Do you go naked in a sauna? Rules by country

For millions of people in Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Japan, taking your clothes off for the sauna is as ordinary as taking your shoes off at home. For visitors from the UK or North America it can be the most nerve-racking part of the trip. This guide explains why nude saunas exist, how they work and how to feel at ease in one.

Why some cultures sauna naked

Tradition. In Finland the sauna has long been where people wash, and nobody washes in clothes. With about 3.3 million saunas for 5.5 million people, most Finns grow up using one with their family, and nudity in the sauna is normal. The same is true of bathing in Japan, where you wash at a seated shower and then sit in the hot water with nothing on.

Hygiene. This is the reason German spas give for their textile-free rule. A swimsuit holds sweat against your skin and wipes it onto the bench. It may also have come straight from a chlorinated pool. Supporters of nude saunas also say fabric gets in the way of the heat on your skin. It's worth knowing there's no solid research either way, and swimwear venues argue the opposite: that people wrapped in big towels block the heat just as much. The custom came first, and the reasons followed.

Comfort. Wet fabric at 80–90 °C (176–194 °F) is unpleasant, and metal fastenings get hot. Many regulars find it more comfortable to sit on a towel with nothing on.

Nude, not sexual

The unspoken deal in every nude sauna is that bodies are just bodies. People of all ages, shapes and sizes sit side by side, and nobody comments. Anything that breaks that deal, from suggestive remarks to touching, is treated as a serious breach, and staff will ask the person to leave. That's exactly why people feel safe there.

Mixed or single-sex

• Germany, Austria and German-speaking Switzerland. Most public saunas are mixed. Some have a separate women's sauna or a weekly women's day. Men-only times are rare.
• The Netherlands and Flanders. Nude and mixed is the norm. Some spas set aside women-only times, and some run swimwear sessions.
• Finland. Public saunas and large families usually split by sex. Newer mixed public saunas tend to ask for swimwear.
• Japan and Korea. Bath areas are single-sex and nude.
• The UK. Nudity is often expected in single-sex saunas and usually not allowed in mixed ones.

Outside German-speaking countries, mixed venues often keep a few hours a week for women only. If a single-sex sauna would make you more comfortable, check the weekly schedule before you go. For a country-by-country summary of what people wear, see what to wear in a sauna.

Families and children

In Finland, sauna habits are passed down within families, and parents and small children often sauna together at home. Teenagers often prefer to go separately. In Japan, young children can usually go into the bath of the parent of the other sex, but the cut-off age is set locally, so check at the desk.

German and Dutch spas vary. Some welcome children, some set a minimum age, and some have family days. If you're taking a teenager, let them choose. Plenty of people from nude-sauna countries went through a few years of wearing swimwear, or skipping the sauna, before coming back to it.

Where to look

The etiquette is simple and strict:

• Look at people's faces when you talk to them, and otherwise at the wall, the heater or nothing in particular.
• Don't comment on anyone's body, tattoos or scars, even kindly.
• Never take photos. Leave your phone in the locker.
• Wrap your towel around you when you walk between rooms if you like. Many people do. Take it off to sit on it in the sauna.

Our guide to sauna etiquette has the rest of the unwritten rules.

How to feel comfortable

For most people the awkwardness passes quickly. A few things make it easier:

• Go at a quiet time, like a weekday morning, when there are fewer people.
• Go with a friend who's done it before.
• Sit near the door on a lower bench for your first round, so you can slip out without fuss.
• Use a robe in the rest areas and the restaurant. It's expected there in most German spas anyway.
• Try a women's day if you're a woman and a mixed sauna feels like too much at first.

You'll quickly notice how ordinary everyone looks. That's what most people remember from their first nude sauna. If it's your first sauna of any kind, start with our first-timer's guide.

Textile-free or swimwear venues

Venues set their own rules, so the country is only a guide. In German-speaking cities, newer urban saunas often ask for swimwear, while the big traditional spas stay nude. Some spas mix both: swimsuits in the pool area, nude in the sauna area. In the Netherlands some spas run swimwear sessions, which suit people who would rather not sauna nude.

On Find My Sauna, look for the Textile-free and Swimwear required tags on each venue. When a venue has neither, check its website or ask at the desk. Germany's sauna culture has more quirks than nudity alone. More on those in our guide to German sauna culture.

Where to find a textile-free sauna

Find My Sauna lists 193 textile-free saunas and spas. These cities have the most:

Bartholomäustherme

Hamburg · Textile-free sauna

Sauna am Rhy

Basel · Textile-free, by the Rhine

Dampfbad Salurner Straße

Innsbruck · Textile-free steam bath and saunas

Frequently asked questions