Südland – Erste Österreichische Gemeinschaft für Naturismus und Naturschutz

Not an accommodation business but a naturist association, founded in 1925 and therefore among the oldest in Austria, which owns two hectares of meadow and woodland on the Marxenkogel, on the Rannach, at about 800 metres above Graz. The heart of the grounds is a red wooden hut from the 1970s with a wood-burning kitchen stove and a dormitory with six bunk beds; outside there is an outdoor pool in use since the 1970s, a vine pergola, a fire pit overlooking the rooftops of Graz, a barbecue area, vegetable gardens and a small orchard. The place is deliberately secluded: it does not appear on online maps or travel portals, and they explain how to get there after the first contact. It is not a commercial operation: guests can come up only if a member is present and has been notified in advance (a daily fee of a few euros), while those who want to come regularly take out the annual membership, after five visits to get to know each other; members can use all the grounds and also sleep in the hut, but are expected to lend a hand with maintenance. Families are explicitly welcome and nudity is the norm, without being imposed on anyone who doesn't feel up to it at certain moments. Suited to those looking for a small naturist community to share the place with, not to those looking for an organised holiday.