During the seemingly endless winter months, a trip to the sauna can be the perfect escape: A place to hide out from the blustering cold, relax your muscles, sweat out toxins and strengthen your immune system. That said, the rules of sauna etiquette vary from country to country.
Here, Holidu (a vacation rental search engine that compares rental prices from multiple booking websites), presents and compares sauna “cultural norms” among various European countries (for instance – nudity is a requirement in some, yet taboo in others), and also recommends vacation homes throughout Europe that have their very own saunas.
If you want to avoid any social sauna faux pas the next time you’re in Europe, opt to rent a home or cottage with its own sauna. Use Holidu’s filter function to quickly search specifically for properties that include a sauna.
Finland
Finns bare it all in the sauna. Unlike most European countries, not even a towel (usually for sitting) is required. Because of the nudity, men and women are placed in separate rooms, though both genders partake in sipping beer and cider inside. Some Finns even use the sauna’s hot coals and open fires to grill sausages.
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in Finland.
Russia
Another country that does the sauna sans clothes is Russia. Men and women are not always separated. They wear hats called “Banjas” to increase sweat production, and often tap their bare skin with birch branches to stimulate blood circulation. The birch branch can also be soaked in a bowl of boiling hot water to fill the sauna with a fresh forest-y aroma. Be warned: When looking for a sauna in Russia, don’t blindly follow the sign that reads “sauna” – this often refers to an erotic establishment that has nothing to do with conventional sitting and sweating (instead, look for the word “banya”).
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in Russia.
Sweden
Toweled or nude – it’s up to you – in Sweden, where saunas are always separated by gender. In the case of the Swedes, the sauna is regarded as a place to socialize. Up to 50 people get together in one sauna – the more, the better. Business deals have been known to be made in the sauna, too.
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in Sweden.
Latvia
Towels are a no in Latvia. Instead, guests sit naked on a wooden or plastic board, and treat themselves to massages with bundles of branches (like in Russia, they do this to stimulate circulation). Guests must wear a wool cap, or refrain from leaning their head back – to do so is considered an unhygienic faux pas.
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in Latvia.
Austria
Austrians also go to the sauna in their birthday suits. Because many of them take an Austrian coffee (known as a “mélange”) in between sauna sessions, they’ll bring a bathrobe with them to throw on when getting their caffeine fix. No photos – even selfies – can be taken in or near the sauna.
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in Austria.
Germany
Germans are very comfortable with disrobing – though they always have towels in tow. Bringing bathing clothes is considered unhygienic. Germany also has a tacit “no sweating on the wood” rule. It’s totally acceptable for women and men to sit in the sauna together, though occasionally you’ll stumble across ladies-only saunas in some areas.
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in Germany.
France
Nudity is considered a very private matter in France. You’ll definitely need your swimming clothes for the sauna, here.
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in France.
Italy
At 70 degrees Celsius, the temperatures in Italian saunas are much lower than that of saunas in Finland. Clothing is required here, though women and men are permitted to share the room. Only in South Tyrol will you find naked sweaters, (but many of them are actually tourists).
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in Italy.
Spain
Spaniards find mixed-gender bathing disreputable and inappropriate; for those saunas that do combine men and women, guests are required to wear swimming attire. Spaniards associate collective sweating with illness; as such, public saunas aren’t widely used in Spain, and only a few vacation rentals come equipped with saunas (as compared to other European countries).
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in Spain.
Poland
In Poland, visits to the saunas require bathing attire, unless a sauna is explicitly labelled as clothing-free.
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in Poland.
United Kingdom
Here in the UK, you’ll encounter a mix of sauna cultures and etiquette. Some guests bare it all while others prefer to keep clothed. Regardless of what you decide, it’s considered courteous to bring a towel to sit on.
Holidu vacation rentals with saunas in the United Kingdom.
