Why Finns Love Saunas: The Secret of the Nordic Bathroom Ritual

Culture, not luxury

Finnish sauna culture has been inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since December 17, 2020 – as the very first Finnish element on this list. The numbers speak for themselves: in a country of 5.5 million inhabitants, there are approximately 3.3 million saunas according to UNESCO, and nearly 90 percent of Finns sauna at least once a week according to the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. The word sauna itself comes from Finnish and is one of the few Finnish words that has become established worldwide.

In the past, the sauna also had quite practical roles. In rural areas, it was a place with warm water and privacy, and women often gave birth there until the 1940s. UNESCO notes that the sauna was traditionally viewed as a sacred space – a "church of nature".

The development in cities is also interesting. Traditional public saunas nearly disappeared after the 1950s, but in recent years, new ones have been emerging thanks to private initiatives.

Löyly: the soul of the sauna

The core of the experience is löyly – the steam that is created when water is poured over hot stones. The word originally referred to spirit, breath, or soul, and UNESCO describes it as the spirit of the sauna. The steam temporarily increases humidity and perceived temperature, and the body begins to sweat more.

The Finnish Sauna Society recommends a temperature of 80 to 100 °C in the sauna, although many people also find around 70 °C comfortable. Before entering the sauna, one usually showers, and thorough washing with soap and shampoo typically comes at the end. According to the society, one should avoid heavy meals and alcohol before sauna.

In summer, a vihta is added to the sauna experience, known as vasta in eastern Finland – a bundle of fresh birch twigs that one gently whips against the body. This promotes circulation and the sauna smells pleasantly of birch.

Smoke, wood and electricity

Saunas come in many forms: wood-burning, electric, smoke and infrared. UNESCO emphasises that there is no hierarchy among them. The original type is considered to be the smoke sauna, or savusauna in Finnish. It has no chimney: wood burns in a large stove for several hours, filling the room with smoke. When the fire goes out and the smoke is ventilated, a soft, even heat remains with the scent of wood and smoke. Many Finns consider it the best of all.

Cooling down is not a competition

Between rounds, the body cools down – with a shower, fresh air, in a lake, and in winter even in a hole cut in the ice. However, jumping into icy water is neither mandatory nor suitable for everyone. Sauna bathing is not an endurance sport: the Finns themselves cancelled a competition for endurance in the sauna, which they hosted for eleven years, when in 2010 one of the competitors died in 110-degree heat.

Forest and lake as part of the experience

Photographs of Finnish saunas often show wood, lakes, forests, and snowy landscapes. Such an environment creates a strong connection with nature, and lakeside cabins truly offer this. However, the Finnish reality is also urban: saunas are a common feature in homes, apartment buildings, and swimming pools. In Finland, it is common to go to the sauna naked, and in public saunas, men and women usually sauna separately.

What to take home

The most interesting inspiration is not the purchase of expensive technology, but the principle itself: heat, steam, cooling, and peace – regularly and without performance stress. A small electric sauna in an apartment is, in this sense, just as "real" as a smoke sauna by the lake. If you are considering a sauna at home, treat it as a technical project: it needs enough space, proper ventilation, professional electrical installation, and materials resistant to heat and moisture. It is advisable to discuss these details with an expert before renovation.