The high in Finland is taken like this
1. THERE ARE ICE SAUNAS. and they are built in the middle of the snow with blocks of... ice. To enjoy them without being glued to the ground, it is recommended to wear felt socks.
two. THERE ARE STEAM SAUNAS. And it is also believed that they are the authentic ones, the original ones. And since everything that's cool comes back, it turns out that they get along a lot again. Also, they are cheaper they don't have a fireplace (perhaps this has something to do with its rise...) The largest in Finland is at Rauhalahti.
3. THERE ARE PORTABLE SAUNAS. And we continue for bingo with another genius, the Hot Cube Sauna , which is sold like an Ikea piece of furniture so that you can assemble it wherever you want. Even on the water!
Four. AND THERE ARE MOBILE SAUNAS. Is not the same. The former stay put once mounted, these they are on the move. For example, there are in cable car cabins in the city of Teuva, very innovative in these matters of putting saunas in unexpected places. To give you an idea, they also have in phone booths or fire trucks (why not!)
5. THERE ARE DESIGNER SAUNAS. One of the most popular and s Loylo, for its innovative wooden architecture , and it hasn't even opened yet!
A Hot Cube sauna in the water (yes, it is possible)
6. THERE ARE SAUNAS IN THE MIDDLE OF NATURE, some even in beautiful forests with (Nordic) fairytale lakes, like this one from Järvisydän .
7. THERE ARE CULTURAL SAUNAS. And with this we would not even finish the enumeration, although we are going to leave it here to stop at some point. We are talking about the saunas in which cultural events are held, such as poetry readings. This is the case of the Kultuurisauna, which also offers you the possibility of giving yourself a dip in the sea. Yes, in Helsinki. Yes, in winter too.
8. THERE ARE SAUNAS EVERYWHERE (especially in the houses, but the thing reaches the Parliament) . There are many, so many that it is said that they could house all 4.5 million Finns... at once.
9. THERE IS AN ISLAND DEDICATED ONLY TO SAUNAS! It's called **Saunasaari**, and you can book it just for your friends.
10. YOU CAN TRY NINE TYPES OF SAUNAS IN A SINGLE DAY. It is a challenge only suitable for steam gods: by telling you that the bus that takes you from one to the other is also a sauna ... Are you one of them?
A perfect sauna in the middle of NOWHERE
eleven. NEWBORN INFANTS CANNOT ENTER, neither do those who have heart problems or open wounds, but for the rest of humanity It is a phenomenal activity and highly recommended. An old Finnish saying goes: "If sauna, liquor and pitch don't help, the disease is fatal."
12. NO, IT'S NOT TO MEET PEOPLE, at least not in the way the classifieds pages suggest. The sauna is a practically sacred place in which to cleanse body and soul, which is why it is often said that behavior should be similar to that in a church (Look what things...)
13. YOU SHOULD NOT DECLINE AN INVITATION TO THE SAUNA . If someone asks you to accompany him in this intimate moment, it is because he considers you to be one of his closest circle and He wants to strengthen his ties with you. In fact, in the north it is said that the big decisions are made precisely in these warm little rooms, since, stripped of all contact with the outside, one opens up and puts the really important issues on the table even with strangers.
14. FORGET ABOUT THE MUSIC. We do not know what they have sold you for Finnish sauna, but what is certain is that there is no soundtrack there. Nor exotic aromas or colored lights: the lighting is barely perceptible, and the only smell is that given off by birch wood and natural pitch.
fifteen. PREPARE TO BE NAKED. It is not that it always happens, but the most normal thing is to enjoy this relaxing moment as your mother brought you into the world, either with her, with your friends or even with strangers by her side. For the Finns it is something super more normal (shouldn't it be for everyone?), but if you don't feel like doing it, you can bring a towel or a swimsuit: they'll understand.
The sauna makes friends
16. THE FAMILY THAT GETS IN THE SAUNA TOGETHER, STAYS TOGETHER. That's why they always enter together, whatever sex they are. However, in all other cases, it is normal men and women separate to enter , although there are times when it is not necessary. You can ask for the most appropriate without embarrassment.
17. YOU WILL RUB YOUR BODY WITH BIRCH BRANCHES (AND YOU WILL LIKE IT) . turns out it's great for your skin and, combined with the steam from the sauna, practically better than botox.
18. POUR WATER WITHOUT FEAR. There is no limit to the number of times you can pour water on the hot stones that act as a stove: do this whenever you feel like you need more steam.
19. DRINK CIDER OR BEER INSIDE THE SAUNA. The Finns, who are very smart people, prefer them over water to stay hydrated during the heat bath.
twenty. AND EAT SAUSAGES COOKED ON THE STOVE. They can also be made over an outdoor fire pit, but doing so on the pebbles of the sauna is much more authentic.
The best are hidden in their forests
twenty-one. ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS YOU WANT because there is no time limit. Ten minutes, two hours, the little while until the next hamburger comes out of the barbecue? You choose!
22. COMBINE ITS HEAT WITH THE MOST INTENSE COLD. For example, making croquette in the snow right out, or getting into a frozen lake in the dead of winter. They say it is good for circulation, although many only they do it for the high (and on top of that it's legal!)
23. YOU CAN GIVE BIRTH IN A SAUNA. In fact, it is what was done until just two decades ago.
24. IF YOU ARE FINNISH, YOUR LAST BATH WILL BE IN THE SAUNA, or at least it was before, when They washed the dead there.
Happy Sunday to the Finnish roll
25. PROCASTINING IN FINLAND IS SAID "POST-SAUNA" (Or, rather, saunanjälkeinen) . Coming out of the sauna purified is such a special moment, of such fullness, that you are allowed to do nothing but feel at peace with yourself and the world for as long as you want.
26. SAUNAS GIVE YOU SUPER POWERS namely: they eliminate toxins and make you release endorphins, allowing you to combat insomnia and stress more easily ; improve cardiovascular function by dilating capillaries; they facilitate breathing and reduce bone and muscle ailments. As if that were not enough, in addition to the fact that you have the skin of a Finnish baby, it is said that they reduce cellulite! (This must already be a miracle rather than a super power, and on top of that, without chemicals).
27. "SAUNA" IS THE ONLY INTERNATIONAL FINNISH WORD THERE IS. And it's okay that it's this, because there is no other that better defines this wonderful country.
Giving it all in the post-sauna
*** You may also be interested in...**
- Helsinki, a design city open to the sea
- 10 things you won't forget about Finnish Lapland
- How to behave in a spa
- Helsinki, also in winter
- Lapland: north of north
- Fall? Certainly in Finland
- Helsinki reinvents itself as a hipster destination
- Helsinki, capital of design
- All articles by Marta Sader
Immediate Finnish Idyll