Adventurous swimmers can participate in the Danube Cross Swimming, which is held between regulated and controlled circumstances, since 1996, as a part of the celebration of August 20th – Saint Stephan Day, if the water level and weather circumstances allow to keep it. The distance of the cross swimming between the beach across the river and the Danube promenade of Paks is approximately 700-800 meters, but it depends on the water level.
The Danube Cross Swimming was not held for five years before 2018 because fo high water level and bad weather circumstances. In 2018 the organizers of the Danube Cross Swimming decided to change the date of the event, so they organized it on 14th July 2018 for the last time. This date was a good choice. Entries registered at the ferry port. They got a number and some information after the registration, than they departed to the other side of the Danube by the 11 o'clock ferry. The Danube Cross Swimming started at 11:30 a.m.. Participants of the event got a memorial sheet and a T-shirt. The Municipality of Paks ordered boats, scuba-divers, members of the Voluntary Ambulance Association of Paks, water police officers, a specialist and local ambulance members to supervise this event. There were 158 participants at the Danube Cross Swimming of 2018. The youngest participant was 7 years old, while the oldest participant was 77 years old.
