Tourist's explosive souvenir prompts German airport alert in Munich

Dud idea: The 20 centimetre shell sent Munich airport screening into lockdown. Photo / Supplied, Bundespolizei

A poor choice of souvenir has cost a tourist more than a little embarrassment and three hours delay to his fellow passengers.

A 28-year-old man in Germany faces a hefty bill after trying to catch a flight at Munich airport Thursday with a live mortar shell in his rucksack.

The 20 centimetre bombshell set off alarm bells at security screening after it was discovered to still contain live explosives.

German news agency dpa reported Friday that the explosive device was discovered during a security check, prompting an immediate lockdown of parts of the airport.

The man told police that he had found the shell during a hiking trip in Switzerland and forgotten it was in his bag. Specialists were able to safely remove the live ammunition and destroy it.

The man is likely to face criminal charges for breaching aviation safety and explosives laws, and will have to pay for the cost of the police operation. It was unclear whether the operators of Munich airport, Germany's second biggest, will also sue the man for damages, DPA reported.

War souvenirs are still readily found in parts of the country and few hikers are aware of the risk the rusty pieces of metal still pose.

Across the Austrian Border, in Carinthia state, a hiker was killed after coming across an unexploded shell on Lake Ossiach.

On Friday a police spokesperson confirmed that the tourist was handling old ammunition which had exploded, killing him. It is believed to have been an unspent Second World War shell.

The lake was used to dispose of unused ammunition at the end of war 75 years ago.

A police spokesperson told Associated Press the lake poses little risk to swimmers and hikers, providing they leave the objects well alone. In particular, shells should not be taken as souvenirs.

- With Associated Press