SPIEGEL ONLINE: Nude hikers in Germany have a new place to indulge their hobby. One keen naturist has announced the opening of a hiking trail exclusively for those who enjoy walking in the buff.
Heinz Ludwig, who owns a campsite and restaurant in the small village of Dankerode in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, has another passion beside serving food and providing tents: naked hiking. He is the initiator of a new walking path meandering 18 kilometers (11 miles) through the Harz mountain range in central Germany, which he claims is Germany's first official naked hiking trail.
Although plenty of people are interested in taking to the hills in nothing but their birthday suits, he says, many are afraid that, if they take part in the high-profile event, images of their naked bodies will pop up on the Internet and in newspapers and magazines all over the world.

The general response to the opening of the new path has so far been positive, which is not surprising given the fact that nudism is more entrenched in the history of Germany than many might expect. The country has a tradition of naturism -- known by its German acronym of FKK -- dating back to the late 19th century, and nude bathing is widely accepted, especially on designated beaches on the Baltic Sea coast. Naked Wanderlust: Germany's First Nudist Hiking Trail Opens >>> Josie Cox | Wednesday, September 23, 2009
FKK (Freikörperkultur) >>>