Boats carried participants to the centre of the river before they jumped into the water and swam back to shore. The water temperature was around 2°C, with air temperatures falling to minus 5°C. Swimmers stayed in the river for about ten minutes as rescue teams watched from nearby boats.
Wearing crowns, three of the swimmers symbolised the biblical magi, while others followed in a long line toward the riverbank.
Polar swimming has a long history in the Czech Republic and is seen as both a test of endurance and a social ritual. Similar winter swims take place every year in other Czech cities.