Naturism glossary

The words you will meet on signs, websites and this site, each defined in a sentence or two. Updated 31 October 2026.

AANR: American Association for Nude Recreation, the largest nudist organisation in North America, founded 1931. See AANR.
Aufguss: German sauna ritual in which a sauna master pours scented water on the stones and fans the heat towards bathers; done nude, with a towel.
Body acceptancealso body positivity: Being at ease with one's own body as it is; the benefit most often reported by people who try naturism. See body acceptance.
Clothing optionalalso clothing-optional, C/O: A rule for a place: you may be nude but do not have to be. Most public nude beaches and many resorts are clothing optional.
Day pass: Admission to a resort or club for one day without membership, usually with ID and a short orientation for first visitors.
Designated beach: A beach whose owner or authority has formally set aside a section for nude use, usually signposted. The strongest legal status; shown as "official" on NudistMap.
FKKalso Freikörperkultur: Freikörperkultur, "free body culture": the German word for naturism. FKK-Strand is a nude beach, FKK-Gelände a club's grounds. In some German cities "FKK club" also names sex venues, which are not naturist. See what FKK means.
Free beach: American term from the 1970s Free Beach movement for a public beach where nude use is legal or tolerated, as opposed to a private club.
Gymnophobia: Fear of nudity, one's own or others'. The opposite of what naturists report after a first visit.
INF cardalso INF stamp, INF passport: Membership card of a national federation affiliated to the International Naturist Federation, accepted or required at many European naturist sites. See organisations.
INF-FNI: The International Naturist Federation (Fédération naturiste internationale), the umbrella body for national federations, founded 1953. See INF-FNI.
Landed club: A naturist club that owns or leases its own grounds: pool, lawns, often camping and cabins. Run by members; visitors come as guests or on day passes.
NAC: Naturist Action Committee, the political arm of The Naturist Society that fights anti-nudity legislation in the United States.
Naked hikingalso nude hiking, Nacktwandern: Hiking without clothes, legal on marked naturist trails in Germany and France and tolerated on remote trails elsewhere. See naturist hiking trails.
Naturismalso naturist: Non-sexual social nudity as a way of life, practised at beaches, clubs, campgrounds and saunas. The International Naturist Federation's 1974 definition adds respect for oneself, others and the environment. See what naturism is.
Naturist campgroundalso naturist campsite, FKK-Campingplatz: A campsite for tents, caravans and cabins run under naturist rules; the backbone of naturist holidays in France, Croatia, Spain and Germany.
Naturist resortalso nudist resort: A commercial naturist holiday business with accommodation, pools and restaurants, open to the public under naturist rules. See resort rules.
Naturist village: A large holiday centre with its own streets, shops and homes where nudity is the norm throughout, such as the village at Cap d'Agde or Charco del Palo on Lanzarote.
Non-landed clubalso travel club: A naturist club without grounds that rents pools, saunas or beaches for events. Also called a travel club.
Nude beachalso naturist beach, clothing-optional beach: A beach where swimming and sunbathing without clothes is allowed, officially or by custom. Usually only a marked section of a longer beach. See what a nude beach is.
Nude recreation: AANR's umbrella term for nude leisure: swimming, sunbathing, sports, camping. Nude Recreation Week is held each July.
Nude required: The rule at naturist-only resorts and some clubs: guests are nude in common areas when the weather allows ("nude when possible").
Nudismalso nudist: The same practice as naturism; the usual word in the United States. See nudism vs naturism.
Nudist colony: Old term for a landed club or naturist village, now rarely used by naturists themselves, who say club, resort or park.
Sauna culture: The Central and Northern European practice of nude mixed saunas with a towel rule and an Aufguss (infusion) ritual. Swimwear is banned in most German sauna cabins.
Skinny dipping: Swimming naked, usually informally and often somewhere not designated for it. See skinny dipping.
Status (on NudistMap): The label on every place page: official, naturist only, clothing optional, tolerated, customary or listed, with the source it comes from and whether we have verified it. See how we verify.
Swinger venuealso lifestyle resort: A club or resort where sexual activity between guests is the purpose. Not naturism, even when nude; excluded from NudistMap under its content policy.
Textilealso textile beach: Naturist slang for clothed people, swimwear, and the clothed part of a beach or campsite ("the textile beach"). Descriptive, not an insult.
Textilfrei: German for clothes-free; the rule in German, Austrian, Swiss and Dutch saunas, where swimwear is not allowed in the sauna cabins.
TNS / TNSF: The Naturist Society Foundation, a US organisation founded 1980 to defend free beaches and body acceptance. See TNSF.
Tolerated beachalso customary beach: A beach where nudity is not authorised in writing but is accepted and not enforced against. The status can change when complaints rise or management changes.
Topfreealso topless, top-free: Bare-chested regardless of sex; the term used by campaigns for the legal right of women to go topless where men may. Legal in some places (for example New York State) and not others.
Towel rule: Always carry a towel and sit on it on any shared surface: loungers, chairs, sauna benches. The one universal naturist rule after "no photos".
World Naked Bike Ridealso WNBR: An annual clothing-optional protest ride for cycling safety and against oil dependency, held in dozens of cities since 2004; nudity is tolerated by police for the ride.

Longer answers are in the guides; the places themselves are on the map.