regional customs
First the North Sea, then the sauna: New Year’s swim on the coast
Dressed as Neptune, Tim Bergelt and other amateur swimmers climb out of the 5 degree cold sea, here the Baltic Sea. photo
© Stephan Schulz/dpa
Under the motto “With a cool head into the new year!” Many people threw themselves into the sea. However, the event was less popular this year than in the past.
Swimming in water temperatures of around seven degrees: Some intrepid people started the new year with a New Year’s swim on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony. Dozens of brave swimmers went into the ice-cold North Sea water on the Butjadingen peninsula in the afternoon. The motto: “With a cool head into the new year!”.
According to the organizer, between 50 and 100 participants ventured into the sea and around 200 visitors watched. There were fewer swimmers than in previous years, when the event often attracted around 250 participants, it was said. The reason is that the New Year’s swimming will not take place as usual due to renovation work North Sea Lagoon – a seawater bathing lake – but on Friesenstrand.
When it comes to New Year’s bathing, also known as bathing or swimming, the main focus is on the fun factor. There are usually numerous onlookers on the beach watching the spectacle. Organizers on the islands of Norderney, Juist and Borkum also invited brave people to venture into the cold North Sea. In many places, swimmers were able to warm up with hot drinks or a visit to the sauna.
Information Butjadingen Information Borkum Information Juist Information Norderney