Editing Naturism (section)

== Europe ==
<!-- Needs to be rewritten and sourced.-->{{main|List of social nudity places in Europe}}

In most European countries, nudity is not explicitly forbidden. Whether it is tolerated on beaches which are not marked as official nudist beaches varies greatly. The only country with substantially different laws is Denmark, where beach nudity is explicitly allowed on all beaches, except for two in the far west of the country.{{Sfn|NaturistNet|2012}}<!--(The German Wikipedia wrongly claims that this is the case in Sweden and Norway as well, though this is wrong and the references given there do not back this up. Someone from higher up in Wikipedia should investigate why this misinformation can persist.)-->

=== Belgium ===
Organized naturism in Belgium began in 1924 when engineer Joseph-Paul Swenne founded the Belgian League of Heliophilous Propaganda (usually abbreviated to {{lang|fr|Hélios}}) in [[Uccle]]. This was followed four years later by {{lang|nl|De Spar}}, founded by Jozef Geertz and hosted on the country estate of entrepreneur Oswald Johan de Schampelaere. Belgian naturism was influenced in equal part by French naturism and German {{lang|de|Freikörperkultur}}.{{Sfn|Peeters|2011|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}} Belgian naturists are represented by the {{lang|nl|Federatie van Belgische Naturisten}} (FBN).{{Sfn|FBN}}

=== Croatia ===
[[File:Nudist_camp_Valalta.JPG|thumb|right|A woman naked on the beach at Valalta, Croatia]]

Croatia is world-famous for naturism, which accounts for about 15% of its tourism industry. It was also the first European country to develop commercial naturist resorts.{{Sfn|Euro-POI|2011}} During a 1936 Adriatic cruise, [[King Edward VIII]] and [[Wallis Simpson]] stopped at a beach on the [[island of Rab]] where King Edward obtained special permission from the local government to swim naked, this event marked the beginning of nudist tourism in Croatia.{{Sfn|Thomas|2017}}

=== Finland ===
[[File:Badstuga, efter illustration i Acerbis Travels, Nordisk familjebok.png|thumb|left|''Finnish Sauna'' (1802)]]
In Finnish culture, nudism is considered to be a relatively normal way to live. It is not uncommon to see entire families spending time together naked. Families may be naked while bathing, in a [[Finnish sauna|sauna]], swimming in a pool, or playing on a beach, and it is not unusual to see children playing naked in a family yard for example. Nudity as a whole is considered less taboo than in many other countries.{{Sfnm|1a1=Duner|1y=1942|1p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}|2a1=White|2y=1991|2p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}|3a1=Woycke|3y=2003|3p={{page needed|date=August 2024}} |4a1=Terp|4y=2012 |5a1=Mapes|5y=2014}}

=== France ===
{{main|Naturism in France}}
[[File:Nude hiking in Gard.jpg|thumb|Randonue in [[Aiguillon (Cèze)|Les Concluses]], [[Gard]], 2008]]

Marcel Kienné de Mongeot is credited with starting naturism in France in 1920. His family had suffered from tuberculosis, and he saw naturism as a cure and a continuation of the traditions of the ancient Greeks. In 1926, he started the magazine {{lang|fr|Vivre intégralement}} (later titled {{lang|fr|Vivre}}) and the first French naturist club, {{lang|fr|Sparta Club}}, at Garambouville, near Évreux. The court action that he initiated established that nudism was legal on private property that was fenced and screened.{{sfn|Descamps|1987|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}}

Drs. André and Gaston Durville bought {{convert|70|ha|acre}} on the [[Île du Levant]] where they established the village of Héliopolis, which was open to the public. In 1925, Dr. François Fougerat de David de Lastours wrote a thesis on [[heliotherapy]], and in that year, he opened the {{lang|fr|Club gymnique de France}}. In 1936, the naturist movement was officially recognised.{{sfn|Descamps|1987|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}}

Albert and Christine Lecocq were active members of many of these clubs, but they left after disagreements, and in 1944, they founded the {{lang|fr|Club du Soleil}} with members in 84 cities. Four years later, they founded the {{ill|Fédération Française de Naturisme|fr}} (FFN); in 1949, they started the magazine {{lang|fr|Vie au Soleil}}, and in 1950, they opened the [[CHM Montalivet]], the world's first naturist holiday centre, where the INF was formed.{{sfn|Descamps|1987|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}}

[[Henri Zisly]] was another prominent figure and primitivist in the French naturism movement who wrote on a return to lifestyles based on self-sufficiency.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Boni |first1=Stefano |chapter=Zisly, Henri (1872–1945) |title=The International Encyclopedia of Revolution and Protest |page=1 |date=2010 |language=en |isbn=978-1-4051-9807-3 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons, Ltd |doi=10.1002/9781405198073.wbierp1749 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

=== Germany ===
{{main|Naturism in Germany}}
{{See also|Freikörperkultur}}
[[File:FKK-Gelande Sudstrand (2200636875).jpg|thumb|right|Public naturist recreation area at Lake Unterbach; Strandbad Süd, [[Düsseldorf-Unterbach#Lake Unterbach|Düsseldorf-Unterbach]], Germany]]
German naturism ({{lang|de|[[Freikörperkultur]]}}, FKK) was part of the {{lang|de|[[Lebensreform]]}} movement and the {{lang|de|[[Wandervogel]]}} youth movement of 1896, from [[Steglitz]], Berlin, which promoted ideas of fitness and vigour. At the same time, doctors of the {{lang|de|Naturheilbewegung}} (Natural Healing Movement) were using heliotherapy, treating diseases such as tuberculosis, rheumatism, and scrofula with exposure to sunlight.{{sfn|Anderson|2000}}

{{lang|de|Nacktkultur}}, a term coined in 1903 by Heinrich Pudor, connected nudity, vegetarianism and social reform, and was practised in a network of 200 members clubs.{{sfn|Toepfer|1997|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}} The movement gained prominence in the 1920s by offering a health-giving lifestyle with Utopian ideals. Germany published the first naturist journal from 1902 to 1932,{{sfn|Kennedy|2013|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}} but it became politicised by radical socialists who believed it would lead to classlessness and a breakdown of society. It eventually became associated with [[pacificism]].{{sfn|Hau|2003|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}}

In 1926, [[Adolf Koch]] established a school of naturism in Berlin, encouraging a mixing of the sexes, open air exercises, and a programme of "sexual hygiene". In 1929 the Berlin school hosted the first International Congress on Nudity.{{sfn|Toepfer|1997|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}}

After World War II, [[East Germany|East Germans]] were free to practice naturism, chiefly at beaches rather than clubs (private organizations were regarded as potentially subversive). Naturism became a large element in DDR politics. The {{lang|de|Proletarische Freikörperkulturbewegung}} subsection of the Workers Sports Organisation had 60,000 members.{{sfn|Anderson|2000}} Since [[German reunification|reunification]] there are many clubs, parks and beaches open to naturists,{{sfn|Choin|2002|p={{page needed|date=August 2024}}}} though nudity has become less common in the former eastern zone.{{Sfn|Guardian|2017b}} Germans are typically the most commonly seen visitors at nude beaches in France and around Europe.{{Sfn|Krien|2007}}

=== Greece ===
There are no official nude beaches, however there are unofficial nude beaches on the islands frequented by tourists,{{Sfnm|1a1=Postcards|1y=2017 |2a1=GTP|2y=2013}} like Crete,{{Sfn|Greek Islands US}} Mykonos or Karpathos, and on smaller islands like Skopelos or Skiathos{{Sfn|Zikakou|2014}} where nudity is tolerated, usually at the more remote ends or secluded areas of beaches.{{Sfn|Regula|2019}}

[[Toplessness]] also is widely practiced by locals and tourists alike as there are no cultural taboos against it.{{Sfnm|1a1=Τσεμπερλιδου|1y=2014 |2a1=TheToc|2y=2015}}

In 2015, a court in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, acquitted nudist activists who were charged for wandering naked in the city as part of their activist actions for promoting the urban nudism. In its ruling, the court deemed these acts to be "not lewd or lascivious", and vindicated the activists, thus recognizing their right to be naked publicly.{{sfn|Koutsoumbu|2015}}

=== Italy ===
Full nudity is allowed in Italy in the official naturist beaches and places of the country, and in many other places where there is an established tradition of naturist attendance, as confirmed by a recent absolution sentence.{{Sfn|ANITA|2019}} In all other public places, full nudity is generally prohibited by civil law and could be punished with fines that have been recently reduced (minimum €51 to maximum €309).{{sfn|Corte Costituzionale|2022}}
In the last decades, six regions have created laws to promote naturist tourism,{{Sfn|Patti|2015}} and actually there are more than 20 official naturist beaches in Italy, where naturism is recognised and guaranteed by administrative acts, and more than 30 beaches with a long tradition of naturist attendance where nudity is accepted.{{sfn|FENAIT|2019}} Naturist accommodations are located in most of the regions and it is estimated that the number of nudists and naturists in Italy is about 500,000 people.{{sfn|Ribolzi|2017}} Since the 1960s, there have been naturist associations in many regions, and a naturist federation on a national level.{{citation needed|date=August 2024|reason=previous source was home page for "Federazione Naturista Italiana" and did not contain info referenced.}}

Female [[toplessness]] is allowed, in a nonsexual context, in all the beaches of the country. On March 20, 2000, the Supreme Court of Cassation through sentence No. 3557 has determined that the exposure of the nude female breast since some decades is considered a "commonly accepted behavior" and therefore has "entered into the social custom".{{Sfn|Corte Suprema di Cassazione|2004}} Since then, local government regulations forbidding toplessness are extremely rare.

=== Netherlands ===
The oldest Dutch naturist association is {{lang|nl|Zon en Leven}} ('Sun and Life'), founded in 1946 with the aim of promoting healthy physical and mental development and a natural way of life.{{Sfn|NFN}} The national association is {{lang|nl|Naturisten Federatie Nederland}} (NFN), which in 2017 adopted the name {{lang|nl|Bloot Gewoon!}} ('Simply Naked') in an effort to become more accessible to casual naturists and strengthen the acceptance of nude recreation.{{Sfn|NFN|2017}}

In general, Dutch people are very tolerant of beach nudity, as long as it does not impact others, or involve inappropriate staring or sexual behaviour. Topless sunbathing is permitted on most beaches except where prohibited by signage.{{Sfn|NLTourism|2014}}

=== Portugal ===
{{main|Naturism in Portugal}}
The {{lang|pt|Federação Portuguesa de Naturismo}} (Portuguese Naturist Federation) or FPN was founded on 1 March 1977 in Lisbon.{{Sfnm|1a1=FPN|1y=2017 |2a1=FPN|2y=2020}} In the 21st century, naturism is considered a tolerated practice, whereas there are many officially designated nudist beaches.{{Sfn|TimeOut|2020}}

=== Poland ===
<!-- Do not remove these images. Wikipedia is not censored and the current consensus is for this article to have images -->
[[File:Woodstock Poland 2014 -- FKK.jpg|thumb|right|Nude men at the [[Przystanek Woodstock]] festival, 2014]]
In modern-day Poland, naturism is practiced in number of the seaside and inland beaches. Most Polish beaches of this type are actually [[Free beach|clothing-optional]] rather than naturist. One such beach is [[Międzyzdroje|Międzyzdroje-Lubiewo]].{{Sfn|Ciazela|Roszak|2018}}

=== Spain ===
[[File:Nude couple in Barcelona, Spain - 20070928.jpg|thumb|left |Couple walking naked in the streets of Barcelona, Spain]]
Public nudity in Spain is not illegal since there is no law banning its practice. Spanish legislation foresees felony for exhibitionism but restricts its scope to obscene exposure in front of children or mentally impaired individuals, i.e. with sexual connotation.{{Sfn|BOE|1995}}{{clarify|date=November 2019}} There are, however, some municipalities (like [[San Pedro del Pinatar, Spain|San Pedro del Pinatar]]) where public nudity has been banned by means of by-laws. Other municipalities (like Barcelona, Salou, Platja de Palma and Sant Antoni de Portmany) have used similar provisions to regulate partial nudity, requiring people to cover their torsos on the streets. Some naturist associations have appealed these by-laws on the grounds that a fundamental right ([[freedom of expression]], as they understand nudism to be self-expression) cannot be regulated with such a mechanism. Some courts have ruled in favour of nudist associations.{{Sfnm|1a1=EuropaPress|1y=2011 |2a1=Digital|2y=2014}} Nudism in Spain is normally practised by the seaside, on beaches or small coves with a tradition of naturism. In Vera, Spain, there is a wide residential area formed by nudist urbanisations. Nudist organisations may organise some activities elsewhere in inner territory.

Research was done on the island of [[Menorca]], where naturism is practiced at small, isolated beaches apart from the island's developed resorts. Not everyone on these beaches, even within a group, is nude, and both types of participants were interviewed. Most were white heterosexuals between the ages of 25 and 40 who live in cities such as Madrid or Barcelona. For them, being nude on a beach is about bodily sensations of sun, sea, and sand directly on the skin, not about cultural meanings or performance of bodily appearance. The behaviors that support the non-sexual definition of the situation work by downplaying the visual, most of all by not staring at others. It is also unacceptable for a person to actively seek the gaze of others. Naturists may see the decision not to be nude is holding on to the visual, and non-naturists may see beach nudity as a form of exhibitionism.{{sfn|Obrador-Pons|2007}}

Legal provisions regarding partial nudity (or toplessness) are analogous to those regarding full nudity, but social tolerance towards toplessness is higher. The law does not require women to cover their breasts in public swimming, or on any beach in Spain.{{Sfn|PARÍS|2017}} The governments of the municipalities of Galdakao and L'Ametlla del Vallès legalized female toplessness on their public pools in March 2016 and June 2018, respectively.{{Sfnm|1a1=Andueza|1y=2016 |2a1=Publico|2y=2018}}

Naturists were a prominent [[affinity group]] among [[anarchism in Spain|Spanish anarcho-syndicalists]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Guérin|first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Guérin|title=Anarchism: From Theory to Practice|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-mZQBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT110|year=1970|publisher=NYU Press|isbn=978-1-58367-492-5|pages=110–}}</ref>

=== United Kingdom ===
{{main|British Naturism}}
{{See also|List of social nudity places in Europe#United Kingdom}}
[[File:WNBR London 2016 (31088095095).jpg|thumb|upright|[[World Naked Bike Ride]] in London, 2016]]
In the United Kingdom, the first official nudist club was established in Wickford, Essex, in 1924. According to Michael Farrar, writing for [[British Naturism]], the club adopted the name "Moonella Group" from the name of the owner of the ground and called its site The Camp. Moonella, who was still living in 1965 but whose identity remains to be discovered, had inherited a house with land in 1923 and made it available to certain members of the New Gymnosophy Society. This society was founded a few years before by H.C. Booth, M.H. Sorensen and Rex Wellbye under the name of the English Gymnosophical Society. It met for discussions at the Minerva Cafe at 144 [[High Holborn]] in London, the headquarters of the [[Women's Freedom League]]. Those who were permitted to join the Moonella Group were carefully selected, and the club was run by a leadership of the original members, all of whom had club names to preserve their anonymity. The club closed in 1926 because of construction on adjacent land.{{Sfnm|1a1=BNTimeLine|1y=2011 |2a1=Farrar|2y=2005b}}

By 1943, there were a number of "sun clubs", and together they formed the British Sun Bathers Association, or BSBA. In 1954, a group of clubs unhappy with the way the BSBA was being run, split to form the Federation of British Sun Clubs, or FBSC. In 1961, the BSBA Annual Conference agreed that the term nudist was inappropriate and should be discarded in favour of naturist.{{Sfn|BNTimeLine|2011}} The two organisations rivalled each other before eventually coming together again in 1964 as the Central Council for British Naturism, or CCBN. This organisational structure has remained much the same but {{as of|2011|lc=y}} it is called British Naturism or BN.{{Sfn|BNTimeLine|2011}}

The first official nude beach was opened at [[Fairlight Glen]] in Covehurst Bay near Hastings in 1978 (not to be confused with Fairlight Cove, which is {{convert|2|km|mi}} to the east), followed later by the beaches at Brighton and Fraisthorpe. Bridlington opened in April 1980.{{Sfn|BNTimeLine|2011}}