You Can Leave Your Shoes On: French Museum Opens Exhibition of Naturist Paintings for Naked Visitors

One night a month, naked visitors are welcome at Naturist Paradises, provided they wear shoes - a precaution not for modesty's sake, but simply to ‘avoid splinters,’ says Eric Stefanut, head of the French naturist organisation FFN. A museum in the southern French city of Marseille invites visitors to discover Europe's connection to the naturist lifestyle by wandering its halls in the nude.

‘It's not every day you get to walk around a museum naked,’ said Julie Henoll, 38, who was celebrating her birthday at the exhibition “Naturist Paradises” at the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations (Mucem).

Some visitors experienced more culture shock than others, with one couple from south-west England shocked by the relaxed attitude to nudity.

Learning about the history of naturism in the nude was a ‘once-in-a-lifetime opportunity’ for the two Brits. As they said, the practice is not widely accepted in their country.

‘There's not a lot of naturist stuff in England,’ said web developer Parker Hall, 28, adding that the practice is “not really accepted”.

Xander Parry, a 30-year-old stained-glass artist, agreed. Being naked in England is perceived as ‘weird... you should be a bit embarrassed to be naked,’ Parry said.

Although there is no official ranking, Mucem describes France as ‘the world's leading tourist destination’ for those who like to go naked.

Bruno Sauvèrez, head of the local naturist association and co-organiser of the exhibition, said the southern port city of Marseille has long been considered a ‘naturist stronghold’. It boasts several dedicated centres, partly due to the region's mild climate. 

‘We are not far behind Spain in terms of the number of visitors to naturist resorts,’ he said.

The naturist movement originated in Switzerland and Germany in the 19th century. The first group of naturists in France emerged in the southeastern region of Provence in 1930 before spreading throughout the country.

You can also check out the best nudist beaches in Europe here.