American exceptionalism may have gotten us to the moon and back, but when it comes to actually mooning each other you know, on the beach , we're not exactly world-beaters. Europe, by contrast, is in a completely different league when it comes to shoreline skinny-dipping. Maybe it's their permissive attitude toward public nudity. But which ones are really worth your vacation days?

The naked body both confounds and amazes us—seen as both a sign of evil by Puritans and an expression of grace by artists. Europeans, however, don't view the human body as sinful. If you're traveling with children, you may want to avoid these locales depending on your family's values. But if you're a likely participant, nudist beaches welcome you, birthday suit and all. Plage de Tahiti—an iconic nudist beach that lies five miles south of St. In the s, Brigitte Bardot and Ursula Andress started the scantily-clad craze with their itty-bitty bikinis that shocked even the Europeans. But by the s, the trend toward toplessness steamrolled and the beach made its mark as the place to see and be seen.

In the summer season, people love to spend more and more time on the beaches. Europe is one of the most famous destinations for beach lovers because of the diversity of experiences to be had. You can visit this vibrant place in any season of the year. You may recall that time we accidentally went to a topless beach in Barcelona. I was super surprised at the time, but as we traveled more I was less surprised when it happened.

No need to worry, this article is completely safe-for-work. No photos of an embarrassing uncle who is all too comfortable in his own skin either although you may want to send him this link once done reading. Or something like that. Off the northwest coast of Germany near Denmark is the island of Sylt. Bare it all next to the North Sea in northern Europe.