Dressed for the Beach: The Unspoken Rules of Rostock's Shores
Many of our clients go to the beach somewhere for vacation. The Caribbean and Mexico have some great beaches, and we’ve written previously about the emerging beach culture of Europe. But recently, CNN Travel reported that there’s been some trouble at one of Germany’s most popular beaches, in Rostock, on the Baltic coast.
It seems too many people are keeping their clothes on.
Rostock’s beaches have been well-known for decades among German nudists (“naturists” in polite conversation.) Lately, though, some beach-goers haven’t been following proper etiquette, and the cops are cracking down. It might seem overly strict, but you know how it goes, one day people are keeping their swimsuits on, and the next day they might be…well, doing something else they shouldn’t be doing.
Full disclosure: my husband and I have not been to a “naturist” beach. At some resorts we’ve stayed at, there have been sections of the property where clothing is banned, or at least optional, but it’s interesting that certain resorts advertise themselves as being like the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, only better, and they’re typically not. “Naturists” come in all ages, shapes and sizes, and that’s what you must be prepared to see if you go to one of their beaches.
So, what’s going on in Rostock? Beach wardens now can issue bans to people wearing clothing—even a skimpy bathing suit—on naturist-only beaches. The bans will be handed out only “in case of conflict.” Evidently, possible such areas include someone staring at a naturist, or taking their picture, or making unwanted comments. These are common complaints by folks who frequent nude beaches, according to the International Naturist Federation. In Rostock, things have apparently been getting a little out of hand.
Rostock has about 9 miles of beach, divided into three zones: naturist-only, mixed and textile-only. (“Textile” apparently refers to any type of garment or artificial cover employed by the wearer. Evidently using one’s hands does not count.) So, all guests’ needs are covered, even if certain body parts are not.
“Naturism” has been a thing in Germany for a long time. You might not think that of Germany; Italy, yes, and France, of course. But Germany? It’s known as Freikoerperkultur (FKK), “Free Body Culture,” and it’s ubiquitous. Not only on beaches, but in public swimming pools, saunas, even city parks. The first German nude beach was established on the island of Sylt in 1920. Germans who lived in the communist East after World War II often considered FKK as a form of subtle rebellion against the country’s strict rulers.
Times might be changing, though. Rostock city authorities tell CNN that there’s been a decrease in the number of German citizens going completely bare, especially among younger people, surprisingly enough. Thus, with the new regulation, they reduced the size of the naturist-only stretch of beach from 37 blocks down to 27.
Textile-optional beaches are in almost every country, all over the world. The most famous one in New Zealand, where my husband and I are going for a conference next month, is Little Palm Beach on Waiheke Island. Although it’s legal to bare all on every beach in New Zealand, Kiwi naturists flock to this place, an hour-long ferry ride from Auckland, followed by a downhill hike. Fortunately, our meetings will be in Christchurch; we’ll only be flying into and out of Auckland. I’ll just have to tell Dave that we simply don’t have the time…
Ready to hit the beach (with or without your textiles)? Give us a call!
It seems too many people are keeping their clothes on.
Rostock’s beaches have been well-known for decades among German nudists (“naturists” in polite conversation.) Lately, though, some beach-goers haven’t been following proper etiquette, and the cops are cracking down. It might seem overly strict, but you know how it goes, one day people are keeping their swimsuits on, and the next day they might be…well, doing something else they shouldn’t be doing.
Full disclosure: my husband and I have not been to a “naturist” beach. At some resorts we’ve stayed at, there have been sections of the property where clothing is banned, or at least optional, but it’s interesting that certain resorts advertise themselves as being like the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, only better, and they’re typically not. “Naturists” come in all ages, shapes and sizes, and that’s what you must be prepared to see if you go to one of their beaches.
So, what’s going on in Rostock? Beach wardens now can issue bans to people wearing clothing—even a skimpy bathing suit—on naturist-only beaches. The bans will be handed out only “in case of conflict.” Evidently, possible such areas include someone staring at a naturist, or taking their picture, or making unwanted comments. These are common complaints by folks who frequent nude beaches, according to the International Naturist Federation. In Rostock, things have apparently been getting a little out of hand.
Rostock has about 9 miles of beach, divided into three zones: naturist-only, mixed and textile-only. (“Textile” apparently refers to any type of garment or artificial cover employed by the wearer. Evidently using one’s hands does not count.) So, all guests’ needs are covered, even if certain body parts are not.
“Naturism” has been a thing in Germany for a long time. You might not think that of Germany; Italy, yes, and France, of course. But Germany? It’s known as Freikoerperkultur (FKK), “Free Body Culture,” and it’s ubiquitous. Not only on beaches, but in public swimming pools, saunas, even city parks. The first German nude beach was established on the island of Sylt in 1920. Germans who lived in the communist East after World War II often considered FKK as a form of subtle rebellion against the country’s strict rulers.
Times might be changing, though. Rostock city authorities tell CNN that there’s been a decrease in the number of German citizens going completely bare, especially among younger people, surprisingly enough. Thus, with the new regulation, they reduced the size of the naturist-only stretch of beach from 37 blocks down to 27.
Textile-optional beaches are in almost every country, all over the world. The most famous one in New Zealand, where my husband and I are going for a conference next month, is Little Palm Beach on Waiheke Island. Although it’s legal to bare all on every beach in New Zealand, Kiwi naturists flock to this place, an hour-long ferry ride from Auckland, followed by a downhill hike. Fortunately, our meetings will be in Christchurch; we’ll only be flying into and out of Auckland. I’ll just have to tell Dave that we simply don’t have the time…
Ready to hit the beach (with or without your textiles)? Give us a call!
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