Sauna and swimming

Sauna and swimming

The sauna is an essential part of the Finnish way of life. Finns take saunas at the end of the day, after sports, with friends, at the conclusion of meetings and always on Saturdays. Finns sauna without bathing suits, so men and women usually take turns separately. There is no competition to see who can endure the hottest sauna. More important is finding the perfect mix of the right temperature (usually 80C) and humidity.

Popular sauna rituals include taking repeated dips in the lake in summertime and in wintertime cooling off by rolling in the snow or taking a quick dip in the water through a hole cut in the ice. Fresh birch branches are often used to work up a good sweat, and afterwards cold sauna beers taste great.

There are several different kinds of saunas in Finland. Most of the saunas at holiday cottages are wood-heated, but electric saunas are also very common. Smoke saunas are less common but offer a softer heat and special aroma. There are also floating saunas and even ice saunas.