Finland's Saunas

Filed in archive Hidden Gems on December 27, 2007

Unless you already live in Scandinavia, going to Finland simply to experience a famous Finnish Sauna might be a little impractical.

However, if you look at the importance of the sauna to Finnish culture, you might realize that saunas and Finland are inseparable. In a country with only 5 million inhabitants, there are more than 2 million saunas, with over half in private homes.

So it wouldn't be untrue to say that a trip to Finland, with all its winter sports, northern lights, and summer scenery, would include multiple visits to the sauna. It's not uncommon for Finns to invite friends and acquaintances over for dinner and a sit in the sauna.

Helsinki is home to some of the largest public saunas. These cost between 8-10 Euros to enter and include separate areas for men and women. Many hotels also have saunas, making the virtually unavoidable on a trip to the land of the Finns.