My first visit to a German sauna, will likely also be my last visit to a German sauna. J.P. (my German fiance) loves the sauna and kept persuading me to go with him. Knowing that not only is everyone nude, but that bathing suits are not allowed (for health reasons, of all reasons) I needed some convincing. Knowing how competitive I am, he resorted to challenging me “Are you too chicken to go to the German sauna?” Eventually I gave in, I hate being called a “chicken” and I did want to experience a German sauna, but I did it on my terms – in our small hotel in Dresden, over 500km from Stuttgart, where my chances of running into anyone we knew would be extremely low.
When we entered the sauna there was only one other woman there. I was extremely relieved that we would have our space as J.P. kept chiding me with stories about how sometimes the sauna is so packed that you’re sitting skin to skin next to sweaty strangers on either side. The idea repulsed me. I like my personal space when I’m fully clothed, let alone when I’m completely naked. Although the idea is to relax and unwind while in the sauna, I kept my eye suspiciously on the door at all times, ready to make a quick exit at the first sight of any character I deemed unsavory and did not wish to sweat with in the small enclosed wooden sauna – so pretty much anyone that entered.
In fairness to the German sauna experience, it’s not creepy as I am making it out to be. I just feel extremely uncomfortable being naked in the presence of strangers, which was Why I Was Scared to Have Surgery in a German Hospital since that’s just not something I’m used to being from Canada. I’m also Socially Awkward in Germany with my clothes on, so likely even more so when I’m buck naked. And despite being naked, there is nothing sexual about saunas in Germany. Staring is not acceptable behavior and will result in a strong public tongue lashing.
Germans are much more comfortable with being naked than many of us are in North America. On several occasions J.P. has asked me if I want to go to the sauna with him and his friends. Let me think about that for a moment….Do I want to see his friends naked? No. Do I want them to see me naked? Definitely not – the thought of it mortifies me. When I asked J.P. whether it would bother him if his friends saw me naked he responded with a rather confused “Why would it?” This surprised me because most men I know in North America definitely do not want their friends seeing their significant other naked. Being naked in Germany is not a big deal and while I appreciate and admire many German’s ability to feel comfortable with their bodies regardless of their shape (not all Germans have hard beach bodies), it’s not something I see myself embracing anytime soon, even in a hospital – Culture Shock in a German Hospital.
The other interesting thing, although perhaps not surprising thing about German saunas are all the rules. Many Germans believe that you need to stay in the sauna at least 15 minutes to get all the health benefits a sauna offers. When I started feeling faint after 5 minutes, J.P. insisted I couldn’t leave for another 10 minutes since I hadn’t got all the health benefits. I lasted another 2 minutes and then left – health benefits or not, I didn’t think fainting was very healthy. It’s not uncommon for Germans to spend several hours at a sauna, alternating between the sauna, the cooling off, either by jumping in a cold pool, going outside if it’s cold outside or taking a cold shower, then relaxing and there’s a set period of time before you should go in the sauna again. I’ve forgotten what it is, along with many of the other German sauna rules, but I know there are a lot of them.
If you ever want to get into a interesting discussion ask someone from Finland, who are known for their love of saunas even more than the Germans, what they think about all the rules of a German sauna (hint – not so much) in the presence of a German who will then explain to the Finn why each of the rules is necessary, while the Finn then rebuffs each of the explanations. Some of the finest entertainment I’ve had while in Germany and educational too!
I’m glad that I’ve experienced a German sauna, but I’m not sad that my first visit will likely be my last visit to a German sauna (never say never). Even with a bathing suit on, I don’t enjoy saunas since after a few minutes I feel like I’m going to faint, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything by forgoing regular visits to a German sauna. “Nicht für mich (not for me), but having said, a lot of people do enjoy a sauna and find it extremely relaxing.
Have you been to a German sauna, or would you consider going to one while in Germany?
I’m still laughing Laurel whilst typing this comment. Yes, I have been to a German sauna and I hate it too. I really, really do not want to see strange men’s bits and pieces, drenched in sweat to boot but I would have enjoyed the German/Finnish discussion about the sauna benefits.
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wow. at least they let you take a photo of the experience!! did you have to crop it?
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@Inka – Thanks Inka, glad I could make you laugh and interesting to hear that as a German, you don’t like the German sauna either.
Ha ha ha! I’ve heard about these saunas and am not quite sure I would be so comfortable either.
I went to the baths in Budapest and felt uncomfortable just seeing so many men wearing speedos. I couldn’t imagine being skin-to-skin with other naked strangers! :O
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Cheryl, did you go to the Szechenyi Baths? That is an AWESOME place to visit! I loved going there. At least everyone was wearing clothes!
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@Cheryl – Oh yes, Speedos are very much alive in Germany too, but I’ll take the Speedo over the alternative any day and I don’t want to be skin-skin with people I do know, let alone strangers
Ha ha … don’t blame you.
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@Jamie – I’m pretty sure NOT taking pictures is also one of the rules in a German sauna. I got this photo offline and I believe it’s from a sauna in Finland where they don’t have so many rules
I’ve been to a one as a teenager with my mom and didn’t like it one bit. I like saunas – especially after working out. And I don’t really feel faint if I make sure that I ate and drank enough water that day. But I hated the nakedness of everybody. I guess I don’t mind it in same-sex saunas because… well, who cares? What do I have that other girls don’t. But mixed saunas? No thanks! ESPECIALLY with friends from both sexes. How awkward would that be?! On the other hand, I really don’t like going to a sauna wearing a bathing suit, because it feels yucky with the heat. So… I guess I’m stuck with only-girls-allowed saunas which is totally fine by fine. Especially considering how rarely I go anyways.
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@Sabrina – Thanks so much for your comment, I love hearing the German perspective and so far we’re 0/2 for saunas from the German ladies. I think I would find the women’s only sauna easier to deal with, but still wouldn’t be completely comfortable with it.
Ewww!! I don’t know if I could do that. That’s a whole lot of naked people! How funny that everyone was down to pose for a picture!
I will try oneday at leastone in a life time
@Indra – Glad to hear it. It’s definitely worth trying and a lot of people really enjoy it – just not me
That looks horrible. The “idea” of being around a bunch of naked guys (and one woman) might be titillating, but the reality of it looks to be a totally different thing.
Red, sweaty people. Ick.
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I count four women in that photo…or have I been living here too long?
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I have never been to a sauna in Germany (I’m usually there in the warm months) but I went to a hammam (Turkish bath/spa) in Turkey. All the ‘attendants’ were funny old Turkish men with pedophile mustaches! It was funny. I didn’t mind being naked because they obviously didn’t care and they asked me before exposing certain parts of my body to massage. It was a funny experience, but I felt sooooo good and relaxed after.
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Laurel, I haven’t done a sauna but I think I would. This is based on my experience on a nude beach near Salema, Portugal. I wrote about my experiences there and they were similar to yours.
It’s very different for those of us here in North America to be OK with the nudity. It is uncomfortable. It took me a couple of hours on that beach before I decided to go “all in.” You are right that it is not sexual at all. Quite honestly, I was more embarrassed about being as white as I was (it was a beach after all) rather than the nude aspect. I think being nude just made me that much more aware of how white I was.
I think I do agree with your attitude about others seeing a significant other nude. I totally understand J.P.’s attitude and I have no issues doing it myself. However, as a woman, I am not sure that I would want others seeing me especially if I was there with the S.O.
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and I have no issues doing it myself. However, as a woman, I am not sure that I would want others seeing me especially if I was there with the S.O.
??? your picture is of a man???
I am in total agreement with you. The spas and saunas really intimidate me and that is probably why I haven’t gone. Ok not probably but definitely! I really don’t want to sit around naked in a public place with anyone. EEEW
For some reason I do think men in general have less inhibitions with their nudity. I don’t know that my husband would have an issue sitting around with a bunch of naked men in a sauna. He might be uncomfortable if it was coed though.
I’ll pass on the sauna thank you!
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This made me chuckle. It’s a long time since I was in Germany, so I can’t remember if I ever went to a sauna there, but I do remember going to one in what was Yugoslavia, which was frequented mostly by Germans. My then-fiancé and I went down in swimsuits, aware that probably Germans would be naked, but reluctant to unclothe any further (and my bikini was minuscule in those days!). Turned out to be only one, older German gentleman there, who lectured us on the benefits of nudity but we declined; until he left then we slipped out of the suits. My fiancé, as he was yanking off his swimsuit, said, “I’ll give him five minutes, and then he’ll be back.” And he was! Something about leaving something or other, but my fiancé reckoned that despite the spiel he wanted to see me in the buff.
I used to go topless without a thought, and I know that even that is frowned on in the US (a friend was once told to cover up her two-year old around a hotel pool!!), but I wouldn’t have gone the whole hog. For one thing, there are beaches here where nudism is permitted, but all that talk about it being natural isn’t always true. Friends have been accosted there on several occasions. I wouldn’t have a problem if it was a totally private environment, and the folk genuinely were naturalists, but I baulk at places where anyone is allowed in.
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If you make it down to Baden-Baden I recommend the Freidrichsbad (a 17 course spa experience) or the more tame (and adjacent) Caracalla, where you can relax in many spring-fed pools of hot and cold water.
When I first arrived in Germany, I too was initially skeptical of the whole sauna experience, but I have to say that now I really look forward to going to the sauna in the winter time — it’s something that helps me beat the winter blues!
My boyfriend and I usually go in the evenings, and I find it very relaxing. The actual amount of time you spend naked and sweating is minimal — the majority of time is spent lounging, reading, and grabbing a bite to eat at the cafe. Without the distractions of TV or internet, it’s pure heaven!
And for the nakedness, yeah, well, you’re naked. I can’t say I’d want to run into my colleagues at the sauna or anything, but I’ve generally come around to the idea that the human body is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s been a very positive lesson for me in terms of being comfortable with my body, imperfections and all.
But I would have to disagree with your fiancee about being too strict about the 15-minutes! I definitely had to work my way up to staying in the sauna for that long — there was no way I would have been able to stay in that long right from the start. Our first sauna visit, I only stayed in for 5-minutes at a time, and maybe only did it once or twice. The next visit, it was a little longer and a little more frequent. And so on…
@Laurel: If you can convince yourself to get over those North American hangups about nudity, you should really try one of the larger saunas: They are more like amusement parks than the small saunas you find in hotels. It’s a totally different experience.
Bad Cannstatt might be a good place to start: They’re part of the Stuttgart Baderbetriebe and they have women-only days on Mondays and Thursdays.
http://saunascape.com/find-sauna/bad-cannstatt
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Being an American-German, or a German-American depending on the situation, reading the various comments is interesting, and not unexpected from many Americans. However the comment from Mandi sums it up nicely, and she seems to have discovered the real benefit of Saunen. It’s not about each individual’s body, or looking at other’s bodies, or getting coincidentally touched by someone. In fact, if your reason for not going to a Sauna is that you “don’t want to see others naked” you’ve missed the point. Why are you looking at others?
As Mandi said, going to a Sauna, especially one with various types of saunas, is a wonderfully relaxing day. It’s a mini holiday when my wife (German) and i go. We spend the day trying the various Saunas, relaxing in between reading, dozing and daydreaming, have lunch and then later dinner. We arrive home completely relaxed.
So, forget about looking at others in saunas, or that others could (if they really wanted to) look at you. Make it your relaxing experience.
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Thank you for clarifying the nude experience! WHY would anyone care about wether someone was looking at you unless A. u are looking at others and B. Your mind is focused on being naked instead of just RELAXING AND ENJOYING THE EXPERIENCE! I went to a German pool and found it repulsive but then found out that that was the AMERICAN side;
there was a little sign that said something about a sauna and so i paid and went in. WOW, there were all the Germans having a blast naked and free and not caring one single bit about f”oohhhh im naked” .. so what; just get naked and grow out of it; yes after being indoctrinated by america that the body is shamful it takes a little getting used to! Ok, so get over the shame and get used to it and start enjoying something other civilizations have been enjoying for centuries! Ahh the live in Europe and enjoy their FREEDOM!
I love saunas but no way would I go to a naked one. Ick.
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This post makes me laugh and feel nervous about moving to Germany.
That being said, I loooooved my Turkish bath experience. I went to one in Istanbul and had a fantastic time. It wasn’t mixed, which helped my courage. I saw women come in with no shame about their bodies (I assumed Europeans) and younger women who would come in with underwear/bra or bikini combos (I assumed Americans). You don’t have to sit skin to skin with anybody, and I saw even the “covered” ones get used to it all. All the women doing the washes/massages were older Turkish women who had obviously seen everything, so they weren’t phased by much. That also made me feel better. However, I did go alone, and am more nervous about an upcoming trip with women I know.
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How funny that don’t allow bathing suits for health reasons! I think I might go to a German sauna for the experience, not that I’d feel very comfortable. Good for you giving it a try, Laurel!
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Haha! Great post! I have been to German and Finnish saunas and have found the main differences were that Finnish saunas were more quiet and had no rules. What an entertaining read!
Co-ed saunas! I had no idea such a thing existed! Being a modest American the idea freaks me out…. Kudos to you for trying something new
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I have actually run into people I know at the sauna — one of which was my dentist which made my next appointment a little awkward but not unbearable. He’s also quite young and was there with his wife so it wasn’t a huge deal.
Going to saunas in Germany has never been a bit issue to me. I guess I was a little intimidated at first about what to expect but there is nothing sexual about it. And although there do tend to be some men that are rather unappealing to look at (who sometimes have the wrong ideas about the purpose of the sauna) I have never encountered anyone who acted inappropriately.
I guess it’s a self-awareness issue in some regard. I’m very comfortable with my body and go topless at beaches when it’s appropriate so being nude in a sauna is no big deal to me. And Mandi is totally right that it’s not all about hopping in and out of saunas (I never join the Aufguss btw when the sauna is packed with people — I would definitely not appreciate sweat from others on me) — but when you can lay out on your towel in the sauna and just relax (one that isn’t too incredibly hot), it’s very enjoyable.
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I’m sorry i missed that Finn/German stand-off. Being engaged to a German I can imagine how funny it was!
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i would definitely go! but you know, i’ll also spend time at clothing optional places with hundreds of strangers, so….
it’s great that you tried it and there’s no shame in the fact that it isn’t for you! glad you shared your experience so we’d know what they’re all about 
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It skeeves me out a bit, but I feel better in the men’s/coed sauna (there is no men-only one at our gym; just women-only) when my wife is in there with me. A couple friends went in there with us once and that was an even stronger exercise in not-staring…as in, not-even-looking-around-randomly. There’s nothing revolting about them, of course — just being in the buff with your buds was new turf for me/us (and I haven’t done it since).
Years later, when she mentioned her navel piercing and I said “oh wow, I didn’t know you had one of those!”, she said “you didn’t see it in the sauna?” My response was “Neck-and-higher only!”
So that was a pretty good sign that the visual exercise had been a success.
I typically do the 10-15 minutes session, until I can’t stand the hot air in my lungs anymore, then shock the system with the cold waterfall, wrap on a towel or robe, and enjoy a good (or sleepy) book (or nap) for as long as I feel like it. The Ruheraum at our gym is my favorite part of the whole deal.
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I went to a sauna in Finland. While I love the smell of wood inside, I can say I’m a huge fan of dry heat. I like hammams betters. or a full body massage actually.
Being European, I’m not very shy about my body and I was surprised to see different “taboos” in North America. Like sun-bathing topless. In France, we all did it. Like I always say, there is nothing sexual in it, heck all the women in my family do it, including my mum! (sorry mum, I know, you’re still young
On the other side, I’m doing yoga here in Canada and I always find it strange to see women walking around naked in the changing. Obviously, you have to change, but I usually do it quietly and matter-of-the-fact-ly, I don’t parade around.
I went to the German sauna with my German fiance as well. I didn’t really enjoy the “sauna” part of the experience because, like you, I felt like I was going to faint, but I did love the nice warm swimming pools! I will totally go back on day, but I hope I don’t bump into anyone I know. Being naked around strangers is fine for me, but being naked around my fiance’s friends or people I work with would be too weird. Also, I actually have a couple German girl friends who have never and would never go to the sauna because they also don’t feel comfortable getting naked in front of others. So, even within Germany there are people who like it and people who don’t. Thanks for sharing your experience!!
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I love saunas and have only heard good things about the ones in Germany. So yes, I would go although I’m not too keen about everyone checking out my junk!
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I feel like there are sauna pros and cons, but the pros still come out ahead for me.
The heat part does take a little getting used to if you’re a first-timer. I think I started with about 8 minutes and over the course of a month worked my way up to the full 15. And I find the actual sitting in the heat the least enjoyable part of the sauna process. After heating up in the sauna, you’re supposed to douse yourself in cold water (either a shower or a plunge into a cold pool), then dry off and go lounge in a warm room wrapped in towels or a robe. And the languid, squeaky-clean feeling that washes over you is indescribably wonderful.
Most of the Germans I’ve talked to about it say you have to do the heat-up/cool-down/lay-around cycle at least 3 times in a session, if not make a day of it. I think that’s crap. You do it as many times as are comfortable. Plus, I use the sauna at my gym; after a workout, sometimes all I’m up for is one go and them home. But if you do it at all regularly, your skin looks fantastic.
And about the nudity: I personally kind of don’t care. I’m American and we tend toward prudishness, but after seeing everyone go in and out of the sauna rooms like it’s not a big deal, it finally dawned on me: IT’S NOT. No one there was looking at me because it was nothing they hadn’t seen before and that’s not what they were there for anyway. Like Cliff said above, you keep a neck-and-up policy about the looking and it’s all peachy.
That said, co-ed naked hangouts constitute a pretty high bar to clear for nudity-squeamish North Americans. If you belong to a gym and they have a ladies-only sauna, maybe trying that at an off-peak time would be an easier way to see if sauna is something you could get into.
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Oregon is the most nude-friendly place in the US I can think of, and there are natural hot springs and the like to enjoy. But there’s not a culture of comfortable nudity like Europe, and there are times you are definitely gawked at in the hot springs. The rebuff is usually handled by the small soaking group, but it can make for an awkward moment or two while things get straightened out.
So I think it would be quite welcoming to just be able to soak in a place where that’s not the case. Thanks – you’ve convinced me, a German sauna is on the vacay list.
Thanks so much for an interesting discussion and sharing your opinions and experiences. Who knew that saunas could be such a heated debate (pun intended).
@Jeremy – Your comment about being more embarrassed about your white skin cracked me up
@Debbie – I agree men definitely seem to have less inhibitions about their body than females do. And as has been mentioned in the comments, even some German women don’t like going naked in the saunas.
@Linda – Thanks so much for sharing your story. I guess that’s a compliment, that he wanted to see you in the buff so bad that he came back
@racy-rick – Thanks for the recommendation. A “17 course spa experience” has definitely tweaked my interest and I don’t know anyone in Baden Baden, so likely wouldn’t run into anyone I knew
@Mandi – Thanks so much for sharing your story and kudos to you for getting over the nudity part of it and actually enjoying the sauna.
@Chris – Thanks for the recommendation.
@Tiffany – Oh no, I would be mortified running into someone I knew, especially someone like a dentist. It sounds like you handled it extremely well. It’s great to see Americans getting over their nudity issues. I need to work on it some more.
@Robin – Well the next time you’re with your fiancee and you meet a Finn, you know what topic to bring up
. I’ve tried on 3 occasions with different Germans/Finns and have always been entertained.
@ Lorna – Kudos to you for being so open.
@Cliff – I counted 4 women in the sauna as well. You’re story had me laughing and yes I’d say you did an excellent job of just looking from the head up if you didn’t even notice a navel ring
@Sarah – I agree that saying you need to at least 3 cycles and staying in the sauna for a certain length of time is crap too, but when I argue with my German fiance I get told all the “German rules” of why this is all necessary. Perhaps I should try going with my Finnish friends, they don’t seem to have nearly as many rules, except to enjoy it. Good to know that going to the sauna on a regular basis is good for your skin and kudos to you for being comfortable naked.
That picture is hilarious!! I can completely understand why you wouldn’t want to go to a sauna with your boyfriends friends. It seems a little uncomfortable to me and I can bet Scott would not be down for it either. lol
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lol… We go to the sauna quite often, especially in winter time. But there are different kind of standards and I prefer the saunas where you pay a bit more and have a nice surrounding. These are usually also bigger and not so packed, as I also don’t like to sit next to a sweaty person…
I remember once being in a hotel sauna & woman was lying there with there towel around herself… Guess where she was from… USA. I found it very strange to sit in a hot sauna & wearing a towel!
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Lol I like the pictures. I am looking forward to visit my sauna in Sweden
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I absolutely love the sauna! But I do go to the women’s only one here in Germany. My first sauna experience was in Finland. I loved how everyone has a sauna there no matter how rich or poor. We stayed in an old schoolhouse and when we arrived our host said very matter-of-factly “and there is a sauna outside”.. we, three British students who had never even considered stepping foot in a sauna, were very excited about this outhouse traditional sauna phenomenon. We actually had a lot of trouble getting a fire going and getting it hot enough. We were told about the bundles of plants they use to hit themselves on the back whilst in the sauna, they were kind enough to make us a bundle each. But we thought that the bundles were already inside the sauna…only after we used them did we find the fresh new (unsweaty) bundles outside. We didn’t go in naked though, but it seemed a bit pointless wearing anything once it all gets soaked through.
@Zhu The smell is amazing.
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Been to a finnish sauna in Detroit – men and women separate – very large room with elevations for sitting – bathing suit was allowed – but when a 80 or 90 year old woman came in naked – I decided it was foolish of me to be concerned – off with the bathing suit – then when you are done – shower and lay outside inside an enclosure for sun bathing was very freeing
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Yikes, that experience definitely is not for me either. It’s great that everyone is so respectful and finds it so natural. Coming from the US, though, I find the concept hard to wrap my mind around. I love all kind of cultural experiences, but you are braver than I in this department
Well they certainly look like a friendly bunch of people, but I’d rather hang out with them somewhere where all our clothes are on lol. Maybe it’s just because I’m American and being naked outside one’s home is frowned upon, but I don’t think I’d be too comfortable with the idea. I would be surprised if my husband would even consider it an acceptable situation lol. If he did, I might consider it, at least one time. Who knows? Could turn out to be a great relaxing experience. The only time I’ve been in saunas in the States have been in hotels where we most definitely wore our swimsuits, and I usually don’t feel all that well after a few minutes anyhow. So I’m probably not missing out on much from that aspect. I prefer a hot tub.
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I’ve been to the sauna in Germany many times, some large, some small, and they are always nude. In fact, some sauna landscapes are like a Disneyland of Sauna, and they are always nude, and never creepy or weird. Go, relax, have a sweat and maybe a beer, enjoy.
This is so true! I go to a military exercise every year in the fall with 40 dif countries in Grafenwoehr and the Finns ALWAYS bring a whole sauna system. It’s invite only and you have to follow the very specific process. Europeans take the sauna experience to the extreme. I suppose it’s fun, once you get use to it!
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Lived in Germany for years after moving from the US. It is a little different to get use to – but becomes no big deal after a few visits. The Germans are not hung up on nudity like the Americans. The public pools are surrounded by large park areas and it is not uncommon to see people changing right at their blanket….The children do it at an early age – so it is something they are brought up to expect.
I completely agree where you’re coming from! I’ve had some really pleasant bath experiences but never in Europe. My last was a visit to the Scandinavian baths in Montreal, which is a must visit!
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As an Indian r I ok with the concept of mixed saunas…
I live in India and visit Germany often n tried out Das leuze and bad cannstatt minelbad at Kursal…both in Stuttgart. Was a nice experience and had no issues with nudity, it’s been liberating to share community showers with men and women….
What has bn ur experience at Canada? No nudity I suppose?
Wld you go to a mixed sauna?
Raj , india
@Raj – Glad to hear that it was a nice experience for you. No nudity in Canada, which is perhaps why I find the nudity such a big change. I think our attitudes towards nudity are largely influenced by the culture we’ve grown up in.
CoEd and naked…not in this life time. In Korea the saunas are usually separate and I enjoy going. When they are coed you wear a bathing suit.
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The idea of sitting so close to naked strangers repulses me too! Haha, and I’m not sure fainting is really worth these supposed “health benefits”
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I hear ya Simon, glad to know it’s not just me
I have been to saunas, though not in Germany. You really shouldn’t wear a bathing suit – you can use a towel for modesty but you don’t want lycra sticking to you! But the ones I’ve been to have mostly been single sex. I have no desire to sweat it out with strange men either, though I’m fine with partial nudity in front of other women. It’s just like getting changed at the pool.
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Yeah,those funny Americans again…First of all for all those who wander at our European speedos-well,we wonder at these big shorts all the Americans are wearing at the beach-what after getting wet are the most uncomfortable thing to wear I can imagine…Especially thinking I love beoing nude everywhere,epsecially on the beach and in the sauna,where is hot and some stupid little wet piece of cloth is really bothering me,as Ive got to used of not wearing it for many years and feel very unnatural this funny custom to wear clothes where unnesesary.As for the reasons beside the simply practical ones-the social ones.Well its all social conditioning,nothing more.Human body is sacred and beautiful and there is nothing dirty or ugly about (of course if its not fat and out of shape-but it doesnn really make a difference if you see an old fat German man with or without bathing suit-its the same ugliness
I rather have really a problem with the funny American customs-its OK to see violence,blood and porn on the media from all sides,but its not OK to see somebodys simple innocent naked butt! Isnt it funny? So being a Bulgarian,who has lived for 15 years in Czech Republic(and working as a masseur professionally:),I can tell you a lots about saunas… Czech sauna is pretty much like German,probably with less rules.. Czechs also dont have problem with nudity and get naked very quickly and without any special bothering:) What I found really great,as I naturally always have been this way,even before in Bulgaria,what is a bit more conservative in this relation…. So we use to go very often during the cold months to sauna in Prague with my Czech wife,and she enjoyed it exactly as much as me,as well as the nudist beaches in the summer…The saunas have never been packed like this described in Germany…Except probably one indian one we organized in Northern Czech in the forrest in a teepee,where everybody was butt naked (mixed sex) and so packed inside skin to skin in the dark I could hardly breath.But it was awesome experience!
Funny,but we almost got fine with my wife on a beach in Washington State just after 911 for being naked-we dont even understand how the rangers got the signal,as we were pretty much alone on an empty beach few hundred meters in each direction,not bothering anyone… I guess some crazy American bible belt grandma got scandalized from seeing us naked from few hundred meters away …or something… Its a crazy country over there… I would not give away the Central and Northern European sauna and beach culture for anything! Thats my thoughts about it.Have a nice sauna! I am in Stuttgart right now and cant wait to try the German saunas!
@Galimir – Yeah, the cultural differences are interesting. I’m Canadian and find public nudity a bit off, but you’re right, I’m so used to seeing the violence on TV that it doesn’t bother me in the least.
I didn’t realize that the Czech Republic was so open to nudity. Very interesting observations, thank you for sharing.
As an American who travels in Germany frequently, I’ve always wanted to try Sauna or a Spa/Therme, but have been really uncomfortable about the nudity. I am no Adonis and packing quite a few extra pounds…so there is the element of just being uncomfortable with my physique as well as being nude in front of other people. Nudity is totally sexualized in the US (and other Anglo-based cultures) and we are shamed by it in general, but I finally gave it a shot a few weeks ago.
I was totally daunted by the fact that the sauna area was just out there in the open on the way to the public pool. A steam sauna cabin, a dry sauna cabin, and two shower stalls seperating them (with a clear glass divider between showers). You are on full display to anyone in the saunas or walking by as you disrobe, shower, etc. Luckily, I was the only one there to start with, shucked down, showered, dried off, and hit the steam sauna. Feeling totally exposed and utterly vulnerable, I sat hunched on the middle bench and slowly, slowly relaxed. Then…it happened…a nude German couple of 40 or so came in and sat on the top bench…the woman bumping her naked rump into me accidentally. After a little panic, I relaxed and got used to it.
After a couple heat up/cool down rounds (cool down in the hotel pool…in a bathing suit) and seeing a lot of other naked people in various states of age and physique, I was over it.
I was travelling for a month in Germany and returned to the hotel each weekend where I found a 3 hour session with mulitple runs in the dry and steam saunas with relaxation in between was fantastically relaxing and I look forward to doing it again and will definitely try one of the big Spa/Therme water park places with my wife or alone.
Yeah, it was weird, nerve racking at first, and very odd for an American, but I got over it quick and realized that nobody was judging or looking…and if they were, so what, I’ll never see ‘em again. I can tell you that laying flat out naked on the top bench of the sauna with yer junk hanging out, having a conversation with a naked 70yr old lady (and her husband) who is looking up the length of you to see your face is pretty odd. lol. In those 3 weekends, I think more people saw my naked butt than had previously seen it ever…and I’m talking doctors, nurses, and all those relatives who changed my diapers, lol. Its no biggie when you get used to it.
Am I ready to go to a German nudist summer camp or go naked sauna-ing with my coworkers (like the Finns)? Hells no…..but a few strangers in hotel sauna, sure.
@Dan – I’m impressed for building up the courage, it’s not easy when you didn’t grow up with nudity. Glad to hear that it was an overall good experience. Thanks for sharing.