I’ve read about the Finnish sauna etiquette. They called it the place of harmony and relaxation. In the late evening, I went to a sauna in a hotel, expecting to have a calm rest alone.
When I opened the door, it was full of naked gentlemen with giant beards. They were drinking beer and were singing songs very loud. There was no free space for me to sit…
French guy on an expat meetup
Ok, so, I think it’s time I talk to you about saunas! Let’s figure out what saunas are like in Finland, talk sauna etiquette, and uncover a couple of myths.
Everything here is based on my personal experience after 7 years in Finland. And… I may have a different opinion from others…
So, first of all, I am from Russia, and I am not new to saunas. I was there for the first time at the age of 3. I have been going to the sauna since. So, I thought I was well prepared, but Finland surprised me.
Few Facts about Finnish saunas (briefly)
These are well known, so I am mentioning them briefly for those who are completely unaware:
- Finland has the largest number of saunas per capita
- Saunas can fit all population of Finland at once
- If you stay in Finland – you most probably have access to a sauna nearby, ask your landlord
- On average, the sauna is around 80 degrees Celsius
- Finns make saunas in all kinds of weird places: hockey stadium facing the field, Burger King restaurant, gondola
- BONUS: There is a Finnish horror movie called Sauna 😀
Party may move to sauna
In my first month in Finland, I was at a home party, where suddenly everyone started picking up towels. Ok, so apparently, if you go to a home party, you should pick up a towel. There is a good chance that a Finnish party would move to a sauna.
That is exactly what happened in my first week in Finland. People started taking out towels from their bags. Someone gave me one as well. When I entered the sauna wrapped in a towel, I realized everyone wan naked… (Someone very drunk told it is time to show my d***)
Naked?
So yes, people go to saunas naked. In Russia, it isn’t that common for mixed saunas, but in Finland, it is kinda normal. Kinda, because there seem to be some patterns. It seems that young people go together, the same for families and groups of friends. On big celebrations and festivals though, no one cares.
In many mixed saunas, people wear swimming suits. Many public saunas or saunas in hotels are separate for men and women. If I don’t know what the sauna is like – I take a swimming suit just in case.
A place to talk?
Another thing is talking. Oh boy. A person you don’t know may come in and straight from the door start his: “My wife told me that I am …bla…bla…bla”. If this happens in public transport – they will call the police.
I’m sorry, but I would generalize Finns as quiet… Well, in a sauna, even the quietest ones have a word.
At a student district, we gathered in a sauna twice a week, and that was the place where around 3/4 of the talking took place. We stayed there for hours.
When I was on a trip, they called from the sauna to inform me that they discuss the colonization of Mars. They decided that first, they build a sauna because it is cold and that they don’t need a fridge for beer, because it is cold.
Weirdly enough, I got most of the information about life in Finland from there. In saunas, cultural barriers disappear. People easily share what’s on their minds.
If you are interested in this phenomenon, I would recommend the documentary called “Steam of Life“, Finnish name”Miesten Vuoro”.
Sauna – a place for calm rest?
Here Finns seem to have different opinions. Some tell that a sauna is almost a sacred place of relaxation, meditation, and calm rest. An old saying tells: “Behave in a sauna same as you in behave in the church”. I asked some of my Finnish university friends, who sing songs in a sauna, to comment on that. They told it is the thing of the past.
I think both “sauna cultures” co-exist. A few times, I have been to saunas that are indeed very quiet. But personally, I like the social aspect more, I always go with friends and I expect to have a conversation.
How to figure it out? Well, I guess, if you are in a certain sauna for the first time – don’t start talking and take note of how people behave. If no one talks, that it isn’t probably common in this particular sauna.
I usually go saunas I know well, where talking is not a problem, I actually expect that. Maybe there is a whole world of calm saunas, that I don’t see, because I don’t look for it.
Swimming
My Finnish friends are proud of three things: they outside naked after sauna, they cycle when it is snowing, and swim in winter. One day, at my home party, they did all three things at the same time. The river is around 400 meters from my home. After the sauna, they wrapped themselves in towels, got on their bicycles, and went swimming in ice-cold water.
Not sure about others, but for me, swimming is one of the best things in the sauna. The moment when you are all hot, drop into the cold water is priceless. In a split second, your body undergoes significant stress. First, because of adrenaline, you feel excited and after a short while relaxed. (Someone told me: “No drugs are needed if you do it many times”)
IMPORTANT: If you are new to it – don’t jump, go into the water slowly.
Common sauna types
There are more than these three, but those are most common in Finland.
Wood sauna.
That’s the original type. There is a wood stove with stones on top. Most of the people in Finland would prefer it to other kinds.
Electric sauna
The concept is similar, but stones are heated electrically. It doesn’t feel as organic as wood-heated but is very easy to install. This makes it the most common sauna type in Finland
Smoke sauna
This one is also heated by wood, but the stove has no chimney. It has to be heated for several hours before use. It feels outstanding because of the smell. But, because of the complexity, this type of saunas are rare.
Notable saunas in Helsinki
Here are a few notable saunas in no particular order.
Sompa sauna
Free wooden sauna, initially creates by students. Now it is run by volunteers. It has a beautiful place to swim.
One of my favorite places in Finland. (I will make a full blog post about it)
Allas Seapool
The sauna itself isn’t probably perfect, but there are open-air swimming pools right in the historical center. You can see the old buildings reflect in the swimming pool. There are regular and cold-seawater pools.
Kotiharjun sauna
This one functions from 1928 and is quite famous. It has a large wood stove and a lot of loyal customers. To my view, it is a good place to strike a conversation. There is no place to swim though. You can go outside to the street to cool down.
Sauna Arla
Another ancient wooden sauna, this one was found in 1929. In many ways similar to Kotiharjun. Lovely atmosphere and lots of regulars.
Kulttuuri sauna
I love this one for its design. There are tree-trunk columns and panoramic windows face the Finnish gulf. Calm music fills the common area, there are no loud conversations. Since it is next to the water, there is a place to swim.