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American tourist fined after bringing unexploded WW2 shell to Vienna airport

An American tourist was charged and fined after bringing an unexploded World War Two shell to Vienna airport in her luggage, Austrian police said on Tuesday.

Published: 10 July 2018 16:20 CEST

American tourist fined after bringing unexploded WW2 shell to Vienna airport

Photo: Mike Steele/Flickr

The 24-year-old had found the bomb on Sunday while walking in the Dachstein mountains, according to police in Lower Austria state.

She kept the shell in her belongings as a souvenir and declared it to customs officers when she came to the airport on Monday, who immediately rang the police.

A bomb disposal unit was called and in order to safely remove the device, the baggage hall and parts of the arrivals area were closed for around 15
minutes.

There was no danger to passengers and no delays as a result, according to police.

The tourist was charged with public endangerment through negligence and given a four-figure fine.

More than 70 years after World War II and a century after World War I, unexploded bombs still regularly turn up across Austria and Germany, often
during construction work.

Where in Vienna can you join free outdoor exercise classes?

Exercising outdoors with others is a popular activity in Vienna, especially during the warmer months.

While in the capital, you can enjoy many different group workouts – and without having to reach for your wallet.

Here are some popular outdoor activities that you can participate in completely for free.

Bewegt im Park

In Vienna, free exercise classes are held in parks all over the city as part of Austria’s “Bewegt im Park” (Active in the Park) programme—and anyone can join.

The courses are organised by the Österreichische Gesundheitskasse (ÖGK) and will run until September. Classes include Zumba, yoga, pilates, circuit training and back fitness training.

All courses are run by experienced instructors and take place in different public parks and open spaces across the city.

There is no need to register in advance for a class. Instead, participants can check which courses are available in their area on the Bewegt im Park website and then simply show up.

For example, in Vienna’s 1st District, there are several classes to choose from, ranging from Tai Chi to dance and Kung Fu.

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READ MORE: Are these the 5 best parks in Vienna?

Freeletics in Arne-Karlsson-Park

Every Monday and Thursday at 7 pm, fitness trainer Michael Stresser organises a free workout program in Arne-Karlsson-Park in Alsergrund.

All you need to do is charge your batteries, bring a mat, and follow the instructor.

During about 80 minutes, you will be guided through a wide range of exercises while enjoying motivating music from the speakers. The program offers exercises that are easy to adapt to everyone’s level, and many times, different versions of one exercise are presented as alternatives.

Here, you will be able to train your whole body, and if you go regularly, you are guaranteed to become fitter within a few weeks.

The event is very popular, so if you want to secure a spot, come on time.

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Meetup Groups

In Vienna, the platform Meetup offers a great opportunity to exercise and participate in sports for free in a group setting.

Meetup is a platform for connecting with people with similar interests and scheduling events, such as various sports and fitness activities.

Some groups on the platform arrange free outdoor exercise sessions, like running events, circle workouts, and yoga meetups.

Running clubs

If you are a runner, you have many possibilities to join organised training session in Vienna for free.

Vienna City Marathon Runners Club organises regular training sessions throughout the year and is suitable for runners of all levels.

The club offers structured training programs that can help you improve your endurance and technique. The sessions are mainly held in Prater and are supervised by experienced coaches.

Adidas Runners is a global community that offers free weekly training sessions through its local runners club in Vienna. The sessions are open to both beginners and experienced runners and focus on different types of training, such as interval training and long-distance endurance.

The sessions are led by qualified coaches and allow you to improve your fitness, meet other runners and explore Vienna’s neighbourhoods.

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Meet like-minded at the public workout spaces

Vienna offers many public workout areas, so called Aktiv-Parks, spread across different parks and recreational spaces.

In fact, most parks in Vienna have their own exercise stations designed for full-body workouts. Here, you can find modern workout equipment like pull-up bars, parallel bars, and sit-up benches.

The stations are great places to visit if you want to enjoy a free workout outdoors, meet new people and socialise.

It is not uncommon for those who frequently visit one of the stations to get together and create a weekly common training plan.

Here, you find the different exercise stations in the city.

READ ALSO: Here are over 20 things you can do in Vienna for free

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