Munich (Germany) (AFP)

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, a handful of Munich residents are discovering a thrilling leisure activity: winter swimming in the waters of the Eisbach, the icy river in the Bavarian capital.

"The Eisbach is one of the few places where you can still experience something a little crazy," smiles Franz Mayr, a 35-year-old therapist who takes a dip every week in the waters of the passing river. in the heart of the city of southern Germany.

Since the start of this confined winter, his icy water swimming Instagram group "Munich Hot Springs" has gained audience, with nearly 1,700 subscribers, many of whom have arrived in recent months.

"With swimming pools and sports halls closed, swimming in icy water is a challenge despite the pandemic", explains Franz Mayr.

On this January morning, braving the breeze, he was not the only one walking barefoot in the snow to jump into the water.

Under the astonished - sometimes bewildered - gaze of walkers strolling through this park in central Munich, eight swimmers follow one another, quietly putting on their swimsuits before doing some breathing exercises, to then fully enjoy the 3-degree water.

- "Relaxed" -

“When I enter the water, I have the impression that a lot of small needles penetrate my skin,” says Erina Hey, 38, a resident of Munich who came with Franz Mayr.

"Two minutes later, the feeling subsides and you are completely relaxed," she promises, a woolen cap on her head as she relaxes in the river.

That morning, Franz and Erina stay five minutes in the water.

“Some days it's more, others less,” says the 30-something.

"And this is by no means a competition, we stay there as long as we want".

If the amateurs say that swimming in icy waters improves their health and their mood - some even say that they have come out of depression or have healed wounds - no large-scale scientific study has confirmed this.

And if he is convinced of the benefits of swimming for his health, Franz Mayr calls on neophytes not to start without preparation.

"You have to start slowly, taking cold showers for a week or two."

A way for the Bavarians to test their determination - or to decide that finally, a swim in the Eisbach can wait until the summer and its delicious 20 degrees.

© 2021 AFP