Naturism in Switzerland

Public Nudity Laws

Comprehensive guide to public nudity laws, regulations, and penalties

Topless Sunbathing Laws

Is it legal to sunbathe topless? Country-by-country legal guide

Indecent Exposure Laws

What constitutes indecent exposure and the penalties in each country

Age Restrictions

Legal age requirements for nudity, naturist venues, and events

Photography Laws

Legal requirements for photographing nude subjects and naturist activities

Naturist Venue Regulations

Legal requirements for nudist resorts, clubs, and venues

Event Permits & Licensing

Requirements for organizing nudist events and gatherings

Strandbad Tiefenbrunnen is one of the City of Zurich's summer lake baths, set in parkland on the right (eastern) shore of Lake Zurich at Bellerivestrasse 200, a few minutes from the city centre near the Zürichhorn. It is a classic Swiss 'Badi': lawns, a lake section for non-swimmers, a children's paddling pool, diving boards at 1, 3 and 5 metres, a 62-metre lake slide, a restaurant and a tea pavilion with a terrace. Nudity is limited to a separate area: above the changing rooms are FKK sun terraces divided by sex, one for men and one for women. These are for sunbathing only. Swimming in the lake happens from the mixed area, where swimwear is required, and one reviewer has criticised the men's terrace for being basic and having no direct lake access. It suits visitors who want a nude sun deck within a full-service city lido rather than a natural nude beach. Entry is paid, with day tickets, multi-entry cards and season passes. The bath is open in summer only and, according to the 2026 listing, is closing for renovation after the 2026 season, with reopening provisionally set for May 2027.

The Katzensee is a pair of small lakes, joined by an artificial canal, on the northern edge of Zurich between Affoltern and Regensdorf, set in a nature reserve with protected moorland of national importance. The City of Zurich's sports office runs a free lake bath, Seebad Katzensee, on the lower lake, with about 80 metres of sandy natural shoreline, big lawns, a children's water-play area and playground, a kiosk, changing rooms and barbecue fireplaces at the forest edge. The site was renovated in winter 2023/24. Within the bath is a small FKK meadow and nude bathing beach with its own lake access, separated from the rest of the bath by a privacy screen; nude bathing is allowed only there. The shallow lake warms early in the season and suits longer swims, though some visitors find the water murky and the entry over small stones awkward. The nude area is the main sore point: regulars say it is too small for the numbers on sunny days, often damp and muddy along the access path, and partly shaded. Couples, families and solo visitors of all ages use it. Inflatables and SUPs are not allowed, and dogs and bikes are banned from the grounds.

Naturiste Thielle.

Switzerland is a nudist-friendly beach in Switzerland. Nudity is optional.

Lake Geneva swimming area with nude sunbathing.

Choller is a free public bathing area on the northern shore of Lake Zug (Zugersee), at the edge of the town of Zug, with views across the lake to the mountains. The shore here has three small bays used for swimming, and the westernmost of them is officially set aside for nude bathing; nudity is not allowed in the other two bays or on the footpaths. Swiss media have named Choller among the country's most attractive FKK bathing spots. The bay has a small sandy beach mixed with fine pebbles and a gentle slope into the water, so the lake is easy to enter, and the water warms up well in summer. Around the bays are lawns, benches, fire pits for grilling and toilets, but no kiosk or café, so bring food and drink. The area is unsupervised and open at all hours. The nude bay is small with limited shade, and on summer weekends it often fills while the clothed bays are quieter. The surroundings are a nature reserve, so dogs must be kept on a lead.

HESPA Heliosport Aargau is a members' naturist association with its own grounds, known as the Chläb, on the hillside above Auenstein in the canton of Aargau, between Aarau and Brugg. The club has about 270 members across several generations and, according to Swiss press, has run a campsite there since 1951. The site describes itself as a small self-run village with its own spring water supply. Accommodation includes camping pitches looking out over the Swiss Mittelland, double rooms opening onto a sun terrace above the pool and lawn, and a group dormitory with 32 places under the clubhouse roof. Facilities include modern washrooms, cooking and barbecue areas, sports grounds and a solar-heated outdoor pool. The grounds are closed to visitors from 1 October to 30 April, but members hold social events in the colder months, such as an Advent gathering and New Year's Eve at the Chläb. The club stresses mutual respect and tolerance.

NASPO, short for Verein Natur und Sport Zürich, is a long-established naturist members' club based in Uster, and the Föhrli (Föhrlibad) is its private grounds at Nänikon in the Zurich Oberland, east of the city. The club is a member of the Swiss naturist union (SNU-UNS) and describes itself as politically and religiously neutral. The site is a protected parkland of about 25,000 square metres with old trees, built around a 25-metre outdoor pool with lighting, which the club calls the only textile-free swimming pool in north-east Switzerland. Other facilities include a sauna, clubhouse with terrace and kiosk, volleyball, pétanque, archery and table tennis, a play tower and paddling pool for children, barbecue areas and a simple sleeping hut. Nudity is expected on the grounds, and the club code bans smoking, sexual innuendo and public displays of affection; it stresses a family atmosphere for men, women and children. Members hold a badge that opens the gate at any hour, all year, while the pool and main outdoor season run roughly from mid-April to mid-October. The club holds occasional open days for the curious, such as one in July 2025.

SonnenBad Schönhalde (SBS) is a members' naturist and FKK club that has run its own grounds at Aeugst am Albis, in the Knonauer Amt south-west of Zurich, since 1960, and celebrated its 75th anniversary recently. The club says it belongs to the Swiss Naturist Union and the International Naturist Federation. The grounds lie on a sloping hillside in a rural setting partly bordering a nature reserve, with panoramic views to the Rigi, Pilatus and the Alps, about 20 minutes by car from Zurich, 15 from Zug and 30 from Lucerne. Facilities are simple: an outdoor swimming pool, lawns and sitting areas, a barbecue area, a small self-service bistro, pétanque, table tennis and garden chess, and basic toilets, washrooms and changing rooms. Members can stay overnight in caravans, campers or tents or in a farmhouse; a few visitor camping spots exist but must be booked ahead. The club describes its aim as enjoying sun, wind and water nude, with mutual respect and tolerance, and welcomes all age groups. The outdoor season runs through the warmer months, closing with a work day and party in mid-October. There is no warden and the site is not always staffed, and the slope makes it hard going for people with limited mobility.

Sonnenbad Rehwinkel is the private naturist grounds of the Verein Sonnenbad Rehwinkel at Oberglatt, in the Zurich lowlands north of the city and close to Zurich airport. The site has been in use since 1954 and covers a little over 7,000 square metres of lawn and trees. It is a members' club rather than a commercial resort, and its stated ethos is living in harmony with nature, mutual consideration and ecological commitment. Facilities are simple: a 6 by 12 metre swimming pool, a children's paddling pool, cold outdoor showers, sanitary facilities, a clubhouse and kiosk, a garden grill with tables and an open fire pit, and shaded rest areas. For games there are pétanque, table tennis, a large ball-games lawn used for volleyball, and outdoor chess and Mühle (nine men's morris) boards. Nudity is the norm on the grounds. Members hold a key and can use the site at any time of year, while the guest season runs from May to October, when visitors with a guest card are admitted at weekends only. Newcomers can book a trial day through the club website. It is one of a handful of club-run naturist grounds around Zurich, alongside NASPO's Föhrli at Nänikon.

Geneva naturist club.