Adventure Diary

Not all those who wonder are lost…

Category: Massage

Southern Austria

An outdoor adventure paradise but also an alternative naturist destination.

I have lived in Austria for over 10 years and in that time have come to know the attitude toward naturism and the naturist lifestyle here very well. Its a very strange country to try and make your home with some quite ridiculous bureaucratic obstacles and extreme language difficulties. But if you are planning a naturist vacation, its a truly viable and beautiful alternative.

Getting to Carinthia (Kärnten) is the first hurdle as the only worthwhile airport is Vienna and thats a four hour drive away. Klagenfurt is the regional airport with only one UK option of Ryanair from Stansted. So logistically flying from the Uk could be complicated. There is of course the possibility of driving but unless you have enough time to play with and plan a road trip then the 1500+ km is a long way for a weeks holiday and back! But if you can find your way down here then the rewards can be quite breathtaking.

Carinthia is the southernmost region of Austria and has the most Mediterranean feel of anywhere in the country and with enough lakes and mountains to keep even the most enthusiastic of outdoors people entertained for the duration of your stay. The possibilities for outdoor activities are quite literally endless, with everything from hiking, climbing, via ferrata, mountain biking, road cycling, alpine passes and water sports. The list just goes on. And put on top of that a very naturist friendly climate from May through September, then it becomes a very attractive destination.

There are two naturist campsites in the region at Millstättersee and also near Wörthersee but I would like to concentrate on the Naturist Campsite where I spend my time, where I work occasionally, and where I visit and use as you would your local naturist club back in the uk for day visits.

Rutar Lido Feriendorf

The campsite is located in the Gemeinde Eberndorf around 30km from Klagenfurt with pretty decent public transport connections if needed, but your own vehicle is highly recommended to be able to fully explore the incredible surroundings to the maximum. It is officially classed as a FKK Holiday Village and therefore has people living there all year round as well as incorporating a full naturist campsite and hotel into the vast grounds.

It is situated in 15 ha of natural paradise with 40 self contained accommodation units as well as single room and apartment options in the hotel. The camping ground has over 300 pitches including electric and fresh water, various sanitary and shower blocks, and also a specific dog friendly area so your furry friend does not have to stay at home.

There is a fresh water lake for swimming, a smaller lake for your K9 companion to enjoy, two indoor swimming pools, two outdoor swimming pools, children’s pool, 2 finnish saunas, bio sauna, infra-red sauna and massage available (from me!). Also there is fitness equipment, a supermarket, bar and pool side restaurant, lovely campsite and naturist forest walks, archery, boules and enough space to find your own little corner in complete peace and nature.

As well as everything at the campsite, the surrounding area has an enormous amount on offer whether by foot, bicycle or car. The surrounding lakes of Gösselsdorfersee and Sonneggersee are located in areas of natural beauty and the nearby Klopeinersee lake is one of the warmest and most beautiful holiday locations in the whole of Austria, and just perfect for a day out SUP, swimming or just a lovely walk around the 5km picturesque lake. It also hosts a number of large events through the summer season from local farmers markets, triathlons, fun runs and quite extravagant fire work displays. And if you play golf then the course at Lake Turnersee is also very nearby and of high quality.

From Rutar Lido by bike you can explore the famous Drau River bike path, the historic hills of Hemmaberg and the Eisenkappel Valley with its crystal clear rivers and waterfalls. And for mountain bikers the Petzen bike park with down-hill tracks and the longest flow country trail in Europe at over 12 km is only a short drive away.

For walkers and hikers there is not only local walks and forest trails available but also the Petzen where you have the option of hiking to the 2100m peak on the Slovenian border, many other surrounding peaks above 2000m, as well as the breathtaking challenge of hiking the wonderful Hochobir mountain with commanding views over the whole of the Karawanken range.

Being so close to Slovenia there is also the opportunity of taking a worth while day trip to see its capitol Ljublanja (also an airport option) or the extremely picturesque lake Bled. As well as the Carinthian capitol Klagenfurt, lake wörthersee or the international street festival of Villach.

So there is much to see and do in this little southern corner of Austria. And if the weather doesn’t work out for a day, then there is the local naturist Bathhouse at Klopeinersee or for the true alpine Terme experience, the Römerbad at Badkleinkirchheim is a wonderful day out that is highly recommended even if the weather is good.

If anyone would like any further information about Rutar Lido camping and the surrounding area then please get in touch.

Best naturist wishes.

Ryan

26/07/2025
Tantra – Follow Your Curiosity

Over the last 20 years my lifestyle and thought process has altered dramatically. After leaving professional Sport in my mid 30’s there was a great void in my life and a realisation that there was a lot more to it than high steaks sporting competition.

I had always been spiritual but my lifestyle never allowed me to fully explore the spiritual path until I met an older (and wiser) Massage Therapist who introduced me to the word “Tantra” for the first time. And even though I found out later that she was using that word incorrectly and in the new age “Neo-Tantra” definition, it still ignited my curiosity which took me into a new world.

Tantra is NOT a dirty word but an incredible lifestyle choice of self awareness and a level of openness and consciousness that most people never experience in the short time we, as humans, are all breathing.

Beginning to study this ancient tradition opened my mind and heart to so many new experiences. To form better connections with loved ones and to be open, patient and accept people and situations that maybe did not feel so good in the past. It lets you form your opinion and worldview and to see other people and the world as a whole in many different ways through many different perspectives.

What is “Neo Tantra”

The question about Neo Tantra is a big one and it may change your outlook and attitude towards the word Tantra. I am not your (or anyones) Guru. I am not a teacher. I am not a preacher. I just try to live my life in the best way I can. And I am not educated enough in Tantra or articulate enough for an in depth analysis.

But if you ask the question of “What is Tantra?” then the first thing that you have to do is forget anything that you think that you know or what you have heard second hand about the word Tantra and also its association with the word “Sex” or “Massage”. They have absolutely no right to be used together and as a Tantra Spiritualist and also Massage Therapist it’s incredibly frustrating to be asked for a “Tantra Massage”.

Tantra is a Tradition dating to Medieval times where all Eastern religion has been based upon including Buddhism, which is actually Tantrik, but with a deity figure. Its practice is self awareness and connection to energy in everything. The word being “Self” and for no-one else.

The next problem is the public perception of Tantra as primarily connected with sex. With regard to the Indian tradition this is manifestly untrue. None of the scriptural sources of Śaiva Tantra teach a sexual ritual or sexual techniques of any kind.

One of the post-scriptural sources does teach a sexual ritual drawn from the Kaula tradition. But this is not the source for modern European and American Neo-tantra since it has never been translated, and the meditative rite it describes is almost wholly unlike what is taught in “Tantric sex” workshops which is maybe your experience of Tantra thus far.

All teaching of so-called Tantric sex in North America and now Europe can ultimately be traced back to Pierre Bernard, a.k.a. Oom the Omnipotent, who taught a bizarre and idiosyncratic version of yoga and tantra beginning in San Francisco in 1905. He was the first spiritual teacher in America to use Tantrik teachings to satisfy his own personal and prodigious sexual cravings.

Anyway, if I go too far down this route now I will never get back… Basically these workshops and seminars etc. have evolved from there. And even though they have absolutely nothing to do with the word Tantra, that is to say there is nothing inherently wrong with them.

I myself as a Massage Therapist, understand the power of touch. I understand connection, openness and the mediative power to release ones self from the tyranny or modern living. And if these seminars are held with no personal gain for the teacher and the students are willing to participate in this environment, then that can only be good for the world. More people with better understanding and self awareness is only a good thing. This then of course will bring peace to yourself and make you a better person and the benefits being that you are a better person for others, friends and loved ones.

A book I would like to mention is Tantra Illuminated by Christopher Wallis. This book goes with me everywhere, either in paper, E-book or audio format and is my direction for continuous spiritual growth and the grounding of which I now live my life upon.

I would recommend this book to absolutely everyone on the planet but too be honest its a tough read if you are not already somewhat aware. So if you have no real idea or interest of what Tantra actually is or if you want to associate the word Tantra with sex then give it a very wide birth… but if you are spiritual, feel yourself being drawn to an alternate way of thinking, or are just completely lost and have no idea what is going on, then I recommend listening to what this man has to say. And if it’s too deep to start then perhaps begin with his YouTube videos on various smaller subjects and grow from there.

The goal is not to live like someone you see or read about but to find a lifestyle that only you can do in a meaningful and fulfilling way.

I have been fortunate to have found my path and if you are seeking something different in your lives then begin your true Tantra journey. The more you read, the more you understand, the more curious you become.

Best spiritual greetings.

21/07/2024