Berlin has many charms, but one of the city’s more freeing aspects is its obsession with Freikörperkultur, or “Free Body Culture.” This cultural attitude spawned from a 19th-century German public health movement that promoted connecting with community in nature while stark naked. While Freikörperkultur is no longer officially linked to public health in Germany, getting nude in public, usually in the fresh air and sun, is seen as a gateway to mental harmony and overall well-being. Whichever way you view it, being naked in public feels risque and liberating. Here are our favorite places in Berlin to exercise your “FKK rights.”
Seydlitzstraße 6, 10557 Berlin
This two-story Indonesian wellness complex is nestled in the Fritz-Schloß-Park in the bustling center of Berlin’s Mitte neighborhood. Inside Vabali’s scared walls is a sprawling lawn filled with sunning naturalists amongst traditional Bali-style cabanas. Sun chairs surround the outdoor swimming pool, where guests sip crisp Grüner Veltliner in the buff. Ten dry saunas have various temperatures, ranging from the scorching Beiji Garden sauna at 203 degrees Fahrenheit to the Birch sauna at 158 degrees. Infusion sauna treatments offer aromatherapy essences like orange and eucalyptus, steamed via scalding rocks and wafted with a giant fan by scantily clad attendants. End your day by relaxing on the heated water beds while you fall into a trance during a live sound bath.
Möckernstraße 10, 10963 Berlin
The peaked concrete domes of Liquidrom, Berlin’s brutalist “wellness day club,” hold a massive saltwater floating pool that emits electronic music underwater to soothe you into bliss. The stunning pool has a natural buoyancy due to its high salt content, which is also why this modern rave spa’s sound can travel so clearly underwater. Lying on your back, floating with your head half within the water and your ears submerged, you’ll hear, depending on the night, a soundtrack of downtempo, house, or Afro-house beats by some of Berlin’s top DJs spinning right in the salt sound pool chamber. With dimmed lights, intricate designs — like giant multi-colored glowing spheres — are projected onto the obtuse ceiling. If you’re skittish, don’t worry — ample colorful noodles are available to help keep swimmers afloat.
When you have had enough of your “sound healing,” saunter into the bamboo-filled courtyard to enjoy cocktails and a dip in the social pool and hot tub. The site also features an arrangement of heat therapies, such as a Himalayan salt sauna, a traditional Finnish sauna, aroma steam baths, and a Kelo herbal sauna with hallmark sound and meditation experiences. If you’re looking for the über-über after-after, Liquidrom is the place to be.
Am Teufelssee 1, 14193 Berlin
This idyllic lake doubles as Berlin’s utopian watering hole. It is about an hour’s subway (U-Bahn) trip outside of Berlin and a 45-minute bike ride for those who prefer the scenic route. The grassy knoll is full of naked sunbathers guzzling down grapefruit raddlers in the summer sun. It’s very social, and you’ll likely meet a few fellow nude aficionados relatively quickly. There are trails around the lake where you can find more private nooks and some areas where you can get more intimate with strangers. It isn’t a trip to Teufelsee without swimming out to the floating dock in the middle of the lake, catching your breath while laying on the wooden planks, and then diving back into the refreshing water on your way back to your picnic blanket. Teufelsee is one of those local spots where you’ll find the true Berliners.
Müggelseedamm 70, 12587 Berlin
Nordic culture at its finest is just a 20-minute cab ride from the hip Neukölln neighborhood. You can rent and skipper a private floating Finnish sauna that accommodates anywhere from two to eight people. Inspired by Scandinavian spa culture, the barge is open year-round for a touch of Nordic authenticity. Add on a delightful Finnish smorgasbord or the honey spruce sprout mask. Aromatic birchwood heats the raft, boasting giant panoramic windows for viewing nature and a rooftop patio to soak in the vibes. Rentals start at three hours, and the rate is surprisingly affordable.
Straße des 17. Juni, 10785 Berlin
Tiergarten is the largest state park in Berlin, home to the city’s top attractions — and where no one bats an eye if you’re sunbathing naked. Though not officially sanctioned as a nudist area in Berlin, most Germans don’t find public nudity offensive and tolerate the practice peacefully. In much of Tiergarten, people express their “naturist” rights on sunny days. For obvious reasons, it’s best to find a quieter area away from the bustling street. There is power in numbers, so if you see others already disrobed, you know you’re in the right spot.
Eichenstraße 4, 12435 Berlin
Located next to an industrial warehouse club, this repurposed barge-turned-marooned pool on the river Spree has panoramic views of public art, the famed Oberbaum Bridge, and the iconic Berlin TV Tower. The sandy beach’s swinging day beds are within arm’s reach of a shabby chic bar, striped vintage lounge chairs, and a sunny dock overlooking the river. Badeschiff isn’t an official nudist hangout, but most swim and sunbathe in the flesh.
Havelchaussee 61 14193, Berlin
Around an hour west of Berlin, the serene lake at Grunewaldsee, Grunewald, is famous for those wanting to commune more directly with nature. Its off-the-beaten-path location is worth a trip to escape the crowds. Bullenwinkel is the naturist hot spot among the Grunewald’s dense forest, but you’ll find ample space to swim in its peaceful waters unbothered and stark naked.
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