Sauna's in Germany

[yorkguy]

Hi,

I am visting Germany later this year with some friends and we have talked about going to a spa/sauna. None of my friends know im a naturist so I am unsure what to wear in the clothing optional areas?! Im thinking it will be a ice-breaker to go nude, but I am still a bit unsure! My Girlfriend will also be there and while she accepts i like being nude, she isn't a naturist and wouldn't join in. Are all saunas in germany (munich) clothes optional?
Thanks for the advice!

[betterman]

all the saunas as far as i know in germany are nude-only, not clothing optional. when you're not in the actual sauna (or hot tub, shower/bath, steam room) then you are allowed if you choose to wear a towel or a robe...no street clothes.

the ones i've been to had gender-specific locker rooms with gym-style open room showers, then the rest is co-ed (except on certain days or at certain times when they have "ladies only") and nude/toweled/robed. i normally walked around with my sandals on and my towel over my shoulder. of course as it is with nudism, sitting on your towel is required.

also, i was told that even though the saunas are nude areas, a good bit of the people that go aren't actually nudist in any other respect of their lives. the lack of clothing is considered the only sanitary way to use a sauna to the germans.

[RalphVa]

I stayed at a hotel at Frankfort airport once. The change room and sauna there were unisex and nude. In the swimming pool area, everyone had bottoms on.

Told a co-worker about this experience. He stayed there and only found a bunch of American soldiers in the sauna.

[Rick_42]

It's been quite a while but all of the saunas I used in Germany were nude. Only Americans wore anything and really stood out.

[inudist]

It has been a long time since my German Sauna experience, but like everyone above, I do remember that everyone there was nude. I'm not sure what their official status was nude or clothing optional though. I think your friends/ girlfriend should know what to expect and when in the German sauna,.....well do as the Germans do! (so you don't stick out like a sore thumb).

I also remember that there was one day per week each male and female only and the other five days were coed, but that was just the one I went to.

[Trainfan]

Most of the saunas I went to in and around Berlin and Munich were co-ed except for the occassional days that were either men only or women only. As stated by the other folks here, clothes were not optional within the sauna itself. Remember to bring a towel in case the sauna doesn't provide one, you'll need it for inside the sauna as the dry wood can get pretty hot to set your bum on. One last note, while the sauna may be coed (or not) they may have separate dressing rooms (seems odd doesn't it?) Just remember Damen = Ladies; Herren = Gentlemen :-)

[yorkguy]

Thanks for the advice. It looks like if we want to visit a sauna then they will have to get nude - which helps me by not being the odd one out!

[Sauna]

Germans are perfect and they have ranked the best of their saunas. What a pity it is only in German language but you can try. http://www.insauna.com/rangliste.htm

[friendlynudist]

In 2000 I was near Munich for a meeting in a German Hotel, and there was an American female attempt to use the sauna with her swim suit on and within a minute was asked to either take it off or leave by one of the Germans there. There was no clothing optional about it. I loved Germany...to include depnding upon where you were the last two hours at the Indoor Swimming Pool would be nude also. Didn't understand the warning in German the first few times, but woke up at 7 PM when everyone at the pool got naked.

[spafan83]

The usual scenario is a 'thermal world' for swimming which is textile and a 'sauna world' for sauna, steam rooms, plunge pools etc. This is 'nude' which means NO SWIMWEAR.

But most people will wear a bathrobe or towel when walking around or resting. So you don't normally see naked people wandering around. Towels and bathrobes can usually be hired.

But ALWAYS naked in the sauna - sitting on a towel.

Changing facilities can be separate or unisex usually with a few cubicles, but most people change in the open areas.

Take note of special days and times. These can be
- damentag, i.e. ladies only
- clothing optional - for a basically nude facility it allows wearing of swimwear BUT it is still nude in the saunas and steam rooms
- FKK - nude times in the textile areas
- long sauna nights (or midnight sauna) when the facility is open later than normal (and is usually nude throughout). Typically open at least to midnight, often beyond. This is normally one night a month.

All of this is usually available on their web sites.

[BUH]

I was in Switzerland years ago at a very large spa with multiple swimming pools, saunas etc. Only one loceker room and only nude in the saunas.

BUH (big ugly husband)

[ragshag]

Saunas in Germany are separated from the swimming areas. Dresscode is nude (besides a towel) in the cabin and nude or towel or bathrobe anywhere else.
Many baths offer special events like "Lange Nacht", i.e. opened until midnight or even longer, and "textilfreies schwimmen", i.e. clothes free in all areas including the swimming areas. Take care, clothes free in germany is "fully nude for everybody" not "clothing optional"!

[Sauna]

Saunas in Germany are separated from the swimming areas. Dresscode is nude (besides a towel) in the cabin and nude or towel or bathrobe anywhere else.
Many baths offer special events like "Lange Nacht", i.e. opened until midnight or even longer, and "textilfreies schwimmen", i.e. clothes free in all areas including the swimming areas. Take care, clothes free in germany is "fully nude for everybody" not "clothing optional"!

Be careful. Every sauna has its own rules. many of them are fully nude everywhre an ohters demand robe or towel. Please astk it when you arrive.

[Xen]

Clothing optional is a euphimism for nude that sadly some people seem to interpret as meaning that they can leave their togs on where everyone else is naked. In Germany nudity is so common that there is no option about wearing anything in a sauna, be naked or be elsewhere.

In my experience too, pubic hair is something that Germans are not too keen on and if you want to fit in you (whether female or male) should at least trim and the more radical you are, the more German you will look !

[olebigtallone]

I stayed at a hotel in Bamberg Germany and at the hotel at the Frankfurt airport. The spa area was mixed nude use at both locations. Most were draped in a robe or wraped in a towel. While using the sauna, it is premissable to remain wraped in a towel, as there were folks doing so. It is more common not to be covered however. Anyone wearing swimwear most likely will not be asked to remove the suit, but will stand out as unusual practice.
Since this is the first visit for both parties involved, I would recommend buying Forder's guide to Germany, or check it out at the library. The book will mention the fact that the spas are mixed nude. You will have proof and your counter parts will not stand out in the crowd.

[betterman]

Clothing optional is a euphimism for nude that sadly some people seem to interpret as meaning that they can leave their togs on where everyone else is naked. In Germany nudity is so common that there is no option about wearing anything in a sauna, be naked or be elsewhere.

In my experience too, pubic hair is something that Germans are not too keen on and if you want to fit in you (whether female or male) should at least trim and the more radical you are, the more German you will look !

please pardon my non-britishness...what is a "tog"?

[Trainfan]

Sauna:
Thanks for rankings page. I used to go to the Blub in Berlin which was a fantastic place to go -- restaurant, various saunas with different temperatures, outdoor sunning, etc. However, I was disapppointed to see that it was ranked 132nd, so if these rankings are legitimate, those other 131 must be really something!


Germans are perfect and they have ranked the best of their saunas. What a pity it is only in German language but you can try. http://www.insauna.com/rangliste.htm

[Xen]

Berlin saunas all seemed to rank low - I did think that the vast sauna at Erding outside munich was fabulous and am please to see it at No 3 but the Europa centre in berlin was still very good - I wonder if it would have been better to group saunas together in bands rather than individually.

I noticed that the best sauna in Berlin is the Sultan Hamman, looking at their website (available in English and Turkish as well as German) I saw that 5 days are women only, one day men and one day families. Does anyone know if people go fully naked on all days or whether the wraps shown in the photos are also worn in reality ?

[clofreefranz]

you have to be nude in sauna and some therme are only clothing free its no big deal here

[cutegay_fr]

My understanding to why people are asked to take of their swimsuits is not only to be naked but for hygienic reasons, a suit which has been in a swimming pool will probably have chlorine in it.

[NUDENICK]

German people in general are very liberated when it comes to nudists and nudity.Lucky them i guess

[nudistsohio]

I will be travelling in the Hamburg area on Business in 2 weeks. Can amyone reccomend a nice sauna facility. Have been to a few in Frankfurt..but would like some reccomendations for Hamburg. Thanks