Helsinki has many draws – a stylish design district and brilliant coffee culture, to name a couple – but one of the Finnish capital’s most unique aspects is its public saunas.
Kotiharjun Sauna is one of the best places to visit for an authentic, wood-fired experience, though there are also plenty of cool and modern sauna spaces like Löyly that are worth checking out, too.
Now, there’s an entire island dedicated to saunas, right in the heart of the city, and it’s officially accepting bookings.
Helsinki’s archipelago encompasses more than 300 islands, but this one – dubbed Saunasaari – is dedicated entirely to the traditional bathing ritual, and it opened on June 26.
There are several individual saunas, including a traditional smoke sauna – which is the only one of its kind in Helsinki – as well as two wood-fired hot tubs (known as ‘palju’) which have lovely views of the city. As for the cold plunge – well, you can’t do much better than the Baltic Sea.
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How can you access Saunasaari?
Saunasaari can be accessed by water taxi from the city’s Market Square – or, if you’re lucky, your own boat – and it’s available to book either for private events or a sauna and dinner experience.
Every Friday and Saturday until August 8, a water taxi will collect you at 5pm before a sauna session and dinner at RÖK, Saunasaari’s summer kitchen, before dropping you back off at 9pm. For dinner, you can choose the meat or the vegetarian option, and a ticket for the whole evening will cost you €128 per person (or €108 if you don’t require the boat).
You can add a wine pairing to your meal for €34 per person, and renting a towel costs €10 (so just bring your own).
For more information, have a look at Saunasaari’s official website, and be sure to check out our list of the best things to do in Helsinki.
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