Swimming is a popular leisure activity in Germany. In the summer, many people go to rivers, lakes and seas (the North Sea or the Baltic Sea) or one of the many outdoor pools. This is a relatively "cool" pleasure. Anyone who loves the sea should get used to the fact that a water temperature of 20 degrees is considered warm on the German coast. Water enthusiasts spend their time in public indoor swimming pools during the winter. Large cities typically have leisure pools with water slides, wave pools, spas, cafés, and special events – a pleasant, but sometimes pricy, leisure activity.

But there is an alternative: ice swimming! Some people choose to plunge into ice-cold water outside during the winter. When the water freezes, the ice has to be broken. Amateur ice swimmers swear the frigid baths boost their immune systems. They claim that colds and stress cannot affect them. Perhaps ice swimming would be beneficial to our stressed-out Harry. Or would he rather go back to the sauna? Maybe this time he wouldn't be alone. He also might be surprised that most sauna facilities in Germany have no gender divisions, and you enter them unclothed.