There are many places where social nudity is practised for recreation in Europe. The following list includes nude beaches (also known as clothing-optional beaches or free beaches) and some naturist resorts.

Albania

Naturism is not legal in Albania with public nudity being frowned upon by local authorities and communities. However, there exists a few spots mainly in the south where nudity is tolerated as follows:

Austria

Naturism is popular in Austria, with social nudity places typically indicated by FKK signs. Designated locations include camping spots, beaches, and hotels. In Vienna the following beaches can be found

Belgium

Public saunas in Belgium are always mixed gender and nudity is the norm when using these. Topfree sunbathing is tolerated on all beaches.

Bulgaria

Unlike the former East Germany, but like many other countries that were part of the Communist bloc Bulgaria's nudists were kept cordoned off behind tall fences. There are however a number beaches on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast where nudism is practised; there are no official nude beaches. People always enter naked in public baths, but those are separate for men and women.

Croatia

Croatia has a well developed naturist culture with campsites and hotels specifically catering for naturists. Naturism has been popular in Croatia ever since the future King Edward VIII and his then-mistress, Wallis Simpson, were allowed to swim nude at one of Rab's beaches in 1936. Toplessness is permitted on most beaches.

Istria peninsula

On the Istria peninsula the following nude beaches and resorts can be found:

Kvarner gulf

In the Kvarner gulf the following nude beaches and resorts can be found:

Dalmatia

In Dalmatia gulf the following nude beaches and resorts can be found:

Cyprus

There are no legal nudist beaches in Cyprus. A number of beaches, including the beach at Avdimou, have signs warning that nudism is not permitted. A community leader of Pissouri said that for decades there has been an "unspoken understanding" whereby nudism would be tolerated at an area away from the main beach at Pissouri, but not on the beach of Pissouri Bay. According to the community leader, nudists may visit the area which is on the eastern side of the bay, beyond the cliffs, as it offers some privacy.

Czechia

Topfreedom is tolerated in all places. Public nudity is not illegal in the Czech Republic, but it may be regulated by local authorities.

Denmark

Since 1976 it is permissible to be nude at any beach in Denmark. There are more than 7000 km of coastline. A large number of clothing-optional beaches exist throughout the country. The beach at the village of Husby in the Holstebro Municipality is being promoted as a Freikörperkultur (FKK) beach. Bellevue Beach near Copenhagen has a popular nudist section. Naturist swims are held in the Blovstrød (Allerød Municipality) indoor swimming pool on Friday evenings in Autumn.

Estonia

Estonian naturist beaches used to be overseen by the NGO Estnat (which closed in 2012 ).

Finland

France

Alsace

Naturist venues in Alsace.

Aquitaine

Naturist venues in Aquitaine.

Auvergne

Basse-Normandie

Bretagne

Bourgogne

Centre-Val de Loire

Champagne-Ardenne

Corsica

Corsica is the fifth most popular naturist destination in France.

Franche-Comté

Haute-Normandie

Île-de-France

Languedoc-Roussillon

The following are nudist venues in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. • Aphrodite Village • Au Paradis bleu • Bocal du Tech, a naturist beach at Argelès sur Mer, consists of sand and scrub. It is used by gay and nudist beach users. • Camping Château de Fereyrolles • Camping Naturiste La Source Saint-Pierre • Camping Naturiste Le Clapotis in La Palme • Camping Naturiste Le Clos de Ferrand Sérignan • Camping Sérignan Plage Nature in Sérignan Plage • Centre naturiste Oltra • CHMI La Grande Cosse • Club du Soleil Audois • Club du Soleil Languedoc • Club Naturiste d’Éden • Club Naturiste du Cap d’Agde (CNCA) • Club naturiste du Ventous • Domaine de La Genèse in Méjannes-le-Clap • Domaine de La Sablière in Barjac • Domaine de la Vitarelle • Domaine de Lambeyran • Domaine Le Clols • GCU Ulysse • Gymno Club Méditerranéen • Hélio-Club de l’Espiguette • La Clapère • La Combe de Ferrière • La Genèse • La Grande Cosse • La Sablière • Le Cap d'Agde • Le Clapotis • Le Mas de la Balma • Le Mas de Lignières • Le P’tit Bonheur • Le Sérignan Plage Nature • Le Ventous • Le Village du Bosc • Les Grifouls • Les Mateilles • Les Montilles – Port-La-Nouvelle in Narbonne • L’Espiguette • Leucate • Piscine des Contamines • Piscine Mental’O • Pisse-Vache in Narbonne • Plage La Genèse • Résidence Aphrodite • Résidence Éden • Résidence Jardin de Vénus • Résidence Mas de la Plage • Résidence Oasis • Résidence Ulysse • Résidences de la Jetée • Sérignan-Plage • Solidarités Naturistes • Torreilles • Ulysse Nature • Vivre à Vénus • Vivre aux Mas de la Plage

Limousin

Lorraine

Midi-Pyrénées

Nord-Pas-de-Calais

Pays de la Loire

Picardie

Poitou-Charentes

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

• Amicale de la Plage Naturiste des Vieux Salins d’Hyères (APNVSH) • Amoureux du Levant Naturiste (Aln) • Association des Amis de l’Île du Levant (ADIL) • Association Écovillage Naturiste Provence in Auriol • Association Naturiste Phocéenne (Anp) in Marseille • Bonnieu • Camargue Soleil in Arles • Camping Verdon Provence in Esparron-de-Verdon • Castillon de Provence • Centre Pardigue • Club du Soleil de Toulon • Club gymnique de la Haute Garduère • Club Horizon in Nice • Club Naturiste de Bélézy Provence (CNBP) • Domaine d’Enriou • Domaine de Bélézy in Bédoin • Domaine de l’Escride • Domaine du Petit Arlane in Valensole • Domaine Naturiste des Lauzons in Forcalquier • Héliotel in Île du Levant • La Batterie in Cannes • La Côte bleue • La Fourmi in Île du Levant • La Pinède in Île du Levant • La Tuquette • Le Bau Rouge • Le Gros Pin • Le Haut Chandelalar • Le Jonquet (Cap Sicié) Fabregas • Le Layet – Cavalière • Le Levant Naturiste • Le Pradet – Plage du Monaco • Le Vallon des Oiseaux • Le Youkali • Les Amis du Domaine du Jas du Sarraire • Les Esclamandes – Plage de Fréjus / Saint-Aygulf • Les Grottes • Les Lodges • Les Pierres Blanches • Les Vieux Salins d’Hyères • Martigues Nature Soleil • Mer et Soleil de Monaco • Messidor • Origan Village Théniers • Pampelonne • Piémanson – Plage d’Arles • Piscine Tournesol • Plage de l’Arène • Résidence de l’Escapade in Île du Levant • Résidence Les Îles d’Or in Île du Levant • Verdon Provence Esparron-de-Verdon • Villa Marie Jeanne in Île du Levant Gay-Provence, Destination-Gay

Rhône-Alpes

Overseas departments

Caribbean

Guadeloupe in the Antilles

Martinique in the Antilles

Germany

Public nudity is not illegal in Germany but may be regulated by local authorities mostly because of safety and health issues, not morality. Apart from urban areas and public baths (some of which offer nude swimming days), nude bathing is common in Germany: unofficial clothing optional areas exist at most lakes and rivers and other sites, such as abandoned sand and rock quarries. Many designated Freikörperkultur (FKK – Free Body Culture) areas exist at the seaside, at lakes and in baths, especially in the former East Germany, where nudism remains more widespread than in the west. For example, Miramar (located in Weinheim), has a weekly FKK night where there is nude bathing in the entire complex - aside from the waterslides, which require a bathing suit to use. Many unregulated clothing optional (FKK) free beaches are available along the Nordsee and Baltic seashores, Rügen and other islands. The attitude is: all beaches are nude beaches until somebody complains. Families especially like to spend their leisure time in naturist areas; sauna bathing is generally practised in the nude. The list of social nudity places in Germany includes:

Greece

Naturism is practised widely in the Greek Islands, although, strictly speaking, it is legal only in a relatively few designated locations. On almost all of the islands there are unofficial nudist beaches. Topfree is tolerated on almost all beaches.

Crete

Beaches and resorts in Crete include:

Other areas

Hungary

Iceland

Public nudity is not common. However, there are a number of hot springs across the island that are either free of charge or voluntary contribution based where nudity can be practised.

Ireland

Italy

Female toplessness has been officially legalized (in a nonsexual context) in all public beaches and swimming pools throughout the country (unless otherwise specified by region, province or municipality by-laws) on 20 March 2000, when the Supreme Court of Cassation (through sentence No. 3557) has determined that the exposure of the nude female breast, after several decades, is now considered a "commonly accepted behavior", and therefore, has "entered into the social costume".

Abruzzo

Calabria

Campania

The beach is protected by a rock wall, containing a recess with natural shade.

Emilia-Romagna

Friuli-Venezia Giulia

Lazio

Liguria

Lombardy

Piedmont

Puglia

Sardinia

Sicily

Many beaches in Sicily are topless, and there are also naturist beaches.

Tuscany

Veneto

Latvia

Latvian naturist beaches are overseen by the Latvian Naturist Association. Beach list has been completed using official sources, as well as local naturist communities.

Lithuania

Nudist beaches in Lithuania are overseen by local communities.

Luxembourg

Montenegro

Netherlands

Public saunas in the Netherlands are always mixed gender and nudity is the norm when using these. In the Netherlands tanning top free is legal on almost all beaches. Municipalities with a beach (usually including quiet parts) tend to have a nudist beach; even if the municipality does not like it, it designates a quiet part as such in order to be able to forbid nudity on the rest of the beach. A complete list of nude beaches in the Netherlands can be found on the Dutch-language website naaktstrandje.nl.

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Russia

Serbia

Slovakia

Social nudity places in Slovakia are listed on the website of the Asociácia Slovenských Naturistov (Association of Slovak Naturists), a member of the International Naturist Federation.

Slovenia

Spain

Public nudity on the beach is, in general, not illegal in Spain, however some local municipalities do outlaw nudity on beaches that are within city limits. The city of Cadiz is one example. For nudity enthusiasts, Spain offers various options for nude sunbathing. In addition to the long sandy beaches in the vicinity of large cities, topless sunbathing is possible on all beaches, even in front of smaller villages. Following a request by the Association for the Development of Naturism (ADN) an email was sent by the city of Madrid's sports department to the 21 district heads explaining that municipal pools, if they see fit, have authorization to organize a "Bathing Suit-Free Day", or an "Optional Bathing Suit Day", some time in the 2016 summer. Female toplessness was officially legalized at the public pools of the municipalities of Galdakao and L'Ametlla del Vallès in March 2016 and June 2018, respectively.

Canary Islands

Mainland (Peninsula and Balearic Islands)

There are hundreds of public nudist beaches in mainland Spain, all over the coast line, and some more inland. This is only a selection: Although nudism is not illegal, it is preferable to practice it on beaches meant for that specific purpose. This is a list of nudist beaches

Sweden

Switzerland

Public nudity is generally legal in the entire country with the notable exception of the Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden where public nudity, including naked hiking, carries a fine of up to 200 Swiss francs. Nude hiking is mainly popular in the sparsely populated alpine regions among nudists, less so in the low lands.

Ukraine

The nude beaches in Ukraine are closed due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

United Kingdom

Public nudity is legal in England and Wales unless the intent is to cause "harassment, alarm or distress". However, many of the public are unaware of this and public nudity other than in an accepted venue may provoke a negative reaction. In 2019 the Crown Prosecution Service published a clarification to help police officers assess whether the law was being broken in cases of public nudity. In response the College of Policing created a decision aid for its officers. Though nudity is legal everywhere the following is a list of sites where nudity is not queried by the general public.

England

Cornwall

Devon

Dorset

Hertfordshire

Other counties

Wales

Scotland

Sources