Venue - Therme Erding Thermal Bath Complex.
Location - Erding, Bavaria, Germany.
Official link - https://www.therme-erding.de
Review period - A weekend during Oct 2015
Review type - First hand.
Review type - First hand.
Brief background
- Therme Erding is the second largest thermal bath complex in Europe, and the largest one with a designated nude section.
- The complex consists of four distinct areas: the water slide area "Galaxy", the "Thermenparadies", the "Vital-Oase" and the "Saunaparadies" (nudist sauna complex).
- The nudist sauna complex itself consists of 20+ different themed saunas with various combinations of aromas, humidity and temperatures. In the infusion saunas, various ceremonies with different fanning techniques are conducted by the sauna masters.
Visitor details
- Total attendees - Felt like 300+ at a time (guess).
- Entry - On spot and online available. Approx € 40 for a 4 hours visit on weekends.
- No "couple only" entry rules. Only those above 16 years of age were allowed in the nudist section.
- Towels could be rented on spot. Slippers were available for purchase.
- Nudity rules - Swimwear was not allowed in the nude section and nobody was wearing any. Towels were allowed for sitting or lying down inside the saunas. Towels can be used to cover up as well. Towels or bathrobes are mandatory in the restaurant section.
- Gender ratio - Women : men was roughly 5 : 9, the healthiest I have ever seen in any nudist environment.
- States of undress - Roughly 90% of the men were walking naked along the hallways by the end of day. 70%+ females covered up using the towels in the hallways, and were almost naked in saunas. 100% men and women were naked in the swimming pools.
- In the changing sections, which were unisex and seemed to be common for the nude and prude section, there were many people changing completely naked, given that it is not a big deal in gyms and swimming pools in Germany.
- The shower rooms during the entry, which were gender segregated, although enclosed, could be seen through the doors, from the hallways. I could see the women naked inside the female section from the hallway.
- There were some sections inside the sauna area where the staff members helped the patrons relax. A pool was there with some floating items, which people could use, to float and relax. People do not take towels to the water, so are completely naked. One of the staff members, who was clothed, came to each and every person (both male and female) one by one, and held them gently by their legs and swayed them in the water. Prior to that he said something in German. All the staff members, including the sauna masters performing the infusion ceremonies, were clothed.
- Age bracket ratio - (18-40) : 40+ felt like 3 : 2 (guess).
- Racial composition - Mostly whites, no blacks, few East Asians were present.
- Ethnic composition - Majority were Germans, I guess, because the Sauna masters were speaking only in German. I know for sure, that there were a few South Koreans because I met a South Korean girl from my hostel there :).
- Interaction level - Low to moderate. People mostly go there to relax and not to socialize, so most of the sauna rooms are quiet. However, in some infusion saunas, the sauna masters speak in German while fanning the hot air towards guests and the environment can become a bit interactive.
- Attractions and activities - Various types of saunas, hosts interacting with guests, central pool with. The central pool in the nudist sauna section, having a small bar, with submerged stools to sit and the water currents from there along a narrow channel taking to the colder outside was one of the most romantic places I have ever visited in my life.
- Sexual activities observed? No. Kissing and cuddling at the central swimming pool, at max.
- Slim vs plus sized people ratio - More than 60:40 towards slim side (guesstimate, too many people to calculate exactly).
- Solo visitors present? Yes, both men and women.
Further reading
- My first writing about this experience, publicly on quora.
