Textile-free sauna: why, which rules and what your sauna towel does
The textile-free sauna is the norm in Germany – and for many newcomers the biggest hurdle before their first visit. If you know saunas with swimwear from your holidays, you may wonder: do I really have to be naked? Can I wrap a towel around me? And what about the walk to the relaxation room? Here I explain why people go to the sauna without swimwear, which rules are common and why your sauna towel is the most important item.
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What “textile-free” means in the sauna
Textile-free means that no swimwear is worn in the sauna cabin – no swimsuit, no swimming trunks, no bikini. The only textile that comes in with you is your sauna towel. In many facilities the rule applies not only to the cabin but to the entire sauna area, including showers, plunge pools and the sauna garden. A bathrobe or a wrapped towel for walking around is still allowed and even welcome.
Textile-free is not the same as naturism. In a textile-free sauna you are not undressed all day; you use your towel and bathrobe as a matter of course. You are naked mainly where heat and water are involved: in the cabin, in the shower and in the plunge pool.
Why no swimwear is worn in a textile-free sauna
The rule has practical reasons, not just tradition. Operators and sauna associations usually give these arguments:
- Hygiene: swimwear can contain residues of chlorine, detergent or sun cream. Germs also survive longer in wet fabric. Anyone coming from the swimming pool into the sauna brings these residues straight onto the bench.
- Heat: swimwear made of synthetic fibres can heat up unpleasantly and stick to the skin. Metal parts on bikinis get hot.
- Sweating: without fabric on your skin, sweat can evaporate freely and you sweat evenly.
- Cooling down: after the sauna session you go into the shower or plunge pool. Wet swimwear keeps cooling you afterwards and stays damp for a long time – until the next session.
- Tradition: the Finnish sauna, on which German sauna culture is based, is traditionally used without clothing.
The usual rules in a textile-free sauna
The house rules of the facility are always binding. The operator has domiciliary rights and decides what is allowed. Still, the rules are similar in many German saunas. The following overview shows what is common in which area:
| Area | Common | Your textile |
|---|---|---|
| Sauna cabin | no swimwear, completely on the towel | sauna towel as a base |
| Shower and plunge pool | no swimwear | towel or bathrobe on the hook |
| Paths and sauna garden | covered or uncovered, depending on the venue | wrapped towel or bathrobe |
| Relaxation room | lie on a towel | lounger towel, plus bathrobe or blanket |
| Restaurant | usually covered | bathrobe |
Can I wrap a towel around me in a textile-free sauna?
This is the most common point of dispute – and the answer depends on the venue. Swimwear is taboo in the cabin practically everywhere. With a wrapped towel, some facilities are generous, others insist on complete textile-free rules in the cabin. In any case, you still sit or lie completely on a towel so that no sweat gets onto the wood. A towel laid loosely across your lap is tolerated in many saunas. If you are unsure, ask at the entrance – that is completely normal.
Exceptions: textile saunas and women-only saunas
Not every sauna is textile-free. Some hotels and swimming pools explicitly offer textile saunas in which swimwear is allowed or even required. Many facilities also have a separate women's sauna or fixed women's days. If you don't feel comfortable in a mixed textile-free sauna, these are a good alternative.
Other countries, other rules
What is taken for granted in Germany can cause confusion on holiday. Roughly speaking, the customs can be summarised like this:
- Germany, Austria, Netherlands: textile-free and often mixed.
- Finland and Sweden: naked is common, but public saunas are often separated by gender.
- France, Italy, United Kingdom: often with swimwear.
Abroad, the local rules apply. Check beforehand at the hotel or spa whether swimwear is expected.
The sauna towel: your only textile in the cabin
Because everything else stays outside in a textile-free sauna, the sauna towel takes on several tasks at once:
- Base: in the cabin you lie or sit completely on it, including your feet. This is the most important hygiene rule.
- Cover: on the way to the cabin, the shower or the relaxation room, you wrap yourself in it.
- Privacy: especially on your first visit, a large towel gives you a good feeling. You can lay it loosely across your lap when you sit down, where the house rules allow it.
- Drying off: after showering – ideally with a second towel.
For the towel to do all this, it should be big enough: at 180 × 100 cm you lie completely on the towel in the cabin and can wrap yourself in it well. A flat-woven Ocean hammam towel (180 × 100 cm, 100 % cotton) is just as suitable as a classic sauna towel. If you need several towels at once, you save with the Hammam towel set Single (2 × Ocean and 1 × StayOn for the lounger). We show how to wrap a towel so that it stays in place on the way in a separate article.
Tips for your first visit
- Bring two towels and a bathrobe: one for the cabin, one for drying off, the bathrobe for breaks and walking around. A light Trimita Barok bathrobe made of cotton takes up little space in your bag.
- Read the house rules: they clarify whether a wrapped towel is allowed and whether there are women's days.
- Stay relaxed: in a textile-free sauna nobody looks closely. Nudity is completely normal there and nobody comments on it.
- Be discreet: keep eye contact, don't stare, no comments about bodies – that is the unspoken consensus.
- Phone in the locker: photos and phones have no place in the textile-free sauna area.
Related reading: Wrapping a sauna towel: 4 techniques for women and men that really hold · First sauna visit: how your sauna day works – using the Meri Sauna as an example · Sauna outfit: what you really wear in the sauna
Conclusion
The textile-free sauna has solid reasons: hygiene, more pleasant sweating and uncomplicated cooling down. Swimwear stays outside; your sauna towel is the only textile in the cabin – as a base, cover and privacy screen. Whether a wrapped towel is allowed is set out in the house rules. With a large towel, a second one for drying off and a bathrobe for walking around, you will feel well prepared even on your first visit.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really have to be naked in the sauna?
In most German saunas, yes, at least in the cabin. Swimwear is usually not allowed there. Some hotels and pools, however, offer textile saunas where swimwear is worn.
Can I wrap a towel around me in a textile-free sauna?
Each facility decides for itself. Some allow a wrapped towel or one laid across your lap, others don't. In any case, you must sit or lie completely on a towel.
Why is swimwear in the sauna unhygienic?
Swimwear can contain residues of chlorine, detergent or sun cream, and germs survive longer in wet fabric. Synthetic fibres can also get unpleasantly warm in the heat.
Are there saunas just for women?
Many facilities have their own women's sauna or fixed women's days. You will find the times on the website or in the house rules of the sauna.
How big should my sauna towel for a textile-free sauna be?
About 180 × 100 cm. That way you lie completely on the towel and can wrap yourself in it on the way to the shower or relaxation room.
What do I wear in the sauna garden?
Usually a bathrobe or a wrapped sauna towel. In cool weather a bathrobe is more pleasant because it also covers your arms and shoulders. Whether you may walk around the garden uncovered is set out in the house rules.
Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam and sauna operator at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.