Finnish saunas: why the country has one for every two people

In Finland the sauna is not a hotel extra. UNESCO counts about 3.3 million saunas in a country of 5.5 million people, which works out to roughly one for every two Finns. In December 2020 Finnish sauna culture was added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the way UNESCO describes it is telling: much more than washing, a place where people clean body and mind and find some quiet.

If you are travelling to Finland, this is worth understanding before you go. The sauna is where a lot of ordinary life happens, and knowing how it works lets you use it the way people there do, instead of as a photo stop.

A room that is part of the house

The sauna began as a bathing cabin, and in a country with so much forest the wood to build and heat one was never hard to find. Today saunas sit in apartment blocks, offices, summer cottages and even Parliament. According to the Finnish government, almost 90% of the population bathes in a sauna every week, and Saturday is the traditional day.

UNESCO is careful to say that there is no single correct sauna. Electric, wood-heated, smoke and infra-red saunas all count, and the inscription says there is no hierarchy among them. Traditions are passed down in families, with universities and sauna clubs helping to share the knowledge. Because there are so many saunas, almost everyone can get to one, and that accessibility is part of why the custom has lasted.

What löyly means

Löyly is the heart of it. It is the steam, or in UNESCO’s wording the spirit, released when water is thrown on the heated stones. Traditionally the sauna was regarded as a sacred space, a “church of nature”, and that explains the manners. People speak quietly and nobody hurries.

A smoke sauna is the oldest form. It is heated by burning wood in a stove without a chimney, the smoke is let out before bathing, and the walls keep a dark, smoky smell. A wood-heated sauna uses a stove with a chimney, and an electric one is the type found in most apartments. Each has its own character and its own kind of löyly, and Finns have opinions about which is best.

Public saunas: a custom that nearly disappeared

Here is something that surprises people. UNESCO notes that traditional public saunas in the cities almost vanished after the 1950s, as private bathrooms and home saunas spread. In recent years, new public saunas have appeared again, driven by private initiatives. For a visitor this is good news, because it is the easiest way in. Most Finns use a sauna at home, but you do not have a Finnish apartment.

Visit Finland’s guide to the Helsinki region shows how varied the options are:

• Löyly is a sculptural wooden building on the Helsinki waterfront with wood-fired saunas, a public smoke sauna, a year-round outdoor pool and views of the Baltic Sea.
• Allas Sea Pool sits in the middle of the city and has a cold sea water pool, a sauna and a warm pool kept at 27°C all year.
• Kotiharju Sauna has welcomed bathers since 1928 and is described as the last wood-heated public sauna in Helsinki.
• Kulttuurisauna opened in 2012, aims to stay quiet and, at the time of Visit Finland’s article, admitted groups of no more than two people.
• Sompasauna is built and maintained by volunteers. There is no staff, no showers and no lockers, so it asks for an open mind.

Opening hours and rules change, so check the venue’s own site before you go.

What to know before your first time

There is no single official rulebook and practices vary by place, so treat this as a checklist of things to confirm rather than strict etiquette:

• Mixed or separate? Some venues run men’s, women’s and mixed sessions on different days or times. Uunisaari and Furuvik, for example, schedule women-only and mixed slots. Read the timetable first.
• Swimwear. Rules on what to wear differ between public saunas. Look at the venue’s instructions instead of guessing.
• Booking. Popular places sell tickets in advance. Visit Finland recommends reserving at Furuvik and at Lonna.
• Bring or rent. Towels, and often seat covers, are your responsibility. Some places rent them.
• Throwing water. Let the host or the regulars decide when the stones get water. A bucket of water on the stones changes the heat for everyone.
• Cooling off. The sea, a lake or a cold pool is part of the routine in many places, but go at your own pace.

Why it matters for travellers

You can see Helsinki’s architecture and museums in a few days. The sauna shows you how people unwind. In a cold country full of lakes, it ended up closer to a neighbourhood habit than a tourist activity, and that is why the best way to try it is to go to a public one and mirror what the people around you do.

For another country where a bathing rule surprises visitors until they understand it, read about Iceland’s pool shower rule. If you like understanding local habits before you travel, the guide to Sweden’s right to roam is a similar case of a custom people grow up with.

Sources

• UNESCO: Sauna culture in Finland
• Finnish Government: UNESCO inscription
• Visit Finland: Must-experience saunas in Helsinki region