Dutch Saunas

[Rik]

While looking for some travel information about the Netherlands I came across this article about saunas in Amsterdam. I thought it might be interesting.

Rik

[Prometheus]

Yet more evidence that we Americans could learn a thing or two about culture from the Europeans.

[Snoboy]

Rik, thanks for the terrific article on Holland sauna's and other good information at the site. I am traveling to Holland, Germany and Austria in mid-August and the information provided will be of benefit to me. If anyone has other ideas to make my trip enjoyable, would be greatly appreciated.

[Rik]

quote:

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Originally posted by Snoboy:
[qb] I am traveling to Holland, Germany and Austria in mid-August and the information provided will be of benefit to me. If anyone has other ideas to make my trip enjoyable, would be greatly appreciated. [/qb]

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I am planning a cycling trip through Holland and northern Germany during July and hope to use naturist facilities while I'm there. If you tell me what areas you're going to I'll see if I can provide you with information when I get back.

Rik

[Snoboy]

Rik, Thanks, I will review my itenerary and contact you about it. Sounds like you will have a great trip. Hope you will give us a full report on your adventure when you come home. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Gary Naturist]

Rik, re your cycling trip to Germany and Holland --

There was a German nudist who posted to a couple of nudist forums a few months ago. He said that he regularly cycles nude on quiet roads in the German countryside and posted some photos to prove it.

He said that passersby don't mind -- they wave and smile at him. He avoids cycling nude through towns. He also has done some nude cycling on the west coast of Canada and the U.S. without emcountering problems.

I corresponded a bit with him, because I've done some nude cycling, and indicated that I would contact him if I was coming to Germany. His English is quite limited, but we were able to get by.

If you're interested, I can provide you with his email address.

Gary

[Rik]

quote:

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Originally posted by Gary Naturist:
[qb] If you're interested, I can provide you with his email address. [/qb]

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I'm not sure I'm brave enough to cycle nude on roads but, hey, you only live once! [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img]

His email address would be useful as he may be able to provide me with some more general information.

Thanks.

Rik

[Flybare]

Excellant article on saunas. Having traveled alot in Europe I found it very accurate. If you have never been in a sauna before the ones that I used had instructions posted on the proper use of the facilities. It took some getting used to the heat. From what I found it feels like my internal body temperature is going out of control and all the sudden it seems like all my pores open at once like a pressure relief valve, and I totally relax. If you want to speed things up pour some water on the rocks to raise the humidity, that'll make you sweat.

At the hotel suana in Finland they had paper towels to sit on and then dispose of afterwards. Good idea. They had seperate facilities for men and women.

Of the countries that I visited Germany, The Netherland, and Austria had one sauna for both sexes. Switzerland had times posted for male, female, and both. England, Scotland, France and Italy had seperate saunas, and weren't as many available. Keep in mind that these were hotel facilities and were what I personally saw. I'm sure it varies form hotel to hotel or public facility.

Overall the attitude of most Europeans toward nudity was much more to my way of thinking than it is here in the States.

[Susie Cook]

Yes, my family and I went to The Netherlands for my husband's work. We heard about one of these and went to one. Once we got there, we took off our clothes and other people came in with no clothes also. I think there was only one couple that kept there clothes on. This was very relaxing and our family enjoyed it.

[Naked in the UK]

Here are some recommendations for good sauna complexes in Holland. Though I personally have not been to any of these(yet!)

In Amsterdam, there is a sauna complex in the central called Sauna Deco. Mixed sauna. Pretty much 50/50 males/females. http://www.saunadeco.nl/engels/index2.html Some reviews can be found here http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?where=body&returnTo=&...tion%29&q=sauna+deco

In Harleem, there is a bigger sauna complex called Sauna Van Egmond. Mixed sauna. And surprisingly actually dominated by FEMALES believe it or not, according to some reviews.
http://www.saunavanegmond.nl/ Some reviews here http://www.tripadvisor.com/Search?re...una+van+egmond

And allthough I've not read any reports about it. There is also a sauna at Amsterdam Schipol Airport. I don't know if this is mixed or not. As it says "facilities for men and women", so don't know if this means sex segregated or together.

I look forward to trying out all these places on a trip to Amsterdam. Though probably won't be untill some time next year now.

I shall have to remember that allthough nudity is compulsary in the saunas and showers in Dutch saunas, that you have to keep yourselves covered up when not in the saunas and showers. Unlike the German sauna complexes, where you are free to just walk about nude if you so wish.

[Rik]

I don't post much in these forums these days but I do look in occasionally. I was surprised to see this thread had been revived 4 years after my original post.

During the last year I have been working and living in Holland and have experienced Dutch saunas first hand. You mention Sauna Deco which is a sumptuous place decorated with genuine art deco furnishings and is situated alongside one of Amsterdam's famous and picturesque canals. It has two sauna cabins, a plunge pool, a steam room, a foot bath, a relaxation area and a snack area where you can buy beers, coffee and food. They also offer massages at extra cost. The entrance fee when I went last was 17 euros plus 2 euros if you want to hire a towel. As with (almost) all Dutch saunas nudity is the norm and at Sauna Deco there is a unisex changing room.

Being in the centre of Amsterdam it has a tendency to attract tourists and some of them may have a little trouble with the nudity but nevertheless it's a great place and you can happily spend hours there.

Around the corner from Sauna Deco is another one known as Sauna de Keizer although its web site refers to it as Bliss Sauna perhaps not to confuse it with another Sauna Keizer in Oldenzaal. I don't rate this as highly as Sauna Deco although it is a bit cheaper and worth a visit.

Almost all saunas in Holland are mixed and nudity is required. Some people wrap a towel around themselves but mostly they don't. I know of only one in the whole country which requires swimwear to be worn. Many saunas do a female only session - usually restricted to just one session a week.

During my stay I regularly visited a local leisure centre which has a fabulous sauna/jacuzzi/steamroom suite as well as a relaxation area where you can buy drinks and snacks. I wouldn't say that nudity was ubiquitous in the relaxation area but no-one was bothered if someone was naked so I'm not sure that your remark about having to keep covered up is particularly accurate. There is certainly no requirement to cover up when walking between the facilities - although of course some people do. What you have to remember is that the Dutch have a very practical approach to nudity - they may not all be naturists but as long as nudity is not deliberatley flaunted then they're not really bothered.

By way of a few examples, the leisure centre employed a female cleaner who thought nothing of mopping the floor in the men's changing rooms and the men in the changing rooms thought nothing of it either. One evening she was even cleaning the floor around me in the shower area. On one occasion one of the lockers in the changing room was stuck so one of the guys summoned a receptionist - a young female - who simply came into the changing room and unstuck the locker. None of the men showed any signs of embarrassment and certainly didn't rush to cover themselves up. These were just a couple of small incidents which would be unthinkable in the UK or the US but in Holland no-one takes any notice.

Most leisure centres in Holland offer nude swimming sessions as a matter of course - mine did two a week.

I don't know much about Sauna Van Egmond in Haarlem although I've heard it's pretty good. I think you have to book in advance to go there.

I hadn't heard about the sauna at Schiphol airport. I have spent many a long evening waiting for yet another delayed flight back to the UK so a sauna would have been quite a good idea. I think the one you're referring to is in the Hotel Mercure which is actually inside the airport terminal. I would guess (but I'm not sure) that reference to "facilities for men and women" probably means separate facilities as they will have an international clientele but it would be most improbable that swimwear would be required.

As an aside I witnessed an amusing incident a Schiphol a few months ago. I heard an American woman shouting for security and getting extremely upset. It transpired that she had come accross a male cleaner in the female toilets and assumed he must be some sort of pervert little realising that it is completely normal for male and female cleaners to clean female and male toilets. Another example of Dutch practicality!

Quite apart from saunas and swimming pools Amsterdam is a lovely city and well worth a visit even if just for a weekend. There are plenty of cheap flights from UK airports and the flight time is only about one hour. Public transport is excellent and inexpensive - the train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Central less than 4 euros and you can buy multi-tickets (called Strippenkarten) at newsagents for travel on the city trams, metro and buses.

I'm sure you'll enjoy it when you go.

Richard

[newton]

Richard:

Thanks for all of the useful information. I feel much better prepared for my next trip to Amsterdam and the Netherlands.

Newton

[Naked in the UK]

Thanks for that info Rik. RE the bit about where I said people must keep themselves covered up when not in the saunas and showers, I was only going by what a posting on these forums said a while ago. Pretty sure it was on these forums anyway. But I can't seem to locate that posting now. Anyway, sounds like that's not true and that it is indeed ok to be nude when walking between facilities. Sounds good to me!

Yes Amsterdam is a lovely city I have to agree. The last time I went there was way back in 1996. Though this was well before I was into naturism and saunas.

As Sauna Deco is right in the centre of Amsterdam, I'll certainly be paying that place a visit on a trip soon. And may try and incorporate a visit to Sauna Van Egmond too, depending on how long my trip is.

I'll at least see what the sauna is like at Schipol Airport too. Whether it is sex segregated or mixed.

[youthsvensson]

Thank you Rick! I am just planning the trip to Amsterdam and found out the website of Sauna Deco, wanted to visite it. Very useful information.

Sven