Is complete nudity (e.g., nudist beaches) normalized in your country?
February 4, 2026
Are people who go to such places viewed negatively by society?
33 comments
There’s nudist beaches everywhere and topless is common on normal beaches
it is side-eyed
although we have a few nudist beaches, but in my zone they are rare
Depends on the setting I think.
Saunas are widely considered normal, people don’t wear clothes there.
Nudist beaches depend on the region and who you ask, but are usually somewhat accepted.
And entire nudist colonies are generally considered strange. I think.
I think that being naked is normalized when appropriate, especially in a sauna. Nude beaches exist, nobody cares, but I don’t think they’re as popular as in some other countries.
We do have nudist beaches, but most people don’t go there. I guess being a nudist is seen as a quirk of sorts. But then again my dad for example swears by nudist beaches and hates non-nudist beaches.
🇩🇰 dont really have dedicated “nude beaches”, but here and there some unofficial nude areas. You can choose to be naked anywhere you like , it is normal and accepted as long as you dont try to be obscene about it .
DK has some 7000 km coastline so enough room for everyone.
Not really. You’d be considered a bit odd/pervy as people struggle to separate nifty from sex (though not as much as our septic cousins)
Yes, because they’re usually only associated with very open-minded environments (swingers, exhibitionists) and therefore aren’t places for everyone.
And they’re viewed poorly/with suspicion by the rest of society.
Consider that Italy is a country of old and very bigoted people; Christianity here is lived according to the creed “you’re a sinner, you should feel like shit about everything and constantly ask for forgiveness.”
At least, by the older segments of society.
I would say fairly.
It’s far from standard, but most people who doesn’t go to nude beaches will still not view you as a wierdo. Some people will think that nude equals swingers and those might think something about you.
Yes for most of Europe. However that does not mean they are abundant and in your face. Most places where nudity is the norm are either sauna’s or more secluded places / beaches.
It is increasingly more hidden with all the camera’s and internet.
It’s not common place, but not frowned upon. We have around 90 official nude beaches here in the Netherlands and they are well visited. Visitor numbers have grown during/since Covid.
No, nudism is not normalized.
Going to sauna naked is a practical choice, like showering without clothes is.
There are designated nudist beaches around populated areas, but I would say this is mostly frequented by the older generation. 60+.
Not exactly normalized, but if you’re into that you can find it. It’s not so common in the wild, but when it comes to spa / sauna it’s relatively common. I’d still say most people I know won’t go there, but a few do.
To give a bit broad statement: I find nordic people have a relaxed relationship to nudity. Like showering naked together with other people without any type of wall/cubicle is common. (I know this is a culture shock for some people).
Sauna is mostly done naked. Nudist beaches exist and as long you stay on those beaches/don’t desturb other people, we don’t care.
Was ( in some specific setting ), but with american culture invading in the 90’s-2000’s it quickly disappeared ( overnight ).
I don’t think people who go to nudist beaches are viewed negatively here in Germany.
Some people like to sunbathe and swim naked. There are some designated nudist beaches on the coast but I have seen many people who go all naked into lakes as well.
As long as no one is obscene or harassing others with it, everyone’s just fine about it.
Where I live it’s very common to see people completely nude washing in the rivers but other than that no it’s not.
There is designated nudity beach even in my city (Poděbrady, Czechia), but firstly, it is almost excusively with people 60+ and secondly, these people are nude even in regular beaches and nobody cares.
Anywhere in Europe: I almost never wore my bikini top just the bottoms – top went on to go to the beach bar as respect for the children. Greece, Turkey, Italy… Came back to live in the US in ‘96 and now only wear strapless swimsuits and roll the top down to avoid tan marks. Such puritans here yet all you hear is words concerning sex🙄
Yes, it’s fairly normal and not seen as weird. It’s not even that weird to be nude at a not-nudist beach.
As always, depends on the context. Nudity in a sport club’s showers, completely normal. Nudity in the sauna, pretty normal, though saunas are not so popular. Nudist beaches though? Definitely kinky, not normal. People will look at you differently after you tell them you like to go to nudist beaches. Topless at the beach is also a no-no, our beaches are way too packed for that.
Define “normalized”.
In my country is legal in some places. There are people who like it go there. There are people who don’t go there.
Personally, I love it. The most comfortable way ever to go to the beach. You dry faster; are warmer and don’t have those uncomfortable pesky plastic stuff irritating your skin.
Bathing naked in sun or in the water it so pleasant!
On plus, it’s wonderful for body-positivity and to make socialization acquire a very humanizing touch.
Going to a textile beach is not worth it.
In Saunas the standard is to be naked.
Some swimming pools have a nude area, most of the time it‘s only a naked sun bathing area which is behind a barrier so you can‘t watch the naked people. Sometimes there‘s also an nude area with access to an lake…
Larger green areas, not small parks, sometimes have designated nude areas. But it wouldn‘t shock people to see someone sunbathing topless in any parc…
No. Nudism is actually quite rare in Finland. There are only three nudist beaches in the whole country, and they’re small and not very popular. Two such swimming halls exist. While going naked on a beach is in principle not forbidden by law, it’s not something people normally do.
Nudity is normal in saunas for the same reason nudity is normal in showers. In most cases, saunas are gender segregated or parents go with their own pre-school children. Anyone over the age of 7 is expected to follow gender segregation. In some cases youth of the same reference group, e.g. students together, go to sauna together regardless of gender. This sort of nudity is restricted to the sauna only.
UK here. We’ve a bit of a weird relationship to nudity but nude beaches and naturist resorts exist. Where I live there’s also a a spot on the river that is not officially a nudist spot but it’s accepted. That said nudity is not ‘normal’ or common.
We have sauna’s everywhere, where its expected to be nude.
Oh and nude beaches which are quite common.
Yes, nudity is really normal in Germany.
Also magazines like playboy are completely open in the stores ( at least they used to be, im not completely sure if its still like this tbh)
On nudist beaches and saunas, yeah. But most beaches are not nudist beaches and most saunas also have swimsuit days. Being topless on a normal beach is considered normal, although since smartphones I think less and less people are comfortable doing this.
I dont have an opinion on it, I dont like to be nude in public myself so I dont go to those places but if someone does, why would i care? Good for them.
I think this is the general consensus along the population, although I can imagine maybe it is different among the muslim community in the Netherlands. Dont know, the topic never came up in conversation.
Yes. There are a lot of beaches dedicated to fully naked people. Those places are divided between those that are family-friendly and some that are dedicated to “meeting” people. The most well-known naked resort in France is the latter and is not limited to the beach but rather the whole town.
Personally, as a child with my family we went every year to a family-friendly beach in a small oceanic resort, barely a couple hundred meters from the regular beach. It was a lot more comfortable and a lot less crowded (even for a small station, the overseen bathing area was relatively small and the ocean often quite dangerous). Some clothed people were going to that particular beach because they had a lot of room. I was always wearing swim trunks because even as a child I didn’t like being naked in public, but never have I felt that it was awkward or even sexualised, the mindset was very well respected by everyone.
There are also full nudist camping sites inland, but they tend to disappear. They are for people whose style is to be close to nature, and are mostly occupied by German and Dutch people really.
Nudity and sex sure, nudity in public like at beaches less so, but I think that has more to do with how small and crowded we are as a country. It’s normal in closed off spaces like spas.
I’m not quite sure how it’s like in the rest of Sweden, but at least here in Scania we actually do have quite a lot of nudist beaches. After all, Scania alone has got about 500 kilometers (300 miles) of seaside coastline and a lot of beaches, so there is room for everyone. Many of our beach areas have dedicated nudist sections, And it’s not just beaches in the countryside – even the larger cities such as Malmö and Helsingborg have dedicated nudist beaches.
Nudist beaches even in the cities will generally be quite secluded and geographically hidden from the main beaches, but not because it is seen as shameful or gross, but rather to give bathers privacy. Nudist bathers are mostly seen as rather quaint and liberated and even brave, and a lot more people say they would like to do it if they only dared.
One of the most famous and popular nudist beach areas in Scania is at the nature reserve Kullaberg near the village of Mölle. There it is very secluded for privacy, with beautiful nature and nice beaches. There it is also partly separated by sex – with one area exclusively for women and one for mixed gender. Incidentally, it was also here that Sweden’s first beaches for mixed gender seaside bathing were located back in the early 20th century, which created a lot of scandal at the time, despite that people by our modern standards of course were still being very modestly dressed – but it also created a lot of tourism for the area. So the site has a long history of defying modesty norms.
I’m from Scotland, so basically, no. It is not necessarily a question of prudishness. It’s the climate.
33 comments
There’s nudist beaches everywhere and topless is common on normal beaches
it is side-eyed
although we have a few nudist beaches, but in my zone they are rare
Depends on the setting I think.
Saunas are widely considered normal, people don’t wear clothes there.
Nudist beaches depend on the region and who you ask, but are usually somewhat accepted.
And entire nudist colonies are generally considered strange. I think.
I think that being naked is normalized when appropriate, especially in a sauna. Nude beaches exist, nobody cares, but I don’t think they’re as popular as in some other countries.
We do have nudist beaches, but most people don’t go there. I guess being a nudist is seen as a quirk of sorts. But then again my dad for example swears by nudist beaches and hates non-nudist beaches.
🇩🇰 dont really have dedicated “nude beaches”, but here and there some unofficial nude areas. You can choose to be naked anywhere you like , it is normal and accepted as long as you dont try to be obscene about it .
DK has some 7000 km coastline so enough room for everyone.
Not really. You’d be considered a bit odd/pervy as people struggle to separate nifty from sex (though not as much as our septic cousins)
Yes, because they’re usually only associated with very open-minded environments (swingers, exhibitionists) and therefore aren’t places for everyone.
And they’re viewed poorly/with suspicion by the rest of society.
Consider that Italy is a country of old and very bigoted people; Christianity here is lived according to the creed “you’re a sinner, you should feel like shit about everything and constantly ask for forgiveness.”
At least, by the older segments of society.
I would say fairly.
It’s far from standard, but most people who doesn’t go to nude beaches will still not view you as a wierdo. Some people will think that nude equals swingers and those might think something about you.
Yes for most of Europe. However that does not mean they are abundant and in your face. Most places where nudity is the norm are either sauna’s or more secluded places / beaches.
It is increasingly more hidden with all the camera’s and internet.
It’s not common place, but not frowned upon. We have around 90 official nude beaches here in the Netherlands and they are well visited. Visitor numbers have grown during/since Covid.
No, nudism is not normalized.
Going to sauna naked is a practical choice, like showering without clothes is.
There are designated nudist beaches around populated areas, but I would say this is mostly frequented by the older generation. 60+.
Not exactly normalized, but if you’re into that you can find it. It’s not so common in the wild, but when it comes to spa / sauna it’s relatively common. I’d still say most people I know won’t go there, but a few do.
To give a bit broad statement: I find nordic people have a relaxed relationship to nudity. Like showering naked together with other people without any type of wall/cubicle is common. (I know this is a culture shock for some people).
Sauna is mostly done naked. Nudist beaches exist and as long you stay on those beaches/don’t desturb other people, we don’t care.
Was ( in some specific setting ), but with american culture invading in the 90’s-2000’s it quickly disappeared ( overnight ).
I don’t think people who go to nudist beaches are viewed negatively here in Germany.
Some people like to sunbathe and swim naked. There are some designated nudist beaches on the coast but I have seen many people who go all naked into lakes as well.
As long as no one is obscene or harassing others with it, everyone’s just fine about it.
Where I live it’s very common to see people completely nude washing in the rivers but other than that no it’s not.
There is designated nudity beach even in my city (Poděbrady, Czechia), but firstly, it is almost excusively with people 60+ and secondly, these people are nude even in regular beaches and nobody cares.
Anywhere in Europe: I almost never wore my bikini top just the bottoms – top went on to go to the beach bar as respect for the children. Greece, Turkey, Italy… Came back to live in the US in ‘96 and now only wear strapless swimsuits and roll the top down to avoid tan marks. Such puritans here yet all you hear is words concerning sex🙄
Yes, it’s fairly normal and not seen as weird. It’s not even that weird to be nude at a not-nudist beach.
As always, depends on the context. Nudity in a sport club’s showers, completely normal. Nudity in the sauna, pretty normal, though saunas are not so popular. Nudist beaches though? Definitely kinky, not normal. People will look at you differently after you tell them you like to go to nudist beaches. Topless at the beach is also a no-no, our beaches are way too packed for that.
Define “normalized”.
In my country is legal in some places. There are people who like it go there. There are people who don’t go there.
Personally, I love it. The most comfortable way ever to go to the beach. You dry faster; are warmer and don’t have those uncomfortable pesky plastic stuff irritating your skin.
Bathing naked in sun or in the water it so pleasant!
On plus, it’s wonderful for body-positivity and to make socialization acquire a very humanizing touch.
Going to a textile beach is not worth it.
In Saunas the standard is to be naked.
Some swimming pools have a nude area, most of the time it‘s only a naked sun bathing area which is behind a barrier so you can‘t watch the naked people. Sometimes there‘s also an nude area with access to an lake…
Larger green areas, not small parks, sometimes have designated nude areas. But it wouldn‘t shock people to see someone sunbathing topless in any parc…
No. Nudism is actually quite rare in Finland. There are only three nudist beaches in the whole country, and they’re small and not very popular. Two such swimming halls exist. While going naked on a beach is in principle not forbidden by law, it’s not something people normally do.
Nudity is normal in saunas for the same reason nudity is normal in showers. In most cases, saunas are gender segregated or parents go with their own pre-school children. Anyone over the age of 7 is expected to follow gender segregation. In some cases youth of the same reference group, e.g. students together, go to sauna together regardless of gender. This sort of nudity is restricted to the sauna only.
UK here. We’ve a bit of a weird relationship to nudity but nude beaches and naturist resorts exist. Where I live there’s also a a spot on the river that is not officially a nudist spot but it’s accepted. That said nudity is not ‘normal’ or common.
We have sauna’s everywhere, where its expected to be nude.
Oh and nude beaches which are quite common.
Yes, nudity is really normal in Germany.
Also magazines like playboy are completely open in the stores ( at least they used to be, im not completely sure if its still like this tbh)
On nudist beaches and saunas, yeah. But most beaches are not nudist beaches and most saunas also have swimsuit days. Being topless on a normal beach is considered normal, although since smartphones I think less and less people are comfortable doing this.
I dont have an opinion on it, I dont like to be nude in public myself so I dont go to those places but if someone does, why would i care? Good for them.
I think this is the general consensus along the population, although I can imagine maybe it is different among the muslim community in the Netherlands. Dont know, the topic never came up in conversation.
Yes. There are a lot of beaches dedicated to fully naked people. Those places are divided between those that are family-friendly and some that are dedicated to “meeting” people. The most well-known naked resort in France is the latter and is not limited to the beach but rather the whole town.
Personally, as a child with my family we went every year to a family-friendly beach in a small oceanic resort, barely a couple hundred meters from the regular beach. It was a lot more comfortable and a lot less crowded (even for a small station, the overseen bathing area was relatively small and the ocean often quite dangerous). Some clothed people were going to that particular beach because they had a lot of room. I was always wearing swim trunks because even as a child I didn’t like being naked in public, but never have I felt that it was awkward or even sexualised, the mindset was very well respected by everyone.
There are also full nudist camping sites inland, but they tend to disappear. They are for people whose style is to be close to nature, and are mostly occupied by German and Dutch people really.
Nudity and sex sure, nudity in public like at beaches less so, but I think that has more to do with how small and crowded we are as a country. It’s normal in closed off spaces like spas.
I’m not quite sure how it’s like in the rest of Sweden, but at least here in Scania we actually do have quite a lot of nudist beaches. After all, Scania alone has got about 500 kilometers (300 miles) of seaside coastline and a lot of beaches, so there is room for everyone. Many of our beach areas have dedicated nudist sections, And it’s not just beaches in the countryside – even the larger cities such as Malmö and Helsingborg have dedicated nudist beaches.
Nudist beaches even in the cities will generally be quite secluded and geographically hidden from the main beaches, but not because it is seen as shameful or gross, but rather to give bathers privacy. Nudist bathers are mostly seen as rather quaint and liberated and even brave, and a lot more people say they would like to do it if they only dared.
One of the most famous and popular nudist beach areas in Scania is at the nature reserve Kullaberg near the village of Mölle. There it is very secluded for privacy, with beautiful nature and nice beaches. There it is also partly separated by sex – with one area exclusively for women and one for mixed gender. Incidentally, it was also here that Sweden’s first beaches for mixed gender seaside bathing were located back in the early 20th century, which created a lot of scandal at the time, despite that people by our modern standards of course were still being very modestly dressed – but it also created a lot of tourism for the area. So the site has a long history of defying modesty norms.
I’m from Scotland, so basically, no. It is not necessarily a question of prudishness. It’s the climate.