No shirt, no service: Italian village hits bare-chested tourists with €200 fines

Varenna, by Lake Como in Italy, has banned shirtless strolling and swimwear away from beaches. Instant fines of €50 to €200 now apply to anyone walking village streets in bare chests, risqué wear, or bathing attire alone.

These changes form part of new urban, police-enforced regulations that took effect on June 27 after multiple complaints were received from locals about foreigners, mostly, stripping off where it was not considered appropriate. The council introduced the measures to ease pressure from rising visitor numbers on a community of roughly 650 permanent residents.

Noisy foreign tourists stripping off

Mayor Mauro Manzoni expressed pride in receiving hundreds of thousands of guests yearly yet insisted local quality of life must stay protected. “Residents cannot see their daily comfort sacrificed for the sake of mass tourism,” he said.

Tour guides and operators will also find extra controls under the same package. Groups stay limited to 25 people maximum while loudspeakers and any form of voice amplification face are outright prohibited. Guides who break those limits risk being instantly slapped with a fine of between €100 and €400 and possible bans lasting several months from leading tours through the village.

Tourists must stop milling around

Public spaces also receive further safeguards under new rules. Groups cannot obstruct pathways or gather on designated roads, piazzas or bridges, keeping movement open for everyone who lives or visits there.

Shop owners across Varenna have given the rules strong local backing. Proper dress suits shops, restaurants, churches and the main square, one trader noted, while swimwear stays suitable only by the water. Enforcement is essential, another owner added, describing the step as timely and well judged.

Several other Italian towns adopt same strict view

Several Italian destinations have already taken comparable action against disruptive habits. Sorrento previously imposed heavy fines after labelling bare-chested walking and town swimwear as widespread indecorous behaviour. Portofino later banned certain selfies and created no-waiting zones to stop crowds lingering in tight spots.

Narbonne in France has threatened clothing fines of its own. Spanish destinations have made similar rules and fines common across many cities, towns and villages for tourists who remain underdressed once they leave the coast.

Online comments from readers worldwide largely support Varenna’s stance. Many call the dress code a reasonable minimum standard applied evenly. Others recall the traditional Italian practice of changing in cabanas before entering streets or businesses and urge wider adoption of group-size limits in crowded heritage sites.

Clear expectations now form how visitors should appear while exploring when away from the waterfront.