A sauna in the Netherlands may sound like the perfect way to relax — until you walk in and everyone is butt naked. 🙈
Yes, you’ve read that right. Stark, bollock naked. No bikini, no swimsuit, nieks. But don’t be alarmed if your work colleague or mum-friend from school suggests a visit.
Visiting a sauna or spa in the Netherlands can actually be a really fun, liberating experience. We promise.
Dutch sauna facilities are amazing
I have been lucky enough to visit a few different Dutch saunas during my time here. I have to say, these places are amazing. 🧖♀️
You’ll find a huge variety of swimming pools, steam rooms, jacuzzis, and of course, saunas.
They also normally have these ‘relax rooms’ equipped with full-size beds and blankets that are simply screaming for you to lay down, relax and nap for hours on end. 😴
It’s not all nudity (well, mostly)
But don’t panic that the occupant before you has laid in the bad naked!
Everyone gets provided with a bathrobe and slippers (or you can take your own). In the public areas, most people will keep their robes on and only disrobe to go into the saunas or steam rooms.
Although, you do get the odd few who like to walk around the whole time in their birthday suit.
Personally, I like to keep myself wrapped in a bathrobe most of the time. It can get a little chilly walking from sauna to sauna, especially since many are set across huge outdoor grounds.
So, there really is no obligation to be naked at all. Don’t worry!
Dutch saunas have nice restaurants and bars
Most of the spas I’ve been to have a selection of restaurants and bars dotted across their premises. This means that you get to enjoy a glass of wine or some Dutch snacks when all that relaxing is making you hungry. 😉
If you prefer something more substantial, some spas even offer three-course meals or a full buffet (you know how the Dutch just love a buffet).
And the best bit, you are all sitting around munching on your goodies in your bathrobe. No need to get changed!
Just imagine biting into your portion of bitterballen, knowing your own bitterballen are hanging free. Win-Win!
No cameras are allowed in Dutch saunas
No need to worry about voyeurs and weirdoes who secretly try to film you lying back legs akimbo (please don’t do this!!) in the sauna. There is a strict no mobile phones and cameras are allowed policy, which they will enforce.
Plus, the age range in these spas tends to average in the higher figures, many of whom still have no clue how to work a Nokia 7710, let alone the latest iPhone or Samsung camera.
Going to a sauna in the Netherlands will make your body confidence skyrocket
The first time I went to a naked sauna, I’d just undergone a C-section and was incredibly self-conscious. I imagined everyone would be staring at my scar (as well as my dimpled thighs and rather large backside).
But I seriously needn’t have worried. When everybody is naked, you actually realise that in REAL LIFE, everybody looks different but also exactly the same.
We all have boobs and vajayjays and willies and bums.
Some are saggier, some are bigger, some tummies are rounder, and some legs are slimmer.
But who cares? I walked out of that spa feeling 10 feet high and could see for myself where that Dutch confidence comes from.
Note: When picking a spa or sauna to visit, it’s always worth choosing one a little further away. No matter how confident I am, I have zero desire to see my kids’ school teachers/bank manager/mother-in-law whilst we are both naked, having to pretend like we’re not.
All in all, going to a sauna in the Netherlands is one hell of an experience! Have you ever been to one before? Let us know in the comments below!
Going to the saunas is my idea of a night out in Amsterdam.
Last time I was at Zuiver Spa, I met a delightful young lady in the (moderate temperature) salt sauna, and we she was delightful because she was, like me, singing in a choir 🙂 So we exchanged experiences from swedish and dutch choirs, and egged on by the others in the sauna, we also sang ‘typical’ folk tunes and choir works to each other. The acoustics in this sauna was even superb for singing 🙂 Anyway, Zuiver Spa really IS social nudity. Love the place, have always had good experiences meeting nice people there thansk to the wonderful and very relaxed atmosphere. And the combination of raw concrete and lot’s of green plants is strangely beautiful.
I would literally be ….Naked and afraid.:-)
Nice writing! However, as a Finnish person I have to just correct few things. First of all, since sauna comes from Finland it is not really a dutch activity (I know only few dutchies who actually have gone to sauna in The Netherlands) and there are no such things as dutch saunas (so you should maybe correct that to the text as country of origin;)). I have not visited saunas in the Netherlands yet but what I have heard, you are not e.g. allowed to throw the water to the stones yourself. If you want to experience authentic Finnish sauna, there are many of those in the Netherlands rented by actual Finnish people. I however am glad how you brought out the nudity aspect being natural and how to be proud of our bodies! It’s super natural in our culture and we go there with friends (mixed sexes) since there is nothing sexual about it and everyone are there just to relax. Great text anyways but I just had to come and correct a little. Have a nice day! 🙂
BUB…..the holy hell are you babbling about?????? so somehow you finns have the global patent on a sauna……AND maybe you’re waiting for your royalties from us canadians????? So how long EXACTLY are your finnish rules????? AND why would you think we give a good god-damn????????
I’ll bet you’re a barrel of fun in a sauna.