Paris begins planning for dedicated naturist area

NUDISTS could soon have a dedicated area in Paris where they can discard their clothes without fear of a fine, after councillors voted in favour a proposal put forward by environmentalists.

Anyone caught in the nude outside France's dedicated naturist zones and campsites currently risks a fine of €15,000 and up to one year in prison.

But city officials in Paris are now planning to find a park or garden for naturists. The proposal suggested an area in the centre of the capital - including part of the newly pedestrianised banks of the Seine, but spaces in the bois de Vincennes or bois de Boulogne have also been mentioned as possible sites.

Before the vote took place, however, deputy mayor Bruno Julliard voices his support for the idea. He told BFMTV: "I'm all for it, and I think the mayor of Paris is too. So we're going to do it.

"We have two million naturists in France, twice that number in summer. For tourists, Paris is the world's top destination - and there is no place dedicated to them here.

He pointed out that other European cities - including Berlin, Barcelona and Munich - already have dedicated nudist areas.

Plans for a pop-up naked restaurant in Paris were already under way before Monday's council meeting, after the concept’s success in London.