Undressing is not a rarity in Austria. In fact, a quarter of the country reports that they have stripped in public on vacation at some point in their lives. Austrians have even taken the title of ‘Most Likely to Go Naked on a Beach’ in 2016, with Germany and the United States following suit.
Although many regard Austrians as formal and fairly conservative people, the degree of nudity in Austrian culture may surprise anyone visiting the nation. As in many European countries, nudity is more prevalent on television and in movies in Austria than in the United States, so there is not as much social stigma around nudity.
There is also a flourishing naturism movement in Austria. As in Germany, the free body culture, called freikörperkultur , has many followers. You will likely see signs of it even if you are not looking for nudes; “FKK” (pronounced “eff-ka-ka”) printed on a sign or stamped on a wall or sidewalk indicates freikörperkultur or nudist areas. An FKK chain is a nude beach. However, look for a sign that says verboten (for example, “FKK verboten”) which means forbidden.
Naturist accommodation
If you’re looking for some of FKK’s most popular places to stay in Austria, there are plenty of camping spots, beaches, and even hotels that can accommodate. Keep in mind that almost all naturist accommodations are for adults only, so it is advisable to leave children at home. Destinations include:
- Appartementhotel Rutar Lido is a naturist holiday village in Eberndorf (near Klagenfurt) in the Austrian Alps, near the Slovenian border. The establishment has a nudist beach, a campsite and a winter camp with an indoor pool.
- Gästehaus Lührmann claims to be the only naturist hotel in Austria. Clothing is mandatory inside the restaurant and reception areas, but in summer you can be naked in the pool, sauna, steam room, park and terrace, and in winter you can be naked in the pool, sauna and steam room.
- Camping Pesenthein is a van and tent site with 220 slot machines on various terrace levels, each with a panoramic view of Lake Millstätter in central Austria.
- FKK Camping Sabotnik is a lakeside campsite in southern Austria. The site is in German, but it is easy to understand and has many photos of the operation.
Nude Beaches and Naturism in Vienna
The capital of Austria has many nude beach spots to visit. Although not a sandy beach, the southeast of Donauinsel in Vienna is right on the Danube and is a designated FKK nudist area. You can even dine naked if you want.
Naturism safety
It is completely safe to go nude in Austria as Austrians do not view nudism in a sexual way. The freedom to wear your birthday outfit in public is seen as the natural way things should be, not sexual deviance. However, you will find that most nude places prohibit people under the age of 16 from entering for obvious reasons. If you want to take the children to a FKK destination, please check with the hotel or sauna before booking.
