Very cool: Swimming in the icy north
Jetting down to the warm south for a swim in the sea is what everyone does. Swimming in the icy north is at least as much fun!
I want to be a polar bear!
Frost, snow, ice floes? No need to cancel the swimming trip. Thousands of Americans take part in wintry polar bear plunges – and even pay for the ordeal! All of the money goes to charity.
Plunging for faith
Carve out a cross-shaped pool in the ice, climb in, and duck underwater three times. Russian Orthodox Christians practice this ritual on January 19, the Feast of the Epiphany. Tens of thousands take the dip in Moscow alone, often at double-digit temperatures below zero.
A chat and a swim
People in Iceland are lucky – their hot springs provide warm water all year round. In winter the heitur pottur bathing spots turn into social hotspots, places to meet up with friends or even listen to readings or concerts.
