Sally

I will be traveling to Holland in a couple of months and I have heard that the beaches in Europe are pretty liberal when it comes to topless bathing. Are the indoor pools the same, like in hotels and public indoor pools? There is a public pool in Amsterdam in the museum district and I was wondering how liberal that place is when it comes to swimming.

Rex

I can't specifically speak to customs in Holland, but in France, indoor swimming pools don't seem to be a haven for any female over age 8 without a top on.<BR><BR>topless is for SUNbathing - - whether in the surf or just lying nearby.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

xxx

Well REx, I beg to differ, as I have gone topless at the village pool as do the germans. At least in Germany, you can go topless in the park, at the beach, or at the lake, no one really cares. Why is it that some phobic american always brings up this subject. If you are so afraid of change and new experiences then what is the point of travel?

wrecks

Sally, you should be ok to go topless in the pool in Amsterdam, but take a top along with you, just in case some narrow-minded American tourist objects and you need to cover up.

xxx

If you are at the pool topless and some rude American has the nerve to say something I would tell him to get fu...(well You get the idea!)...The Dutch have a great saying "mind your own business"...have fun at the pool and get some sun.

wrecks

If you're after sun, Vondel Park is nice on a sunny day and I don't think anybody would object to you going topless there.

wrecks

BTW Sally, if you want to sample other aspects of Amsterdam's liberal attitudes, you really must visit at least one of its coffee shops. The most famous is the Grasshopper, which has a pleasant outdoor terrace with nice canal views - so long as you can keep your eyelids open!

Rex

I thought this question was about INdoor pools. I have been to INdoor pools with the same group of school teachers and to beaches with them. They kept their tops up at the indoor pool, and rolled them down at the beach.<BR><BR>I didn't question the difference. In fact, both practices seemed entirely normal to me. It's about the SUN. There are no tan lines associated with SWIMming at an indoor pool.<BR><BR>This was in France.<BR>

wrecks

Yes Rex, the post WAS originally about INdoor pools, but poster #3 suggested that Sally should get some SUN and I suggested Vondel Park as a good place to get some SUN and the coffe shops as a good place to LIGHTEN up her life in OTHER ways. HTH. Sorry if we digressed.

xxx

I don't know about hotel pools but some of the local community pools in Germany (as in, owned & operated by the city) have designated hours for not only topless but (horrors!) nude swimming. As well as coed nude saunas and steam rooms at the centers. <BR><BR>It is no big deal in Europe, they are very much amused by the typical American attitude towards nudity. And if you try anything sexual, you will be out on your ear faster than you can say Where is my swimsuit?<BR><BR>If you are into naturist facilities, look for the letters FKK in German-speaking countries, also Croatia and Hungary. It roughly translates as "culture for free bodies", in other words, naturists welcome! There is also an extensive network of similar facilities in France but I don't recall the acronym. But the French National Tourist Office actually pulishes a brochure on naturist facilities.

toppzz

or topless<BR>