The Local Germany

EXPLAINED: Can women in Germany bath topless in public swimming pools?

Tue, 14 Mar 2023 12:58:17 +0100

Famous for its culture of nudity -German laws are often still unclear around where you can bathe topless.

Only in Germany: Wild boar steals laptop from naked Berlin sunbather

Fri, 07 Aug 2020 12:58:04 +0200

Germany is known for its naked sunbathing spots. But one man got more than he bargained for when a wild boar stole his bag with his laptop inside.

'I took a deep breath': An American's first dip into German nudity

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 20:10:01 +0200

For one American journalist, swimming in a Berlin lake proved to be the (at times comic) moment of liberation she had hoped for.

The dos and don’ts of public nudity in Germany

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 17:40:07 +0200

If you haven't done so already, you should make yourself familiar with the concept of Freikörperkultur (FKK) in Germany. This list should help get you started.

Undressing at a Berlin sauna wasn’t the moment of liberation I’d hoped for

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 18:25:49 +0200

A visit to a Berlin sauna for a hen party challenges a prudish Brit’s boundaries on baring all in public.

How a German sauna taught a prudish American to relax at the sight of naked flesh

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 17:10:55 +0200

When American writer Jessica Guzik arrived in Berlin, she wanted to rid herself of her American neuroses. But was the sight of people tarring themselves in salt a step too far?

Naked swimmer hospitalized after angler hooks his penis

Fri, 26 Aug 2016 19:01:45 +0200

When a man swimming naked in a Bavarian lake felt a strange pain in his nether regions, he looked up to see a fisherman on the shore. "Don’t pull!" he shouted.

Six odd things Germans do in the summer

Wed, 22 Jul 2015 16:47:41 +0200

These summer pastimes show that Germans' reputation for being uptight and straight-laced sticklers for punctuality couldn't be further from the truth. Many like nothing better than getting naked and drunk, and blocking up public traffic routes on the way.

Germans no longer champs of baring it all on the beach

Mon, 13 Jun 2016 16:46:41 +0200

Germany might not be favourite to win the Euros this summer. But there was one crown we thought they would never give up - being Europe's best at getting naked on the beach.

10 things to do before summer is really over

Wed, 20 Aug 2014 14:05:00 +0200

The German weather service (DWD) is blaming "Wild Wilma" for blanketing the country in cooler temperatures, but we know it's going to get a lot colder before the end of summer. This week's Local List challenges you to take advantage before autumn really sets in.

Nudist clubs shed more members than clothes

Thu, 10 Jul 2014 10:46:00 +0200

Many Germans still love to bask naked on the beaches of Spain and France but at home, long the land of the all-over tan, the nudist movement is in decline.

Munich unveils nudist bathing spots

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 01:47:00 +0200

Munich has banned nudist bathing in all but six designated areas. Among the exceptions is the famous English Garden in the city centre and the Flaucher section of the Isar river.

Town stumbles over naked rambling route

Fri, 24 Jan 2014 16:22:00 +0100

A town has hit problems trying to open Germany's third naked rambling route with authorities having a hard time deciding where to put it. They said on Thursday it would take until 2015 to find a path quiet enough.

German beach bums: naked, wet and friendly

Fri, 18 May 2012 19:10:00 +0200

It’s enough to make some choke on their choc ice – a new survey shows that not only are plenty of Germans happy to go naked on the beach, a worryingly high proportion may even try to strike up conversation with other holidaymakers.

Topless sunbathing goes out of style

Mon, 02 May 2011 15:51:00 +0200

German women are less willing to sunbathe topless than they were in the past, a recent survey shows. The primary reason for the new prudishness? Unwanted attention by men.

Bavaria's 'Porno Island' set for a clean-up

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:37:00 +0200

Sex thrill-seekers have been descending on a lake area near the Bavarian town of Senden in such numbers that locals have dubbed the recreational spot “Porno Island” – forcing embarrassed authorities to take action.

Scantily clad German men happy to bare their beer bellies

Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:20:00 +0200

Germans aren't known for being particularly shy about nudity, but a new survey confirms what many people have unwillingly witnessed during the recent heat wave - scantily clad men proudly putting their bulging beer bellies on display in public.

Naked sled race draws 14,000

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 11:06:00 +0100

A naked sledging event in Germany’s Harz region created a logistical nightmare over the weekend after 14,000 people showed up to watch 30 men and women strip before sliding down the mountain.

Former East German nudists still letting it all hang out

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:15:00 +0100

East German nudist culture is still encouraging Teutons to let it all hang out some 20 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall - and has even attracted fans from the West. AFP's Simon Sturdee reports.

Naked rock musical proves too big a hit with nudists

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 13:30:00 +0200

Plans to offer free entry to the rock muscial Naked to audience members who turn up in the nude at the Muscial Theatre Bremen were scrapped on Friday due to overwhelming demand.