backdrop to the merriment as divers and swimmers from all over Germany and neighbouring countries donned wetsuits and headdresses and drifted downstream.For the thirsty there were home-made floats with drinks on board to accompany the swimmers the 4 km to the Neuberg old town.Despite the wintry appearance and a sudden cold snap across much of Germany and eastern Europe, the swimmers said it was warmer than it seemed.Everyone says: you are not getting me in there. I am actually a warm water showerer, but it wasnt a problem, saidMartina Bader, Its actually pretty nice. The water is somewhere around 3 degrees and we have wetsuits that are pretty thick. It looks worse than it actually is, Karl-Hans Graf added.We just asked when we could go swimming again, an enthusiastic Mareike Fehorn said.Unlike the ice-swimmers, these enthusiasts wear wetsuits, strongly recommended by the organisers to keep the cold out.And for the bold, who might like a cold dip next year, anyone over the age of 15 can take part in the 45 minute swim.The Danube swim, started 43 years ago as a practise session for cold water swimmers is now the biggest event of its kind in Europe.
