After three years of tireless lobbying (armed with nothing but determination — and, well, nothing else), The Hague’s nude swimmers are back in action! 🌊
That’s right, folks: as of March 1, nude swimming sessions have returned. But before you toss your swimsuits into the bonfire, hold up — there’s a catch.
From bare to banned
For 50 glorious years, Saturday mornings at The Hague’s Overbosch swimming pool belonged to the free-of-fabric crowd. Then, in 2022, the city threw a towel over the fun.
The reason? A pandemic backlog of swimming lessons took priority — because in a country where canals outnumber cows, swimming is a survival skill.
Alderman Hilbert Bredemeijer (CDA, Youth, Sports) explained at the end of last year “Everyone is welcome at recreational swimming, as long as they wear swimming trunks or a swimsuit,” reports the AD.
Naturists, of course, weren’t about to cover up without a fight. With petitions, council meetings, and a good dose of stubbornness, they dove headfirst into protest mode. 💪
Victory…but keep your towels handy
And guess what? The resistance paid off! Nude swimming is making a comeback — but only once a month. 🏆
Christine Kouman, director of NFN Open & Bloot (aka the Dutch naturist squad), sees this as a win but isn’t hanging up her towel just yet: “There are about a hundred people who do this regularly in The Hague, so that is really not a small group..”
Let’s be honest: this isn’t just a quirky hobby — it’s practically a movement. So, will a once-a-month dip turn into a full-on splash? Only time will tell.
Until then, brace for the breeze, and let’s get naked! 😎
👉 What do you think? Should The Hague go full monty more often? Drop your thoughts in the comments!