Ditch your swimsuit: this Dutch city has a (public!) pool for nude swimming

Ready for an au naturel experience? 🙈

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!

Federica Marconi
Federica Marconi
Federica was born in Rome but decided life wasn’t chaotic enough — so she moved to the Netherlands in 2019, right before a global pandemic (impeccable timing!). While mastering the art of coffee as a barista, she also conquered an MA in English Literature & Culture. She dreams of opening a literary café where books and coffee fuel deep conversations. Until then, she writes. And drinks a lot of coffee.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Related posts

Latest posts

‘Till a technical error do us part’: This Dutchman just married an AI chatbot

If you thought your parasocial relationship with ChatGPT was getting out of hand, wait till you hear about Jacob van Lier. This Dutchman has...

Sewer-nami: Students at TU Delft caught gross sewage avalanche on video

An unexpected addition to TU Delft student schedules this week: a sewer pipe reached breaking point — literally — unleashing a tsunami of sewage...

Aparthotel Adagio — have a long stay in luxury (at an affordable price)

Are you planning a move to Amsterdam? Or perhaps coming to the city for a long trip? With incredible amenities, modern design, and excellent...

It's happening

Upcoming events