Nudism is allowed on the southeastern tip of Donauinsel (Danube Island), a long, narrow island in the center of Vienna, between the Danube River and the excavated parallel Neue Donau canal. Clothing optional for sunbathing is allowed on both sides of the Neue Donau. In the summer days, up to 190,000 visitors come to the Danube island.
Donauinsel FKK Nude Beach
Austria’s largest clothing optional beach is located on the banks of the Danube River. The area where you can take off your clothes begins with the Steinspornbrücke, a bicycle and a walkway, and ends at the southeast end of Donauinsel.
FKK is written on the roads to guide you to the right place. ‘FKK’ (pronounced ‘ef-ka-ka’) printed on a sign or stencil on a wall or sidewalk indicates Freikörperkultur or nude zone. The area directly in front of the marker at Donauinsel is also designated as a gay beach on many maps. The beach is free. There is no strip club on this site.
When you want to take a break to sunbathe, there are some restaurants on the dam where it is acceptable to dine naked. Some days, there is also a vendor who drives around selling ice cream and drinks.
Get to the beach from FKK
Danube Island is an urban refuge. The island is known as a great place for a flat run or to reconnect with nature and forget the stress of city life. You can access the island and the nude beach by car, bus or bicycle:
- By car: drive on the Kaisermühlendamm (A22). If you are coming from Südosttangente and crossing the Danube river, take the exit towards Olhafen Lobau and follow the road until you see a large oil refinery on the left hand side. When you see rail cars on the left side, look for parking spots in the next 2-3 kilometers. As you get out of your car, go up the dam on the right side of the road and down into the water. The water is crossed by two bridges and a swimming bridge. Parking can be a challenge on weekends after 9am or after 11am on sunny days during the week.
- By bus: Line 91A will take you to Roter Hiasl station.
- By bike: Donauinsel has many bike paths.
Vienna and its attitude towards nudity
Vienna, often imagined as a formal and formal city, has a history of nudity and not just in art. When the Leopold Museum in Austria mounted an exhibition entitled “Naked Men from 1800 to Today”, the demand grew for the idea of visiting the exhibition together. He set aside one day for naked visits. The exhibition was one of the most successful at the Leopold Museum with over 100,000 visitors.
Vienna is very open to nudity. In fact, visitors to Austria will soon discover that nudity is considered normal when it comes to swimming and sunbathing. The local public swimming pool will often put aside “naked nights” and naked family baths.
Austria has clothing optional, camps, beaches, and hotels that accommodate nudity. Naturist accommodations are usually for adults only. The beaches sometimes welcome families.
Nearby accommodation
The Hilton Vienna Danube Waterfront is north and across the river from FKK Beach. It was rebuilt from a 1913 warehouse and converted into a modern hotel with a gym, hot tub, restaurant and bar.
