Spa Zuiver, one of Amsterdam’s nude spas, is a true oasis of calm in the city.
Knowing little about Dutch spas at the time of visiting, our day at Spa Zuiver turned out to be an unexpected experience: it was a nude spa, which apologised for having swimwear days on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays (introduced due to popular demand from the young, international crowd).
Situated in a lush forest, with high-quality services and facilities, this is a place to be at one with nature – in more ways than one – and a spa dedicated to helping you rest, relax and recharge, in a non-judgemental space.
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What to expect at Spa Zuvier
Expanding over 13,000 square metres, Spa Zuiver has seven pools, including a 40-metre swimming pool which takes you out into a private garden of more than 1,000 square metres and is packed with ample sun beds. There are plenty of saunas here too: eight, in fact. The open-hearth sauna is heated by a real log fire, and the infrared sauna is designed to penetrate the first layer of your skin, heating your body at a deep level – it aims to prevents muscle pain, stimulate the healing of injuries, and help fatty acids and waste leave the body through the lymph system.
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Spa Zuvier also boasts a lot of unique takes on the usual spa experience: there’s a colour-therapy sauna; a music sauna; a steam bath; a Hammam; and a salt caldarium with Himalayan salts for an intense cleansing effect on your skin and airways. Even the traditional Finnish spa has a twist, with gong baths, singing-bowl sessions, and aromatherapy-infusion experiences provided by exceptionally friendly staff. Without a bathing suit, the plunge pool, or the ice bucket outside are able to work their cleansing and exfoliating magic on your skin. You’ll find massages and facials in the adjacent beauty salon, too.
Despite all of the many facilities, a highlight, as simple as it might sound, is simply swimming in the outdoor pool, naked; you can feel the sun on every inch of your body.
Why should you visit a naked spa?
As well as the benefits of the various treatments, saunas, spas and other facilities, visiting a nude spa is a chance to both familiarise yourself with yourself, and become more comfortable with your naked, natural body. As per the number of nude spas in Amsterdam, it’s clear that the Dutch population have less qualms about being naked in front of strangers – or friends – than other nationalities might.
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On entering Spa Zuvier, we certainly had our reservations, not knowing quite where to look or where to put ourselves, while others seemed very comfortable. It was challenging at first, but it gets better, and soon you begin to feel liberated. After some time, your focus moves away from your body image, and settles on focusing on the experience: you feel the different sensations on your skin, such as the piping hot water from the steam room, the freezing cold water of the plunge pool, and the varying sensations of the rooms with heat bars, colours, scents and music. The idea of not having clothes and fully experiencing your body becomes empowering.
What else is there to do?
Stay the night at the next door, Zuiver Hotel. With 32 calming rooms and suites, it makes the ideal extension to a spa day. Hotel guests have access to the spa throughout their stay, with a reduced rate on offer for the day of departure. You’ll also have access to a gym, as well as the hotel’s fleet of bikes, allowing you to hop on and explore Amsterdam like a local. Situated towards the outskirts of Amsterdam, you’ll benefit from the best of two worlds: it’s just a 15-minute drive to the city’s Museum Quarter, yet is situated within the stunning Amsterdamse Bos, a wooded park, allowing a true back-to-nature retreat. Stop in at the hotel’s restaurant, too, for a lunch or dinner served using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients.
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