This article was published more than 20 years ago. Some information may no longer be current. What happens when an uptight, modest North American girl steps into a mixed-gender nude spa, sans towel, sans robe, sans support system either literal or metaphorical? I'm not sure whose idea it was, but I'm sure it wasn't mine. We were enjoying a lunch on the terrace of the Kandinsky Restaurant in the Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel.
In front of us was the bustling boardwalk and, as far as the eye could see in either direction, the smooth fine beach of the North Sea. We noticed that, directly beside the Kurhaus and connected to the hotel by a convenient corridor, was the Kuur Thermen Vitalizee Spa. Then Irma, the only Dutch person in the group, spoke up.
For one thing, both men and women use the facilities. No clothing is permitted. But we were not going to allow our provincial prudery to deprive us of a new experience, so we all took a deep breath. And it wasn't a problem, at least not for more than the first few moments. After that, it was both liberating and exhilarating. When we checked into the spa at the main desk, we were given a robe, a towel and a locker key.
I immediately wondered where one would carry the locker key - there are no pockets when you are in the buff -- but that had been taken care of. In the locker room, which is a discreetly lit, serene space with lots of corners for those needing privacy, a computer set into the wall merely needed your personal code and a swipe of the key, and the locker you had been assigned could be opened or locked electronically.
It overlooks the beaches and dunes of the North Sea, and is accessible from the boardwalk, or through the corridor from the Kurhaus. One of the charms of the Vitalizee is its closeness to the ocean and all the activities associated with a coastal vacation spot. The first thing that strikes you about the Vitalizee is the space.
