Finland: This is How Quirky the Finnish Sauna Culture Is

There's a lot going on in Finnish saunas. Finns use their sauna sessions for meetings with colleagues and gatherings with friends.

What often looks like a small cabin in Finnish forests is usually a sauna.

In Finland, there are over three million saunas. While sweating together, Finns toast with beer or discuss business. That's why visiting a sauna is a must when traveling to Finland!

In the past, the sauna in Finland was a quiet and dark place where loud talking and swearing were frowned upon, as people did not want to anger the gods.

However, it was also a place where babies were born and sick people were treated. When a house was built, the sauna was always constructed first and served as accommodation until the house was completed.

Sauna in Finland: A Gathering Spot for Everyone

In Finland, a sauna session mainly means fun. It's not uncommon for Finns to toast each other in the sauna. By the way, 'cheers' in Finnish is 'Kippis!'

Even today, a sauna visit is an important part of Finnish daily life. On holidays like Midsummer and Christmas, it's part of the main ritual. Finns seem to have grown braver, as they no longer fear the wrath of the gods. Today, silence in the sauna is no longer mandatory; politicians debate while sweating, business partners close deals, and people toast, sing, and laugh.

But: Even though it's noisier in Finnish saunas, they remain places of relaxation and purification. Stress, just like smartphones, stays outside!

What You Need to Know Before Your First Sauna Visit in Finland

Finns like it hot, so the temperature in saunas often reaches nearly 100 degrees Celsius (212 degrees Fahrenheit). Therefore, you should cool off regularly. In winter, this can end in quite an adventure. Finns cut holes in frozen lakes to jump into after their sauna session.

Moreover, slaps in the sauna are allowed and even encouraged! In every Finnish sauna, you'll find birch branches. They not only give off a pleasant fragrance but are also used for gentle slaps on the back. A few taps with the birch branch stimulate the blood circulation.

In Finland, everyone goes to the sauna naked. Public saunas either have different hours for men and women or separate areas. If a sauna offers mixed sessions, swimwear is officially allowed, although you'll often stand out more with it than without.

Helsinki: The Coolest Saunas in the Capital

Finns set up their beloved saunas everywhere. In apartments, summer cabins, hotels, but also in fire trucks or as pop-up saunas right in the pedestrian zone. It's no wonder there are said to be more than three million saunas in Finland, according to Visit Helsinki. It's most enjoyable to sauna in small cabins in the nature, but if you're on a city trip to Helsinki, you must visit an Urban Sauna.

The newest sauna gem in Helsinki is 'Löyly,' opened in 2016 at the southern tip of the Helsinki peninsula, a large wooden house with a modern design. From the terrace, stairs lead directly down into the sea.

In the hipster district of Kallio, you'll find the Kotiharju Sauna. It's the last wood-fired public sauna in the city. Here, sauna-goers sometimes cool down on the roadside dressed only in towels. It looks wonderfully absurd! Maybe you'll join them on your next trip to Helsinki?

Beer and Business: Finland's Quirky Sauna Culture