Czech hardy men and women mark Schengen anniversary

A group of Czech hardy men and women braved the freezing cold to mark the second anniversary of the Czech accession to the Schengen border-free zone with a swim in the river Dyje (Thaya) that flows from the Czech Republic to Austria. The group of around thirty people dived into the river and swum a kilometre-long stretch crossing over to the Austrian side. The fittest among them covered the distance in 14 minutes. The temperature of the air was minus 6 degrees Celsius, that of the water 1 degree above zero. Although there were no Austrians in the group the mayor of the nearest town, Bernardsthal, came to the banks of the river to cheer the swimmers on.