GERMANY, NORTH

	Hamburg
	Schleswig- Holstein				North Sea (Nordsee) Baltic Sea (Ostsee) Interior
	Mecklenburg- Vorpommern				Baltic Sea (Ostsee) Interior

The area that we have designated as Northern Germany includes the city-state of Hamburg, which is the second largest city in Germany, as well as the two states that include the vast majority of Germany's coastal FKK locations, both along the North Sea coastline and the longer Baltic Sea coastline. (A few more coastal FKK locations that are toward the western end of the North Sea coastline are listed under Western Germany.)

HAMBURG      MAP     [ ↑ ]       Hamburg is one of Germany's three city-states, and it is also the second largest city in the country. About 1.8 millions people live within its boundaries, but about 2.5 million more people live within ins metro area in the neighboring states of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) and Schleswig-Holstein. Hamburg is about 80 kilometers inland from the North Sea, but it is also a major port city, and the broad part of the river Elbe between Hamburg and the sea is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The most centrally located place for nude sunbathing in Hamburg is the Luftbad at Stadtpark. Luftbad means "air bath," and Stadtpark is a large city park about 6 kilometers north of the city center. The Luftbad consists of three small enclosed FKK sunbathing lawns that require a small fee to enter. There is a women-only lawn, a men-only lawn and a mixed-gender lawn. Farther from the city center, there are a couple of popular FKK locations on the east side of the city: Boberger See and Sommerbad Volksdorf. About 12 kilometers southeast of the city center, Boberger See is a small lake with an informal but popular FKK meadow, and access is free. About 20 kilometers northeast of the city center, Sommerbad Volksdorf is a large pond with a sandy beach that does require an admission fee but offers ample amenities in return. Although it is administered by a naturist club, Sommerbad Volksdorf is clothing optional and is visited by a mix of nudists and textiles.
		NUDE BEACHES       Boberger See   53.5126N, 10.1350E        Luftbad, Stadtpark   53.5966N, 10.0167E        Sommerbad Volksdorf   53.6624N, 10.1828E

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN      MAP     [ ↑ ]       Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost state in Germany, and this state tapers northward to form the Jutland peninsula, the prominent land mass that encompasses most of the land area of neighboring Denmark. Schleswig-Holstein is the only state to border both the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, and most towns in the state are within an hour's drive of one coast or the other. The two most populous cities in the state, Kiel and Lubeck, are small cities on inlets of the Baltic. However, Schleswig-Holstein borders the city-state of Hamburg, which is the second largest city in Germany, and over a third of Schleswig-Holstein's 2.8 millions residents live within the metropolitan sphere of Hamburg.
	North Sea (Nordsee) Coast (listed roughly south to north)     [ ↑ ]       Along the North Sea coast, there is a long chain of islands called the Frisian Islands. Starting in the west, these islands extend eastward about halfway across the Netherlands and continue eastward and then northward across the entirety of Germany's North Sea coastline, ending in the southern part of Denmark. The Frisian Islands are divided into three groups. The West Frisians are entirely within the Netherlands, the East Frisians are within the German state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen), and the North Frisians are mostly within the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a few islands in Denmark. The area between the mainland and the islands is a zone of tidal flats called the Wadden Sea, or Wattenmeer in German. (Click here for a map.) Altogether, the Wadden Sea is about 500 kilometers long, and most of it lies within Germany. When you go to the North Sea coastline of Germany, the scenery depends on whether you stay on the mainland or venture to one of the Frisian Islands. If you are on the mainland, you will be looking out over tidal flats, with vast areas of mud exposed at low tide. Most of the mainland coast has little or no dry sand. On most of the islands, the beaches are more idyllic, with broad expanses of thick sand and large dunes overlooking the open sea.       About half of Germany's North Sea coastline is in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, and this part of the coastline mostly faces west. The sites below are sorted by those on the mainland, those on the island of Sylt and those on other islands. The three mainland sites are all designated FKK beaches that are located toward the southern end of the Schleswig-Holstein coast, which is part of the coast that does not have any major offshore islands. Of the three, the FKK beach at Sankt Peter-Ording is the most popular and has a huge area of sand, while the other two are mostly grassy beaches.       North of Sankt Peter-Ording, the northern half of the Schleswig-Holstein coast is where most of the North Frisian Islands are located. Strand Nordermühle, Strand Amrum and Strand Goting are each located on a different island, and these three nearby islands are among a cluster of islands that are to the south of Sylt (the largest of the North Frisian Islands). The three islands are accessible by ferry. You can bring a car, or you can just bring yourself and get around by bicycle or local bus services. Strand Nordermühle is a tidal flats beach with no dry sand, Strand Goting is a tidal flats beach with plenty of dry sand and Strand Amrum faces the open sea, with vast expanses of sand and fields of huge sand dunes, and there is also a primitive FKK campground nestled in the dunes of Amrum.       Farther north, Sylt is the northernmost of the Frisian Islands that belongs to Germany. (The islands farther north belong to Denmark.) A large island notable for its thatched-roofed cottages, Sylt is Germany's most famous North Sea summer holiday destination, and it has more nude beaches than any other part of the country's North Sea coast. Stretching about 35 to 40 kilometers from north to south, Sylt has multiple segments of beach designated as FKK, and some sources claim that over half of Sylt visitors patronize its nude beaches. There are two nude beaches in the central town of Westerland, including one (the beach at Oase zur Sonne) that is the island's de facto gay beach, then there are three nude beach to the north of Westerland and three to the south, for a total of eight designated FKK beaches. Nudity is acceptable on remote parts of the island as well. Sylt is connected to the mainland by a causeway that carries only rail traffic. There are passenger trains to the island, and there are also trains that ferry automobiles.
		NUDE BEACHES      the first three locations are on the MAINLAND       Strand Friedrichskoog   54.0337N, 8.8406E        Strand Stinteck   54.1575N, 8.8225E        Strand Sankt Peter-Ording   54.3397N, 8.5915E       the next three locations are on various NORTH FRISIAN ISLANDS       Strand Nordermühle   54.5406N, 8.6369E        Strand Amrum   54.6287N, 8.3423E        Strand Goting   54.6885N, 8.4589E       the next eight locations are on SYLT ISLAND (the largest of the North Frisians)       Hörnumer Strand   54.7538N, 8.2791E        Rantum Strand Sansibar   54.8134N, 8.2835E        Rantum Strand Samoa   54.8294N, 8.2847E        Westerland Strand Oase zur Sonne   54.8889N, 8.2910E        Westerland Strand Nordseeklinik   54.9231N, 8.3061E        Wenningstedt Strand   54.9435N, 8.3183E        Kampen Strand, Buhne 16   54.9762N, 8.3420E        List Strand   55.0242N, 8.3763E
		NATURIST RETREATS      FKK-Zellplatz Amrum    54.6292N, 8.3542E     G           Wittdün
	Baltic Sea (Ostsee) Coast (listed roughly west to east)     [ ↑ ]       Germany's Baltic coast is the longer of its two coastlines. Very approximately, not counting every indentation, the Baltic coastline within Germany undulates about 750 kilometers from Denmark to Poland. Roughly the western 40% is within the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Unlike the North Sea Coast, the Baltic Sea coast is not characterized by small islands. The comparatively few islands of the German Baltic tend to be large and bridged to the mainland, effectively becoming part of the mainland, and thus just about all Baltic beaches face the open sea. The beaches below are listed in order along the coastline in a generally southeastward direction, going from Denmark toward the border with the neighboring state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.       Strand Holnis and Strand Weidefeld are toward the far west end of the German Baltic, both relatively close to Denmark. Strand Hohenhain and Strand Bottsand are located on either side of the prominent Bay of Kiel, and each beach is about 20 kilometers from Kiel, the capital and largest city of Schleswig-Holstein. Strand Behrensdorf-Lippe is a beautiful, rural beach with a stretch of several kilometers available to nude bathers, while the FKK part of Strand Weissenhaus is situated between a historic manor house and a sprawling beach resort complex. Strand Wallnau, Strand Westermarkelsdorf and Strand Wulfener Hals are all located on Fehmarn, a large island connected to the mainland via a kilometer-long bridge.       Strand Rosenfelde is across the street from a large naturist camping establishment, while nearby Klosterseestrand is a more minor nude beach close to a number of textile campgrounds. Strand Scharbeutz-Timmendorf is about halfway between two popular, neighboring resort towns, and the small FKK section of the beach is just steps away from a deluxe sauna establishment with additional nude swimming and sunbathing options. Strand Priwall is about 20 kilometers northeast of Lübeck, the second largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, and its FKK zone is at the border with the neighboring state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, which also used to be the border of West Germany and East Germany. When the country was divided, the West German nude bathers at Priwall were visible to East German guards in the watch tower across the border. Today, the border fence is gone, and it is possible to cross this infamous divide in the nude.
		NUDE BEACHES       Strand Holnis   54.8621N, 9.5952E        Strand Weidefeld   54.6456N, 10.0309E        Strand Hohenhain   54.4811N, 10.0901E        Strand Bottsand   54.4278N, 10.2901E        Strand Behrensdorf-Lippe   54.3516N, 10.6307E        Strand Weissenhaus   54.3082N, 10.7767E        Strand Wallnau   54.4884N, 11.0139E        Strand Westermarkelsdorf   54.5315N, 11.0586E        Strand Wulfener Hals   54.4079N, 11.1855E        Strand Rosenfelde   54.2565N, 11.0820E        Klosterseestrand   54.1743N, 11.0409E        Strand Scharbeutz-Timmendorf   54.0123N, 10.7699E        Strand Priwall   53.9564N, 10.9020E
		NATURIST RETREATS      FKK Camping Ostsee    54.2541N, 11.0757E     G           Grube
	Interior     [ ↑ ]       The Hetlinger Schanze is a sandy beach on the north bank of the river Elbe, about 25 kilometers upstream from Hamburg, that has an informal FKK area.
		NUDE BEACHES       Hetlinger Schanze   53.5991, 9.6083
		NATURIST RETREATS      Campingplatz Bredenbeker Teich    53.6792N, 10.1903E     G           Ammersbek      Landhotel Seelust    54.0159N, 9.7128E     G           Hennstedt

MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN      MAP     [ ↑ ]       In the far northeast of Germany, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is the most sparsely populated state in Germany, with a population density that is about one-third the national average. However, summertime tourists flock both to its Baltic beaches and interior lakes. Like several other German states, the modern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern is a merger of two historical regions, Mecklenburg and Vorpommern—thus the longish name. Mecklenburg is the larger of these two regions, consisting of most of the central and western parts of the present-day state. The smaller eastern part of the state is Vorpommern, which is often anglicized as Western Pomerania. This part of the state borders a Polish province that is also known as Western Pomerania (Zachodniopomorskie in Polish), and farther east in Poland are two other Pomeranian provinces. Germany contains just 13% of historical Pomerania (Pommern), while the rest is in Poland.
	Baltic Sea (Ostsee) Coast (listed roughly west to east)     [ ↑ ]       Germany's Baltic coastline is contained within two states, and the larger share—roughly 60%—is in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The coastline of this state is the same as what used to be the coastline of East Germany when the country was divided. Germans as a whole have been pioneers in the naturist movement, as attested in the vast number of FKK entities described in this guide. However, as touched on in the Introduction, East Germans seem to have developed even more of an affinity for bare bathing than West Germans during the decades of division, and nowhere was that affinity more apparent than along the Eastern Baltic (by which we mean the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern share of the Baltic.)       While nude bathing remains quite popular along the Eastern Baltic, the GDR years seem a bit of an FKK heyday in comparison to the present. In contrast to the years of division, the Eastern Baltic now draws tourists from abroad who aren't as likely to go naked, and FKK culture seems somewhat less important to younger Germans than to their parents or grandparents. Older FKK-minded Germans from the East may grumble that there isn't as much nudity on the beach these days, but any such complaint must be assessed with an appreciation of how very widespread nudity once was. There are still more designated nude beaches and other nudist possibilities along the Eastern Baltic than people in most other parts of the world could dream of. While any given beach is likely to be all textile at its main point of access, you are likely to encounter more and more nudity as you go away from the crowds.       The beaches below are listed in geographic order, moving from west to east, toward the border with Poland. The crowded resort beach of Boltenhagen has a small designated FKK sector, and it is a complete contrast to Strand Wangern, a sparsely populated and informal nude beach on the island of Poel, which is bridged to the mainland. Both these beaches are directly north of Schwerin, the capital and second-largest city of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The pastoral resort town of Rerik has both FKK-only and swimwear-optional zones on either end of its textile beach, and not far away is the FKK beach of Kühlungsborn West. On the other end of the town of Kühlungsborn, there is another long stretch of multiple FKK zones that we've labeled as Kühlungsborn-Wittenbeck-Heiligendamm. A bit farther east is an informal FKK zone at Börgerende-Neinhagen.       Next is the city of Rostock, which is the largest city in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. There are two long FKK beaches in Rostock. One is in the seaside resort district of Warnemünde, and it is one of the most popular nude beaches anywhere along the German coastline. Another popular Rostock beach spans the adjacent districts of Hohe Düne and Markgrafenheide, and this vast expanse offers about seven kilometers for FKK bathing. Both FKK beaches in Rostock includes areas that are notable gay beaches.       Beginning a bit east of Rostock, the rest of the Baltic coastline—all the way to Poland—is characterized by a number of islands and peninsulas. Fischland-Darss-Zingst is an oddly shaped peninsula, just barely connected to the mainland, that includes about 45 kilometers of coastline and a number of villages that are popular with tourists. Nudity is widely practiced throughout the peninsula. Endless kilometers of beautiful, remote, sandy beaches backed by large dunes and lush forests make for a naturist paradise, and there is also a mixing of nudists and textiles in peripheral areas of the various village beaches. Furthermore, there is a seaside campground near the village of Prerow that includes a large FKK sector.       A little farther east, there is a long and narrow island called Hiddensee that includes four small villages and over 15 kilometers of beaches. This island is the only Baltic location described in this guide that is not bridged to the mainland, and cars are not allowed on the island. Visitors arrive by passenger ferry and get around by bicycle. Nudity is acceptable anywhere on the beach except in immediate proximity to the villages, but most nudity occurs along the seemingly endless beach that stretches over five kilometers to the southern tip of the island.       Just east of Hiddensee is the much larger island of Rügen, which is bridged to the mainland. (In fact, one of the ferries to Hiddensee leaves from Rügen.) Rügen is the largest island in Germany, known for its rugged stretches of coastline and chalky cliffs, and much of its land area is within national parks and nature reserves. While Rügen offers seemingly endless stretches for nude bathers, the most popular designated FKK zones are in Binz, Göhren and Thiessow, which are resort towns clustered close together in the southeastern part of the island. Strand Schaabe is a more remote and lightly populated beach on the north side of the island with an 8-kilometer-span of mixed nudist and textile use.       To the southeast of Rügen lies the large island of Usedom, which is separated from the mainland by a network of lagoons. The coastline of Usedom spans about 45 kilometers, and the easternmost few kilometers lie within Poland. There are two bridges that connect the island to the German mainland. The German part of Usedom (i.e., just about all of it) is part of a nature reserve. The residential population of Usedom is quite low, but the dozen or so towns spread out along the coastline are popular summer holiday destinations. Among the attractions are a number of regularly spaced zones of the beach designated for FKK use. If you were to drive the entire length of Usedom along the coastal route, the drive would take about 45 minutes, and you'd pass an FKK area about every 5 minutes. The easternmost FKK zone of Usedom is less than one kilometer from the Polish border.       The last two beaches in the list below, Strand Mönkebude and Haffbad Ueckermünde, do not face the open Baltic. They are located along the mainland side of Stettiner Haff, one of the lagoons between the mainland and Usedom.
		NUDE BEACHES       Strand Boltenhagen   53.9852N, 11.2151E        Strand Wangern   53.9714N, 11.3812E        Strand Rerik   54.1103N, 11.6157E        Strand Kühlungsborn West   54.1537N, 11.7063E        Strand Kühlungsborn-Wittenbeck-Heiligendamm   54.1465N, 11.8004E        Strand Börgerende-Neinhagen   54.1572N, 11.9129E        Strand Warnemünde   54.1773N, 12.0559E        Strand Hohe Düne-Markgrafenheide   54.1878N, 12.1305E        Strände Fischland-Darss-Zingst   54.4453N, 12.6401E       the next five locations are on the islands of HIDDENSEE and RÜGEN       Insel Hiddensee   54.5076N, 13.0733E        Strand Schaabe   54.5851N, 13.4096E        Strand Binz   54.4160N, 13.5964E        Strand Göhren   54.3445N, 13.7479E        Strand Thiessow   54.2895N, 13.7152E       the next ten locations are on the island of USEDOM       Strand Karlshagen, 10P   54.1271N, 13.8377E        Strand Karlshagen, 10G   54.1164N, 13.8500E        Strand Trassenheide   54.0932N, 13.8878E        Strand Zinnowitz West   54.0862N, 13.9041E        Strand Zinnowitz Ost   54.0771N, 13.9293E        Strand Koserow-Zempin   54.0625N, 13.9893E        Strand Koserow   54.0534N, 14.0160E        Strand Ückeritz   54.0213N, 14.0625E        Strand Bansin   53.9827N, 14.1314E        Strand Ahlbeck   53.9329N, 14.2131E       the next two location are on Stettiner Haff, a lagoon of the Baltic Sea       Strand Mönkebude   53.7717N, 13.9738E        Haffbad Ueckermünde   53.7467N, 14.0766E
		NATURIST RETREATS      Camp Prerow    54.4617N, 12.5356E     G, D           Prerow
	Interior     [ ↑ ]       While the Baltic coastline is the most obvious tourist draw in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the state has another popular vacationland known as the Mecklenburg Lake District (Mecklenburgische Seenplatte). This is an area of a vast number of lakes in the southern part of the state, about halfway between Berlin and the Baltic. The two nude beaches and four camping establishments listed below are all located along one of the countless lakes of this area.
		NUDE BEACHES       Insel Bohnenwerder, Carwitzer See   53.3010N, 13.4538E        Kölpinsee   53.4843N, 12.6143E
		NATURIST RETREATS      Campingplatz am Rätzsee    53.2525N, 12.9087E     G, D, E           Wustrow      Campingplatz am Useriner See    53.3325N, 12.9566E     G, D, E           Userin      Insel Camping Werder    53.4821N, 12.3238E     G           Alt Schwerin      Müritz-Camp Gotthun    53.4277N, 12.6131E     G           Gotthun