Nordic Europe’s culture of saunas spawns amazing new variations and locations
Deep underground in a disused iron mine and under the bluish glow of a ashlight, a small crowd emerges from a sauna, steam rising o their bodies as they plunge into a crystal clear turquoise lake.
In Sweden and Finland, some unusual saunas have been built in recent years, oering truly singular experiences.
Nestled in the snowy forests of Bergslagen in central Sweden, hidden 90m below ground in this region known for its mines, lies this very special sauna.
The old iron mine in the town of Borlange closed in 1968 before reopening in 2022, redesigned to welcome visitors looking for a unique — and sweaty — experience, Daniel Karlsson, the head of Adventure Mine, said.
“If you look at saunas today, it’s more like a luxury experience,” he said.
‘Experience of nature’
But “down here it’s not just a sauna. It’s also the experience that you get with nature,” he said, clad in a thick red parka to protect from the cold and a helmet with a headlamp.
The space oers visitors a moment of respite from the busy, connected world above.
“Because the sauna is down in the mine, there is nothing that disturbs you from enjoying the sauna.”
“You don’t have mobile phones, you don’t have the sun, you don’t have the wind,” he said.
Saunas are enjoyed around the world as a method of relaxation, claimed by some to provide health benets.
Having a sauna has been a social and hygiene tradition for more than 2,000 years. Now, sauna enthusiasts who want to expand their horizons can reach new heights in Helsinki.
In the Finnish capital, a giant ferris wheel overlooking the city oers a sauna in one of its specially-built pods.
The sweat session could easily burn a hole in one’s wallet though, costing between €240 and €350.
“You can get a pretty good steam and heat here if you really want to,” shift manager Viivi Makelainen said. “Although it’s pretty small, you can t quite a few people in here, four or ve. Also the views are more fun when you’re in the sauna.”
Saunas are an integral part of daily life for most Finns. The country of 5.5 million inhabitants is home saunas.
Traditionally considered a sacred space in Finland, ‘a church of nature’, the Finnish sauna culture was named a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.
Saunas originated in Finland and Estonia, typically built as small wooden cabins where dry heat up to 100°C with very low humidity is produced from a stove or hot rocks.
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Saunas in the Nordic countries are typically small wooden cabins located near the shore, deep in the forest or in a home.
But one special sauna in the Stockholm archipelago is making waves — sailing on the waters of the capital city.
The “Big Branzino”, a luxury oating sauna measuring 30 square metre, was designed and built in 2022 at the request of a private person.
The structure resembles a square wooden cabin, featuring oor-to-ceiling glass windows and an open-air wheelhouse on the deck.
Inside, a custom-made wood stove with hot rocks is surrounded by wooden benches and chairs, while outside, a rooftop terrace features a large table and seating area to take in the view.
“A client came to the rm and he wanted a truly extraordinary sauna that he hadn’t seen before,” architect Johan Strandlund said. “So we came up with this shape in order to really maximise the intimacy with its surroundings, and we also wanted a truly breathtaking presence on the horizon,” he said.
Mr. Strandlund said the oating sauna appealed to nature- and sauna-loving Swedes.
“I think it’s the way that we really like to enjoy the beautiful nature that we have around here in Stockholm.”
And “even when you’re not using the sauna, the re is a great source of heat, for example for cold summer nights.”