We love stepping into a sauna, the Nordic steam bath in which the steam is provided by water thrown on hot stones. Ahh, that soft, yet intense, heat on your skin! Not to mention the peaceful tranquillity: Just sit down, relax and close the door firmly on the loud, bustling world outside – for a little while at least.
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- Swedish gentlemen on a raft sauna. You don’t have to be prude when you’re among friends.
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- Smoke sauna “Savusauna” where the wood smoke of the fire is trapped inside. Only for hard core fans.
The air temperature in a sauna would normally lie between 70-80°C (158- 76°F), but can often go over 100°C (212°F) if you are experienced enough. There are saunas all over the Nordic countries, but the real connoisseurs are of course the Finns. You would be hard pushed to find a Finnish home without a sauna – either in-built, or in a little hut in the back yard. Even workplaces often have their own saunas in the basement.
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- Sauna inspired by the historical saunas dug into hill slopes.
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- Traditional sauna within a cottage.
The word ‘sauna’ is an ancient Finnish word, which refers to both the cleansing technique and the bathhouse itself. The oldest evidence of saunas in Finland are more than ten thousands years old large pits dug into hill slopes with scorched stones. Anything for a bit of heat in the deep winter snow!
