Bredene celebrates 25 years of nudist beach: 'You don't get into the bath with your clothes on?'

Bredene, a Belgian coastal town, is celebrating a unique milestone: the 25th anniversary of its nudist beach. Opened on July 1, 2001, the beach was the result of a determined four-year campaign by initiator Jacques Deroo, who fought against laws that classified public nudity as indecent exposure. Today, Bredene marks a quarter-century of offering this distinct recreational space.

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You don't get into the bath with your clothes on, do you?

Deroo's fight for the nudist beach was not without its challenges. At the time, naturism was prohibited in Belgium, forcing Belgian naturists to travel abroad. Deroo, alongside the Belgian Naturistenfederatie, even staged a protest, symbolically placing a European flag with a star removed to represent Belgium as the only country without a nudist beach. He acknowledged the difficulties, noting Belgium's small size and crowded coastline, which made finding a suitable location complex.

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It was an immediate success, on the first day there were already 1,000 people here thanks to the beautiful weather.

Initially, the municipality denied Deroo's request for a naturist zone due to existing legislation. However, after studying Dutch law, Deroo presented his interpretation to the King's Prosecutor in Bruges. He argued that in a clearly demarcated zone exclusively for naked individuals, public indecency was not applicable, as visitors were knowingly participating in naturism. The prosecutor agreed with this interpretation, paving the way for the beach's opening.

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Naked recreation was forbidden in our country because it was considered public indecency. Belgian naturists had to go to nudist beaches abroad.

The nudist beach is situated on a small strip bordering De Haan, intentionally located away from other beaches and without nearby buildings to ensure privacy. Despite these measures, the dunes behind the beach have reportedly become a location for sexual encounters. To address this, the local government has recently fenced off the dunes with posts and barbed wire, posting signs prohibiting entry, a move that has also drawn protest from nature conservation groups concerned about the protected status of the dunes.

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I studied Dutch legislation at the time and went to the then King's Prosecutor of Bruges Jean-Marie Berckvens. I explained to him that when one goes to a specifically demarcated naturist zone where only naked people stay, there is no longer any question of public indecency.