My first time in public was in a nude sauna in Belgium on a rugby tour. Needless to say the staff were a little apprehensive, 20 rugby players invading a what should have been a peacefull setting. I absolutely loved the experience.
It took me 6 months to convince Colette that she would enjoy it also.
We went back to the Thermae for a long weekend. Colette walked around for about 30 minutes with her robe on making sure nobody was watching her. (which they wasn't) Left her robe outside a sauna, laid down and within 5 mins forgot she was naked and chatting to another couple. She even left the sauna forgetting her robe. The sheer panic on her face when she realised she was still nude was a picture.
Been back 6 times since and looking forward to our next visit
Keep Calm & Get Naked
Great. Which therme was it. I have been to several in Belgium, usually very good. And there are many others in Holland and Germany. Plan your holidays/short breaks around the therme. After a day's sightseeing there is nothing to beat a sauna followed by dinner while wearing (only) a bathrobe.
we stay at sunparks. da haan is our favourite. but they are all pretty good. worth a visit
Keep Calm & Get Naked
Has anyone else got any suggestions for hotels with sauna, spa facilities either in Belgium, Holland or Germany that are clothes optional or nude?
We are thinking about planning a trip to one or two for early next year. So would like to see which are recommended by others that have used them.
Graeme & Heather
www.westernswimclub.org.uk
We've been to the Thermen Dibeek just outside Brussels several times and can highly recommend it.
You'll find that any hotel in Germany with spa and sauna facilties will be clothes optional (and clothes prohibited in the sauna). If you find the hotel website it won't be mentioned, it will just be taken for granted. Can't speak for Holland and Belgium.
Thanks for the info.
Has anyone stayed at the Hotel Rheinsberg in Berlin? There is a very good review about it in the Autumn issue of BN.
From the website www.hotel-rheinsberg.com it looks good, but all in German. Have used Google Translate, but it would be good to get other opinions from naturists that have been there.
Graeme & Heather
www.westernswimclub.org.uk
It looks pretty good. I've not stayed in this one but many like it and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. BUT.. It appears they may charge extra to use it (or maybe that's just for non-residents) as they say you can only pay by card, not cash.
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Boundaries are there to be stretched!
Has anyone else got any suggestions for hotels with sauna, spa facilities either in Belgium, Holland or Germany that are clothes optional or nude?
We are thinking about planning a trip to one or two for early next year. So would like to see which are recommended by others that have used them.
As freebeat says, any hotel with spa facilities in Germany will be clothing optional and nude in the sauna. This also applies to any part of Europe that is German speaking, which includes Austria, parts of Switzerland and northern Italy.
Whilst all hotels are nude as above, not all allow nude use of their swimming pools. So I thought I'd mention a couple we have been to that do.
The Hotel zum Walde ( http://www.hotel-zum-walde.de/ ) near Aachen has a nude pool and bar area, a smallish sauna area and secluded nude sunbathing in summer. When we were there the rooms were in need of refurbishment, but I think may have been done since.
The Stuttgart Fontana Hotel (www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-5425-pullman-stuttgart-fontana/index.shtml) has a nude only indoor swimming pool, extensive sauna facilities and a nude sunbathing area in full view of about 10 floors of rooms. However, it is a few years since we were there and the hotel has changed hands. So it might be worth phoning to check if nude swimming and sunbathing are still allowed.
Holiday Inn in Brussels. Thinking it was the Ladies sauna, as full of women, was joined by a party of American men - it was Mixed sauna ! Anyway got over my shock and actually relaxed and enjoyed my time there.
2 Hotels in Dortmund which I have stayed recently. The Hilton Dortmund nude in sauna but to use pool as has open views a costume is required.
Also the Steigenberger Hotel Nude sauna and other facility's but its what you would expect in Germany in my humble opinion. Neither are expensive when you compare with Uk hotel prices 60 -70 Euros per room per night when I have stopped here.
Ben
Don't take life seriously, No one gets out alive
Has anyone else got any suggestions for hotels with sauna, spa facilities either in Belgium, Holland or Germany that are clothes optional or nude? ...
As freebeat says, any hotel with spa facilities in Germany will be clothing optional and nude in the sauna. ...
Whilst all hotels are nude as above, not all allow nude use of their swimming pools. ...
I’m sure this is true for Germany and the Netherlands (I don’t know about Belgium), but it seems that many ‘ordinary’ German/Dutch hotels have designated timeslots where the pool is naturist (or at least clothing optional). So, one option would be to ask the hotel staff about such timeslots, although by doing this you would obviously be restricting the times at which you can go nude. Another less restrictive option is to just ‘go for it’ regardless and if anyone does complain (which seems unlikely) politely apologise for misunderstanding the timeslots on account of your being a linguistically challenged ignorant foreigner with poor understanding of German/Dutch. I’ve tried both options a few times now and not encountered any complaints or had any need to apologise. At one hotel a staff member told me the timeslots and even said ‘It doesn’t matter though. You are the guest. You can do as you wish,’ which I thought was great customer service.
I was given the advice to ‘pretend to be ignorant foreigner’ independently by two different work associates/friends (one German and one Dutch), so I think this idea might have merit. So far, for me, the challenge has not been the hotel staff or rules, but the reactions of some other guests and sometimes things going on in my own head. Pretending to be Scandinavian (to other guests, not to staff, obviously, as they have your passport) seems to be a useful strategy for me. That way I’ve been able to get some respite from Americans (usually friendly enough but they sure like to talk effusively a lot), from other Brits (maybe friendly enough but often difficult to tell because they tend either to become tongue-tied and talk nonsense or appear somewhat shifty), and from local German/Dutch people (usually comfortable with nudity but they often speak too fast in German/Dutch for me to understand or too slow in English for me to avoid boredom).
Mind you, I did meet a lovely Spanish man in Berlin, and I think maybe now I regret giving him the impression that I was Scandinavian, specifically Swedish I think it was. Actually, I think it was him who just assumed I was Swedish: I just didn’t correct him. It seemed like an easier way to have a conversation that was more entertaining that ‘Wow! You’re naked AND British!! Are you completely mad ?!’
Thanks for the advice regarding hotels with Spas.
We have booked a two night stay at the Hotel zum Walde for early in December. We will report back on how good it is.
The Hotel zum Walde ( http://www.hotel-zum-walde.de/ ) near Aachen has a nude pool and bar area, a smallish sauna area and secluded nude sunbathing in summer. When we were there the rooms were in need of refurbishment, but I think may have been done since.
Graeme & Heather
www.westernswimclub.org.ukShare £100 for switching to Octopus Energy
I doubt you'll be disappointed!
It's a small hotel and the pool and Sauna are not huge but the owner and his family are lovely people and will look after you for sure...
Boundaries are there to be stretched!
We have booked a two night stay at the Hotel zum Walde for early in December. We will report back on how good it is.
Hope you both have a great time!