When I moved to Berlin in the cold , gray winter some years back , one of the first things my German beau suggest we do was go to a sauna . What he neglect to note , however , was how , in the Vaterland , it ’s normal to sauna buck naked .
Donning a washup suit of clothes – or even a towel – is not only a major faux pa ; in some local health club , it ’s even verboten . And although it was bunglesome and uncomfortable at first , I now think that live on into a public sauna nude is a reposeful , culturally interesting experience that everyone in Berlin should try at least once . Here ’s what you need to know :
The (bare) nuts and bolts
First off , being raw in public in Germany is no big pot . It was definitely a culture impact for me at first , but since then , I ’ve see enough naturist sunbathing in Park , and guy in Berghain wearing only sneakers and thermionic vacuum tube sock , that I must say – in Berlin , you ca n’t survive as a prude for very long . In Germany , Freikörperkultur ( FKK ) , or as we know it , naturism , is a internal treasure , kind of like beer and lederhosen . Letting it all attend out is n’t sexual , and it certainly is nothing to be ashamed of . And when it come to saunas , the German logic is that being naked is healthy . Clothes or towel can block off toxin and bacteria from leaving the consistency , not to cite make you overheat .
Don’t forget to bring a towel!
At some resort hotel , it ’s distinctive to lounge around in a gown and just get naked before stepping into the sweat room . But there are also tidy sum that have unisex variety rooms , and you ’ll even see people merrily exposed in kitty and Jacuzzis . But if I ’ve learn anything from my experience , it ’s that the multitude you end up see naked are n’t ordinarily the hoi polloi you want to see naked , if you enamor my trend . severely , the ratio is like 20:1 . There ’s no need to worry about being ego - witting or even wind up – there ’ll be enough saggy bits , crotch hair , and beer bellies to take tending of that .
Never violate the unspoken etiquette laws
The sweat room is a consecrated space with a few unstated formula ( and if there ’s anything ze Germans are passionate about , it ’s following conduct ) . Before catch in , you should always take a exhibitioner . Otherwise , you might get a scolding by the Saunameister ( the spa employee who ’s in charge of making certain everybody bring forth a honorable stew ) . It ’s also super - significant to bring two towel , one for sit down on inside and another for dry out up afterwards . Your dripping sweat will not be appreciated anywhere but on tell towel ; otherwise , brace yourself for angry looks . Last but not least , the sauna is traditionally a quiet geographical zone – talking is allowed , but usually nobody does it ( and in such a space , it can also get pretty plaguey anyway ) . So be a dear and save the narrative of your last Tinder date for afterward , OK ?
Know when to go to avoid the masses
If you detest crowds , you ’ll want to hit the sauna outside of crest hour like evening and weekends . Otherwise , you could find yourself nearly wall by more German sausage than you may finger well-to-do with . Throughout the day , sauna also get specially packed during Aufguss , which is when the Saunameister brings out odorous crude oil that are released into the hot air . It can be very refreshing – but clearly less so when everybody ’s all sweaty and shoulder - to - articulatio humeri .
Where to do it
Berlin ’s scram mickle of choice for quality sauna time . Liquidrom is a voguish and pop watering hole in Kreuzberg , where faculty are always on handwriting to explain the wellness benefit of saunas , and perform ritual like piddle cast ( swinging a towel to move the steam around inside ) . Throughout the day , employees also give out liberal goodies like salt and dear to rub on your physical structure . check over the schedulehere . Another Berliner institution for sweating is the Stadtbad Neukölln , a Neo - Classical bathhouse built in 1912 . It offers a traditional sauna experience , but also low-toned - temperature options that are perfect for newbies . If you go on a Saturday or Sunday even , you may even go for a candlelit , FKK - approvednaked swim . But if all that did n’t leave you blushing anywhere , then you ’re ready to go to the next degree – the all - twenty-four hours , nude watering hole getaway . The Kristall - Saunatherme in Ludwigsfelde , around a half - hr train drive from the metropolis , is about as closemouthed as a spa can get to a naturist colony . hoi polloi wipe out , swim , and sauna all day long in the nude . Do n’t block your flip - dud . And your towel .
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Stadtbad Neukölln | Courtesy of VisitBerlin.De
Stadtbad Neukölln | Wikimedia/Manfred Heyde
Liquidrom
