Skip to content
CO
Connor

European Locations

Nudity in Germany: Here's the naked truth

Posted Sep 4, 2017

Replies25
CO
Connor
ConnorOriginal Poster
Sep 4, 2017
"Today, there are about 600,000 Germans registered in more than 300 private nudist/FKK clubs and a further 14 affiliated clubs in Austria. Members visit these clubs to sunbathe nude or indulge in a spot of nacktjoggen or nacktwandern -- naked jogging or rambling through the countryside wearing only backpacks, boots or running shoes. ... Most FKK beaches on the coast will also have signs indicating textile-free zones. After passing these signs, visitors will need to disrobe immediately to avoid being reprimanded by thelifeguards who also enforce the rules.The easiest way to bare it all in Deutschland is to visit one of the aforementioned public FKK areas. As these are mostly located in areas with a mixed dressed/undressed crowd, there's no problem with partially disrobing until you feel comfortable. There are no changing rooms, so undressing takes place in public -- but again,not one German is going to be offended by this." Full article:www.cnn.com/travel/article/naked-germany/index.html
ReactReplySubscribe

Replies

  • MU
    mudist
    mudist
    Sep 4, 2017

    "Summer in the parks of Berlin and Munich brings the chance of encountering a middle-aged, bronzed German ..."

    Yes living in such cities can be easy as nudist - and I must say this article reflects the situation in Germany quite good. Although you don't necessarily have to be a member in a nudist club to put on your birthday suit ;-)

    ReactReply
  • PA
    Paul
    Paul
    Sep 4, 2017

    Germany's relaxed dress code is quite different from the usual western nations.

    In fact, usually the first thing traveling Americans notice is the relaxed attitude toward nudity on television in their hotel rooms.

    German FKK clubs are the absolute best I have seen anywhere.

    ReactReply
  • CO
    Connor
    ConnorOriginal Poster
    Sep 5, 2017
    [quote]Although you don't necessarily have to be a member in a nudist club to put on your birthday suit ;-)[/quote] [quote]Germany's relaxed dress code is quite different from the usual western nations.[/quote] There's a stark contrast between this nation and Germany. A person who wants to participate in nudism in this country will have the following complaints/excuses. "I can't because, ... 1. It's too far. 2. It's too expensive. 3. No single males. 4. Ratio of male to female has been achieved for the day. 5. I'm divorced and my wife/husband doesn't know. 6. I might get arrested/ticketed/fined. 7. I might go to jail/prison. 8. I don't have a female to go with me. ...etc, etc" That same person goes to Berlin, with the those same issues. A German would probably say "Stop whining, just go to the park(Mauerpark) or Wannsee beach."
    ReactReply
  • NA
    NatureBoy24
    Sep 5, 2017
    [quote]A person who wants to participate in nudism in this country will have the following complaints/excuses.[/quote] I'll assume you're speaking of the USA as "this country". And some of those excuses are legitimate. Some resorts actively discriminate against single males. One could end up on a sex offender registry for being caught nude in the wrong place by the wrong person. Running around naked is looked at as "immoral" behavior and can have consequences in divorce related matters. And the USA is so full of hubris that pointing out the relaxed attitudes other countries have toward nudity is often met with scoffing & incredulity.
    ReactReply
  • MU
    mudist
    mudist
    Sep 5, 2017
    9. I might get an erection ... not to forget ;-)

    I do not get it why you have to give too much thought about such an easy thing called nudism.
    ReactReply
  • JO
    Jonathan
    Jonathan
    Sep 11, 2017
    [quote]After passing these signs, visitors will need to disrobe immediately to avoid being reprimanded by the lifeguards who also enforce the rules.[/quote]

    Gotta say, I lived on the Baltic coast for a while and although there are signs indicating which stretches are and aren't nudist beaches, I think the idea that you must strip as you walk past the sign or be told off by lifeguards is a bit counter-productive here - for a start there are rarely lifeguards, just like on any other beach - maybe in very popular spots but not generally. And the signs indicate that nudity is [em]allowed[/em], not absolutely mandatory, I've seen plenty of textiles walking along the beach, just passing through FKK and Textil sections without a thought, or walking to or from a spot to sunbathe.
    ReactReply
  • CO
    Connor
    ConnorOriginal Poster
    Jan 9, 2019
    _ "We're not used to seeing naked bodies unless they are highly sexualized in advertisements, music videos or porn In the US people are scandalized about skin ..."www.dw.com/en/why-germanys-nudist-culture-remains-refreshing/a-43917929
    ReactReply
  • DI
    dibs96
    Jan 9, 2019
    [quote]_ "We're not used to seeing naked bodies unless they are highly sexualized in advertisements, music videos or porn In the US people are scandalized about skin ..." And yet when super stars "Streak" or wear nothing, fans go crazy. The clothes they do wear draw attention to what people say are the "Bad" or "Private" things, and they look at that, but when I take off my shirt or pants people call it perverted. We say we have freedom, but we're not even allowed to wear nothing if we want to, or go shirtless, or pantless. That should be an option too. The USA needs to step up their game, need a petition or something for countrywide legalization of public nudity.
    ReactReply
  • MI
    Mick
    Mick
    Jan 25, 2019

    I'm naked near by Paderborn in summer. There is a small lake called Lippesee. It is time that summer is coming!

    ReactReply
  • TD
    Tom D
    Tom D
    Sep 7, 2020
    [quote]I sure wish that was the situation here in the USA. It may be a vestige of our Puritan culture. There are pockets in the US where German immigrants kept a lot of their culture intact, but nudism doesn't seem to be on that list.[/quote] I have read that Minnesota and Wisconsin are relatively nude tolerant because of the large German and Scandinavian population.
    ReactReply
  • GO
    Gordy57
    Gordy57
    Sep 7, 2020
    [quote]I have read that Minnesota and Wisconsin are relatively nude tolerant because of the large German and Scandinavian population.[/quote] I wish that was the case ;-( I am in MN. From the search's I have done, we have 2 landed clubs and maybe 1 non-landed. But no public nude beaches that I can find ;-(
    ReactReply
  • JO
    John
    John
    Sep 7, 2020

    Regarding that post from two years ago about Paderborn, I think I was there back in the 70's. I can't remember exactly where, because I wasn't driving, but I remember that it was somewhere southwest of Hannover.

    I don't know if the FKK scene is the same now as it was back then. The article mentioned that its membership is dwindling. If so, that's a shame.

    ReactReply
  • MA
    Marcus
    Marcus
    Sep 26, 2020
    The 2010s was not a good decade for german nudism. The society gets more and more prudish and nudists are kind of fools in the society. I don't know why the society is getting more prudish, may be because everybody is watching pornhub and then on the other hand public nudity is not tolerated anymore. This is one development.
    The other development is that we have more and more swinger clubs and swingers visiting nudist places. Actually FKK club or nudist club means in german: swinger club. (If you want naturism you have to look for nudist colonies). I just read today that a spa does not tolerate any nudism anymore, because the spa was visited more and more by swingers.
    Nudist colonies are open and you do not have to be a member of the INF to visit them. I see also that the nudist colonies now in 2020 have more members which are in the 30s. We have also a problem that the nudist colonies had or have many members in the 60s but no younger members. I guess it is a general trend in the society not to do social engagement and if you do it then not with a membership. But as we see now younger members there is hope that the nudist colonies have a renaissance.
    Many younger people in society also are anxious to start with nudism, because they are shaved. They have shame feelings.
    Also many younger people are anxious to go because everybody has a smartphone and they are anxious that a nude picture of them is on the next day on twitter.
    So all in all german nudism has its problems, but we will see how this decade develops. A plus is: german nudism is always a mixture of nakedness and sports. Naked running, naked yoga, naked volley ball, naked tennis, naked swimming, naked biking, naked hiking everything typical german. That is maybe an unique selling point. And of course the cool beer afterwards.
    ReactReply
  • TD
    Tom D
    Tom D
    Sep 26, 2020
    [quote]The 2010s was not a good decade for german nudism. The society gets more and more prudish and nudists are kind of fools in the society. I don't know why the society is getting more prudish, may be because everybody is watching pornhub and then on the other hand public nudity is not tolerated anymore. This is one development. The other development is that we have more and more swinger clubs and swingers visiting nudist places. Actually FKK club or nudist club means in german: swinger club. (If you want naturism you have to look for nudist colonies). I just read today that a spa does not tolerate any nudism anymore, because the spa was visited more and more by swingers. Nudist colonies are open and you do not have to be a member of the INF to visit them. I see also that the nudist colonies now in 2020 have more members which are in the 30s. We have also a problem that the nudist colonies had or have many members in the 60s but no younger members. I guess it is a general trend in the society not to do social engagement and if you do it then not with a membership. But as we see now younger members there is hope that the nudist colonies have a renaissance. Many younger people in society also are anxious to start with nudism, because they are shaved. They have shame feelings. Also many younger people are anxious to go because everybody has a smartphone and they are anxious that a nude picture of them is on the next day on twitter. So all in all german nudism has its problems, but we will see how this decade develops. A plus is: german nudism is always a mixture of nakedness and sports. Naked running, naked yoga, naked volley ball, naked tennis, naked swimming, naked biking, naked hiking everything typical german. That is maybe an unique selling point. And of course the cool beer afterwards.[/quote] I have read elsewhere that the increased Muslim population is also a factor. Would you agree?
    ReactReply
  • MA
    Marcus
    Marcus
    Sep 26, 2020

    I would not agree. The influence of the muslim culture to the german culture is small. It's more of a parallel world.

    ReactReply
  • EA
    EarlD
    EarlD
    Sep 27, 2020

    Where is your definition of ffk coming from never heard that before from any German naturist

    ReactReply
  • MA
    Marcus
    Marcus
    Sep 27, 2020

    I recommend to read the statements of the DFK (German FKK Association):
    https://www.dfk.org/ueber-uns/was-ist-freikoerperkultur-/-naturismus

    Also nice to read about the history of the free body movement:
    https://www.dfk.org/geschichte-der-freikoerperkultur

    The page is in german, but Goggle Translate helps.

    ReactReply
  • JO
    John
    John
    Sep 27, 2020

    FKK didn't use to mean "swinger." I'm sorry that the scene has changed from when I was in it some fifty years ago. I don't think I would ever have gotten interested in nudism if it hadn't been for the FKK and, specifically, some friends of mine who were members.

    I hope that there is a renewed interest in nudism for nudism's sake, not as a pretext for sexual hookups. I kind of see that in this country, in that people who are enjoying each other's company while nude seem to be younger and not affiliated with any clubs or "nudist colonies" as you call them (that term has almost disappeared in the US; now they're just called clubs or resorts).

    ReactReply
  • GR
    griffinmac
    Jul 23, 2021

    Tomorrow I will go to Berzdorfer See which is a great place for being naked, very close to Polish border. I drive there from Wroclaw (about 2 hour journey) because it is the best place I have found. Can anyone recommend other places?

    ReactReply
  • ME
    Member
    Jul 31, 2021

    Agree with Woodsman, it's an over simplification to blame US. It's more a general phenomenon across western world these days and in general many things goes in waves, so does nudism.

    ReactReply
  • ST
    Strandjunge59
    Strandjunge59
    Aug 1, 2021

    Sorry I don't want to blame America. I think most people in Germany including me don't really know how life in the USA is. What I mean with americanization is that people imitate the picture of the USA they have from the media.

    ReactReply
  • CO
    Connor
    ConnorOriginal Poster
    Aug 2, 2021
    [quote]I think most people in Germany including me don't really know how life in the USA is.[/quote] Getting a small section of the beach for nude use is like pulling teeth. It's slow and painful(bureaucracy and legalities). When something [url][link]https://www.truenudists.com/forum/thread/99954/munich-de-legalised-public-nudity/[/link]like this happens[/url], imagine 6 designated naturist/nudist zones, it's incredible. Here, we're lucky if one is being considered just for discussion.
    ReactReply
  • JO
    John
    John
    Aug 2, 2021

    Yeah, that pretty much sums it up. I can't imagine why anybody in Europe would want to emulate Americans in this respect. They're far better off, for the most part, than we are here in the US.

    ReactReply
  • DI
    Ditchdoctor
    Ditchdoctor
    Feb 23, 2022

    I spent 27 months in Germany during the late 60s and early 70s. I wish I had know of the FKK then.

    ReactReply