Kotiharju Sauna, Helsinki. Courtesy of Kotiharju Sauna
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Kotiharju Sauna
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When:
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Daily; not Mon or Sun
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Where:
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Kotiharju Sauna
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| Costs: |
Sauna only: €9; concessions €7; under-16s €4
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| Opening Hours: |
Tue-Fri 2pm-8pm; Sat 1pm-7pm
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Join the Finns and head to the sauna, a relaxing way to experience an integral part of Finland's cultural life. Kotiharju Sauna in Kallio is a good choice, boasting the only remaining public wood-burning sauna in Helsinki.
After the Second World War, Helsinki had 122 public saunas. These sadly closed down one after the other and by late last century downtown Helsinki had a serious lack of them. But in June 1999, the Kotiharju Sauna opened after long renovations - making it one of only three public saunas in town (and the only wood-fired one).
Sauna aficionado or not, a Finnish sauna is a must, and visitors should not leave Helsinki without trying one. Sauna culture is distinctively Finnish, and to know "sauna" is to know a central element of Finnish culture in general. In the old days, life began in the sauna and there are still many Finns who opt for it over showers or baths for cleanliness. Sauna is a place to get clean and participate in society at one and the same time.
The Kotiharju Sauna is blessed with three large wood-fired saunas. While the men sweat downstairs, the women sweat upstairs, and users don't even have to clean themselves (which in Finnish sauna terms, means beating the body with birch leaves) - there are women there to scrub the body to the highest degree of cleanliness!
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