If you visit Finland and leave without experiencing sauna even once, you have missed an essential part of the local culture. For many Finnish people sauna is a part of everyday life and it is enjoyed at least once a week.
Many Finns have a sauna in their own home. If they haven’t had it in the first place, they might have built it in their apartment – for example where their walk-in closet used to be! In apartments the saunas are electric, but in the countryside it’s often heated with wood and it gives the nice, softer heat.
If you get invited to a Finnish summer cottage you can be sure to find a sauna there. I’m not even sure if a summer cottage was considered a proper one if there was no sauna. At least the owners would be asked frequently “So, when are you going to build the sauna here?” It is expected.
It is quite magical in the summer when you can first enjoy the hot sauna and then go swimming in the clean waters of a lake or a sea. And then go back to sauna again. Back and forth!
Sauna in a Hostel
Smoke sauna
This gorgeous sauna building below is in the Lakeland area in the village of Joutsa at
Hostel Vaihelan tila. It's a smoke sauna, so it takes a whole day to heat and therefore they are not used on daily basis.
Here's another smoke sauna (in Finnish "savusauna"). This one is at
SKO-hostel in Savonlinna, which is also in the Lakeland area.
There's a hostel called
Hostel Ahopää in Saariselkä, Lapland. The hostel is part of Kiilopää Fell Centre and they offer you the experience of smoke sauna few times a week. They also have "normal saunas". Here's an introduction the all their sauna facilities.
Sauna by a Lake in Lapland
Hostel Visatupa is a real gem for anyone who loves nature and wants to experience the countryside in Lapland. They have a very good sauna too, it's right by a lake. In the winter you can even try ice-swimming!
City saunas
Many city hostels offer the traveller a chance to enjoy this Finnish tradition too.
The pictures below are from two hostels in Helsinki. First there's
Eurohostel that has just recently renovated their saunas to resemble a very traditional Finnish smoke sauna. It is electric though. And the morning sauna is included in the accommodation price.
Also
Hostel Domus Academica, located in central Helsinki, offers its' guests a morning sauna. Plus a refreshing swim in the pool.
And if you wonder about the health effects sauna has, here's some information at
Visit Sauna website.
HI Membership goes sauna!
Hostelling International members, make use of your membership even outside the hostels while in Finland! There are few sauna-related membership benefits:
