Berlin is the only major capital where naturism is a mundane civic institution. The city that hosted the Weimar FKK boom and then the East German lake culture now offers designated FKK zones in official municipal swim areas, forest lakes a bicycle ride from the center, Europe’s most elegant textile-free saunas, and weekly nude pool nights – all reachable by U-Bahn. This is the complete guide to naturism in Berlin and its Brandenburg lake country.
The Forest Lakes
Teufelssee in the Grunewald is the city’s iconic naturist lake: a forest clearing with a sunbathing lawn and sandy shore, a vibrant, body-positive mix of families, locals and queer bathers – and, in the woods well behind it, a cruising scene that is separate and best simply not confused with the beach itself. Müggelsee, Berlin’s largest lake, was the DDR’s FKK stronghold at Müggelhort on the eastern shore, and the culture never left. The city also maintains designated FKK sections at its municipal lakes: Wannsee, Schlachtensee, Plötzensee, Tegeler See and Weissensee each have their marked zone, generally at the quieter end of the lawn.
Saunas and Pool Nights
Berlin’s spa crown belongs to Vabali, a Balinese-style wellness village in Mitte that is 100% textile-free – saunas, pools, gardens, restaurants, everything – and ranks among Europe’s finest urban saunas (our German sauna guide covers its etiquette in full). Liquidrom pairs strictly nude saunas with a saltwater flotation pool and textilfrei music evenings. For swimmers, the DFK circuit runs regular evening FKK sessions at indoor pools including Kombibad Seestraße – a tradition covered in our worldwide pools guide – and the city has permitted topless swimming for all genders since 2023.
Brandenburg and the Lake Network
Beyond the city, the Mecklenburg-Brandenburg lake plateau is Germany’s naturist camping heartland, anchored by Camping Rätzsee, the DFK-affiliated lake-and-forest campground featured in our naturist hostels and camping guide. The network of DFK clubs around Berlin – fenced grounds with saunas, lawns and lakes – offers the West German club experience within day-trip distance; day passes are the norm for visiting naturists, and the DFK’s INF reciprocity makes cards from any federation valid.
Practical
Lake season is May to September (water 18-22°C by July); saunas and pool nights run all year and are the city’s winter naturism. Teufelssee is a 20-minute walk from Grunewald S-Bahn through the forest. Admission to Vabali runs around €30-40 for a day; municipal lake zones are free or a few euros. The law in Berlin is the national default – simple nudity is legal, and the designated zones make it unambiguous.
Where to Stay
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