The practice of sauna is deeply embedded in the culture of Finland, and can be traced back thousands of years. Today, even business meetings are held within these toasty spaces. This tradition is so imbued with importance, it was inscribed in 2020 onto UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The town of Tampere’s status as Sauna Capital has been recognized by both the Finnish Sauna Society and International Sauna Association. You can discover what exactly makes this practice such a hot commodity in the realm of health and wellbeing at a selection of public saunas. You’ll just have to narrow down your choices, as there are close to 70 saunas in the town and surrounding region.

We suggest a visit to Rajaportti Sauna in Pispala, Tampere, which ranks as the oldest public sauna still operating in the country. Sauna Guide Alex Lembke, responsible for heating Rajaportti’s saunas each day, has a deep enthusiasm for sauna bathing, and offers his take on the practice.

“Imagine you’re in a good traditional sauna,” said Lembke. “It’s like a little piece of heaven on earth. A sauna is a place where you can reconnect to nature and feel the best of everything: the purifying power of fire and the warmth of the flames, the earthiness of the stones, air and the coolness of the water. It’s a place where you are unaffected by the outside world, where you can feel the joy of life and the healing power of the gods of steam. It’s like being reborn, like being brought back to life and made new. And it’s a place where you can feel your spirit soar to new heights.”

Don’t forget to try sauna’s opposite, but complementary practice, of cold bathing. After heating up in the sauna cabin, you can cool off the way locals do by dipping into a hole carved in the ice of Lake Näsijärvi, Lake Pyhäjärvi or one of the nearly 200 local lakes.