Seasonal cold water bathing, known as “walrusing” in Polish, has returned to Warsaw’s Vistula river, attracting hundreds of daredevils to flock to the riverbank on Sunday morning.
Cold water bathing enthusiasts in Warsaw have been meeting in the month of December for nearly a decade as part of what’s known as a “walrus school.” In Warsaw the school is called the Vistula District Walrus Nursery.
Each session follows a busy schedule. Before jumping into the icy water together, the group takes part in a warming dance and lectures on the health-promoting aspects of "walrusing” and on the safety measures of the activity.
Following the cold bathing session, warm soup and hot tea awaits participants on the shore and special prizes are awarded to the most persevering.
But that’s not the end of the fun. Each week a dress-up contest will be held. Last year, participants dressed up as superheroes, Vistula monsters, pirates and rafters, among others.
This year the organizers are raising the bar and the theme of disguise will be conveyed in Morse code.
Jan Piotrowski, Warsaw Mayor's Plenipotentiary for the Vistula River, invited people to join in on the activities.
“The Vistula District Walrus Nursery invites absolutely all lovers of autumn, natural bathing, cheering, admiring and those slightly skeptical,” he said.
The next reunions of the Vistula District Walrus Nursery are scheduled for: December 8, December 15, and the grand finale will be on December 22.
Many participants also take part in beach cleaning initiatives of the Vistula river. This year they were joined by a team from the National Water Management Authority in Warsaw.
The safety of the event's participants is supervised by professionals, the entrance to the river takes place under the watchful eye of the city’s motorboat patrol guard.
Each session follows a busy schedule. Before jumping into the icy water together, the group takes part in a warming dance and lectures on the health-promoting aspects of "walrusing” and on the safety measures of the activity.
Following the cold bathing session, warm soup and hot tea awaits participants on the shore and special prizes are awarded to the most persevering.
But that’s not the end of the fun. Each week a dress-up contest will be held. Last year, participants dressed up as superheroes, Vistula monsters, pirates and rafters, among others.
This year the organizers are raising the bar and the theme of disguise will be conveyed in Morse code.
Jan Piotrowski, Warsaw Mayor's Plenipotentiary for the Vistula River, invited people to join in on the activities.
“The Vistula District Walrus Nursery invites absolutely all lovers of autumn, natural bathing, cheering, admiring and those slightly skeptical,” he said.
The next reunions of the Vistula District Walrus Nursery are scheduled for: December 8, December 15, and the grand finale will be on December 22.
Many participants also take part in beach cleaning initiatives of the Vistula river. This year they were joined by a team from the National Water Management Authority in Warsaw.
The safety of the event's participants is supervised by professionals, the entrance to the river takes place under the watchful eye of the city’s motorboat patrol guard.
Source: Warszawa Nasze Miasto
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