Sauna customs from Finland to Germany
From Finnish löyly to the German Aufguss: how the sauna works in different countries, what is expected of you and how to enjoy a first visit abroad.
A sauna is one of the friendliest places to meet a culture. The rules are few, the atmosphere is calm and nobody expects you to know everything on your first visit. Still, customs differ from Helsinki to Hamburg, and a little knowledge turns a slightly uncertain hour into a genuinely relaxing one.
Finland: where the sauna is a way of life
In Finland, the sauna is not a luxury but part of everyday life, found in apartment blocks, lakeside cottages and workplaces alike. In December 2020, Finland’s sauna culture became the country’s first entry on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The listing describes far more than a hot room: it covers the heating of the sauna, the songs, stories and beliefs connected with it, and the sauna as a place traditionally treated with respect.
At the heart of it all is , the soft wave of steam that rises when water is ladled onto the hot stones of the stove. Finns judge a sauna largely by the quality of its löyly. Some saunas are still heated with wood, and the traditional smoke sauna, warmed for hours and aired before use, has a gentle, smoky scent that many people love.
In summer, many Finns bring a into the sauna, a bundle of fresh birch twigs used to tap the skin lightly. The word depends on the region: vihta is the traditional term in western Finland, vasta in the east. The fragrance of warm birch leaves is one of the small pleasures of a Finnish summer. Between rounds, the classic way to cool off is a swim in a lake or the sea, or in winter a quick dip through a hole in the ice for those who enjoy it.
On a city break, public saunas are the easiest way in. Tampere is often called the sauna capital of the world and has dozens of public saunas. Its Rajaportti sauna in the Pispala district, opened in 1906 and still heated with wood, is regarded as the oldest public sauna in Finland still in use. Helsinki, too, has traditional neighbourhood saunas alongside modern ones by the sea.
Germany: the Aufguss and the art of quiet
German sauna culture is more formal, and that is part of its appeal. Saunas in Germany, and often in Austria too, are usually textile-free, which means no swimwear inside the sauna itself. Many are mixed, and nobody pays the slightest attention. What matters is the towel: you sit or lie on it so that no part of your body touches the wooden benches, feet included.
The highlight of the day is the , an infusion ritual led by a sauna master, the Saunameister. At a set time, the master pours water, often scented with essential oils, over the stones and then waves a towel to send the hot air around the room in slow, deliberate waves. Some sessions are almost theatrical, with music and choreographed towel work. Guests stay seated until the end, because opening the door lets the heat escape.
Quiet is the other German rule. Conversation is kept low or avoided altogether, and the sauna is treated as a place to switch off. Afterwards comes the cooling: fresh air, a cold shower or a plunge pool, followed by rest on a lounger with a blanket, often in a garden.
A sauna is one of the friendliest places to meet a culture.
Sweden: bastu by the water
In Sweden the sauna is called a , and it often pairs with a cold dip in the sea or a lake, a custom Swedes call , or cold bathing. Along the coast, traditional cold bath houses combine wooden saunas with direct access to the water, and a summer evening there, with the sun low over the sea, is hard to improve on.
Stockholm, a city built on islands, has embraced waterside saunas in recent years. Alongside members’ saunas and floating saunas, the city has opened a public sauna by the water where you can book a session and swim from a designated bathing area afterwards. Hamburg offers a different style: several public baths across the city have large sauna areas with regular Aufguss sessions, textile-free in the German way.
How to enjoy your first sauna abroad
- Shower thoroughly before you go in, then dry off.
- Spread a large towel under your whole body, including your feet.
- Start on a lower bench, where it is cooler, and move up if you enjoy the heat.
- Stay for as long as feels comfortable; many regulars spend somewhere between eight and fifteen minutes per round.
- Cool off slowly with fresh air and a cold shower or plunge, then rest.
- Drink water between rounds; two or three rounds is a common habit.
Above all, listen to your body. Leave whenever you want to, skip the top bench, sit out the Aufguss if it feels like too much. Nobody keeps score, and the regulars were all beginners once. If you have any doubts about heat, talk to your own doctor before your trip.
Making the sauna part of a city break
A sauna session fits neatly into a short trip, ideally late in the afternoon after a day on foot. You return to your room warm and unhurried, with an appetite for dinner and a pleasantly slow evening ahead. In cold months, it is one of the cosiest ways to spend a grey afternoon in a northern city.
Check opening days before you go, since some public saunas have separate sessions for women and men or mixed days. Bring a little cash or a card, a bottle of water and something to read in the rest room. Then simply follow the regulars: watch what they do, keep your voice low and enjoy the warmth.
Words in this article
- Löyly
- The Finnish word for the steam that rises when water is thrown onto the hot sauna stones.
- Vihta
- A bundle of fresh birch twigs used in the Finnish sauna, called vasta in eastern Finland.
- Aufguss
- A German sauna infusion ritual: water is poured on the stones and the heat is fanned with a towel.
- Bastu
- The Swedish word for sauna.
- Kallbad
- Swedish for cold bathing, often enjoyed between sauna rounds.
Questions readers ask
Do you have to be naked in a German sauna?
In most German saunas, yes: they are usually textile-free, and swimwear is not normally worn inside the sauna itself. You always sit on a large towel, and you can wrap yourself in a towel or bathrobe between rounds. Some baths have areas or times where swimwear is accepted, so check the house rules if you prefer that.
How many sauna rounds are usual?
There is no fixed rule. Many regulars enjoy two or three rounds, each lasting as long as feels comfortable, with time to cool down and rest in between. Treat it as a relaxed afternoon rather than a programme. Drink water, leave whenever you want to, and if you have any doubts about heat, ask your own doctor first.
Is it rude to talk in a sauna?
It depends on the country. In Finland, the sauna can be a sociable place, and quiet conversation among friends or family is perfectly normal. In German saunas, silence or very low voices are expected, especially during an Aufguss. When in doubt, follow the regulars and keep your voice soft.
