"It's not every day you get to walk around a museum naked," said Julie Guegnolle, 38, who was celebrating her birthday at the "Naturist Paradises" exhibition in the Museum of Civilisations of Europe and the Mediterranean (Mucem).

Once a month, visitors to Mucem can explore the history of naturism in Europe in only their shoes -- a precaution not for modesty's sake but simply to "avoid getting splinters," the head of France's FFN naturist organisation Eric Stefanut told AFP.

Walking around the displays clad in a sarong, Guegnolle told AFP she wanted to "do something different" for her birthday.

She and her husband, Matthieu -- also in his birthday suit -- were among 80 visitors in various states of undress strolling around the 600 photos, paintings, sculptures, and other works one Tuesday in August.

"When we arrived, we felt a bit lost, but it's not so strange," Guegnolle said.

-'Not really accepted'-

Some visitors suffered more culture shock than others, with one couple from southwest England marvelling at the liberated attitudes towards nudity on display.

Kieren Parker-Hall and Xander Parry told AFP they enjoyed the "fantastic" photography, including a nude black-and-white portrait of Christiane Lecocq -- a female pioneer of French naturism who died at the age of 103.

Discovering the history of naturism while in the nude was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for the two Brits, especially since they said the practice is not widely accepted in their home country.

"There's not a lot of naturist stuff in England," said web developer Parker-Hall, 28, adding the practice is "not really accepted".

Xander Parry, a 30-year-old stained glass maker, agreed.

Being naked in England is seen as "weird... you should be a bit ashamed of being naked," Parry said.

-'Stronghold of naturism'-

Though there is no official ranking, Mucem describes France as "the world's leading tourist destination" for those who enjoy going nude outdoors.

The naturist movement sprang up in Switzerland and Germany in the 19th century, Bruno Saurez, head of the local naturist association and co-host of the visit told AFP.

France's first naturist group emerged in the southeastern Provence region in 1930 before spreading throughout the country.

The southern port city of Marseille, long considered a "stronghold of naturism" boasts several dedicated centres due, in part, to the region’s mild climate, Saurez added.

"We're right on Spain's heels for the number of visitors to vacation resorts" dedicated to naturists, he said.

But for Christelle Bouyoud, 53, naturism goes further than tourist numbers or the freedom to bare it all - the decision to go nude can be a unifying force for society.

"When you're naked, it's very complicated to face someone on the battlefield," Bouyard, a naturist of a decade's standing, told AFP.

For the fully clothed and the naked alike, the exposition featuring loans from the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the Louvre, and the Swiss National Library in Bern is open until December 9.

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© Agence France-Presse