We just are. Ask us, though, and chances are we have no idea our attitude to naked bodies is anything other than the norm. How could we possibly be accused of prudishness? Austrians love to sauna. They love to sauna the way that Swedes, Finns and Norwegians love to sauna, despite being hundreds of miles away. This land-locked country in the heart of Europe at some point got hold of the concept of sitting in a really hot room and ran with it in a way that most of its various neighbours — Germany, Italy, Switzerland etc — can only wonder at.

We me and my GF are planning a trip to central Europe. We will fly to Verona, Italy , and from there we are planning to make trips in the area, including in the nearby countries. We would like to visit a classic European spa, which includes the usual facilities, like steam-room, Jacuzzi etc.

A comprehensive How-To guide for navigating naked saunas and therme culture in Austria - brought to you by a bonafide fan of this relaxing cultural tradition. By faaarrrr the question I get asked the most by newly arrived immigrants and horrified Aussie mates when we start talking about the Austrian therme culture and how amazing it is, is ' What about the whole nude sauna thing? We have a helluva lot of hangups about our bodies and can barely allow women to show a bit of nipple when literally feeding their offspring for a short time in a park or cafe.