Swimmers can be seen struggling in the cold waters Praguethe Vltava River (which hovered around four degrees Celsius) to engage in traditional winter bathing.
More than 360 swimmers from around the world gathered last Thursday (December 26) to pay their respects to Alfred Nicodemus.
Nikodem, one of the city’s famous goldsmiths, started the tradition in 1923. This year marks the 78th Alfred Nikodem Memorial Swim.
In 1946, the river was reportedly so cold that whenever the organizers broke through the ice to form a swimming channel, it instantly refroze, leading to the cancellation of the event.
In this year’s swim, Lenka Pavlacá, a well-rounded Czech distance swimmer, secured her 10th victory.