The capital city has decided not to legalize nudity on a Warsaw beach on the Vistula River, in an eastern suburb.

The Miedzeszyn beach is known as a naturist heaven, providing those who enjoy naked sunbathing the opportunity to escape the city’s heat and catch some rays. Naturists from the web community Naturyzm.org have been appealing to make the beach legally designated for nude sunbathing, however, the city of Warsaw has decided against doing so.

As public nudity is illegal in Poland, Warsaw’s nudists will simply have to continue soaking up the sun in secret.

Local residents in the suburb claim that they have been appealing to the police and city guards for years to intervene in the situation with the nude sun bathers. The daily Zycie Warszawy writes that locals do not seek to ban nude sunbathing, but simply contain it to a small area of beach.

Marek Kulasza from the city guards told the paper that they checked the area one year ago and wrote one ticket for a nudist.

“Warsaw’s priorities are developing boulevards not nude beaches,” stated Agnieszka Klab from the press office at Warsaw City Hall.

The city’s nudists, however, simply want the opportunity to sunbathe in peace. “The idea is also that outsiders will not be shocked by meeting a naked person and nudists can relax in peace,” maintains Tomek from Naturyzm.org. (mmj)