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“In the sauna nudity is not the objective; it is simply a necessary condition for bathing properly”
– Bernhard Hillila, ‘The Sauna Is’

My wife’s cousin Maria in Sweden told me “You don’t shower with clothes on, why would you sauna with clothes on?”

And (perhaps a bit of fun overreaction) from friend Eiríkur Örn Norddahl: “It is greatly unsanitary to bring dirty, chlorinated swimsuits—drenched in dirt and bacteria, which are well fostered in the fabric until the suit hits the heat of the sauna and its nasty abominations dissolve and desecrate the senses of women and men, their bodies and souls, so that they return to the world sickly and diseased, and not invigorated and spirited, as they had planned.”

Quite definitely the number one issue for Americans regarding sauna outside of North America is …nudity.

We often look askance at European’s legal prostitution, legal pot, high speed autobahns, allowing 16-year-olds to drink beer & wine (or any age with parents), and yes, comfort with nudity – but perhaps we shouldn’t.

Something I’ve learned in a few decades of research comparing the US and EU is that many of the ‘different things’ that Europeans do are for very good reasons. They are often more focused on achieving real practical positive outcomes than hung up on the shallower and often misguided beliefs that dominate in the U.S. And they have good results to show for it. They’re healthier and live longer, kids are much more likely to grow up in a stable home and more likely with two biological parents, they have less violent crime overall and very significantly less rape, sex crimes and human trafficking*, they have 1/5 the road deaths and 1/4 the drunk driving deaths, they are much more law-abiding and they incarcerate about 1/8 as many people as we do.

They clearly do a lot of things right. 

In most countries (just about all outside the U.S. and UK so likely over 99% of sauna goers worldwide) everyone enjoys sauna together naked and nobody gives it a second thought. People sauna without clothes because it is more comfortable, makes sauna more enjoyable and importantly, is more hygienic – it is fundamental to a good sauna experience.

But not so much U.S. Americans.

 

Nude

Nudity is amazingly complicated. As we looked in to this and read research and analyzed statistics and talked to psychologists we found a variety of nuances that can have critical and sometimes life altering implications. Even with years of researching and writing about family systems, health and other bits comparing the U.S. and Europe I was still quite surprised by what we learned. I hope that the following will provide some useful context to U.S. approach to nudity vs that of the rest of western and other cultures.

Americans have an interesting relationship with nudity and one that is quite different from the rest of the western and other worlds. On the one hand discomfort, fear and a bit of Victorian overreaction. Europeans were enamored, confused and for the most part totally baffled by our reaction to Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction. Most really had no concept of what the hullabaloo was about. They are somewhat baffled by our fear of nudity in saunas generally and totally gobsmacked that most Americans are fearful even of being nude in a single-sex sauna in a gym locker room. As one woman told me, it’s understandable when some individuals have some reticence, but an entire nation?

We appear to be rather backwards from everyone else – fearful of that which is not harmful and excelling in doing that which is.

In Europe and most of the rest of the world there is a distinction between natural functional nudity and sexual nudity. Not so in the U.S., where we have sexualized nudity so that all nudity is considered sexual.

Victoria & Albert – Though moves towards very strict codes of morality began slightly before Victoria’s reign, she and Albert embraced these changes with some passion and pushed onward with them. Some Victorian principles were certainly quite good such as the push to end slavery. Others perhaps not so good.

Up until this time natural functional nudity was not a thing. It wasn’t good or bad, it just was. Children throughout the world, including the English world and the still new U.S., grew up seeing each other, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends nude on a daily basis and thought nothing of it. And this likely included the most fervent of religious folk. Bathing was done openly by everyone in a river, lake or tub in the back yard. Many homes were a single room so everyone changed clothes in front of everyone. Parents often had sex in the same room their children were sleeping (or not) in. And this appears to have been so throughout all of history and nobody gave it much thought.

While gratuitous erotic or sexual nudity has, understandably, seen all manner of ebb and flow, support and demonization throughout history and across cultures, natural functional nudity was just a normal part of daily life that wasn’t given any thought.

This all changed during Victoria’s reign. It appears a belief was spread that simple functional nudity itself was sexual (and shameful?) and that children being exposed to any nudity at all would corrupt them – so children must be protected and should never ever see a nude form of the opposite sex until they marry. 

This took hold somewhat in Britain but was most strictly embraced in the U.S. Nudity was now sexualized, women’s bodies objectified, and the results haven’t been so good. 

Nudity itself is not bad.  Nude at a beach isn’t nor in a sauna. Nudity in art isn’t necessarily bad nor is posing for it.

Perspective: For someone in Europe, seeing a nude body of any age or sex is the same as our seeing a guy without a shirt in the U.S. – completely normal in appropriate contexts such as a spa or sauna. Similarly, they view our heightened modesty similar perhaps to how we view 18th century dress or the modesty of ultra-conservative religious groups. And there’s nothing wrong with any of these, just different preferences.

Nobody, including children of any age, is harmed simply by seeing someone nude. It’s actually good for children to be exposed to natural nudity. Many (most?) cultures have a belief in children younger than puberty or early teens going nude at beaches, pools and elsewhere; for their own comfort with their own body and that children seeing each other, parents and friends naturally lessens some of the more harmful sexual nudity and objectification in teen years and beyond. And this appears to be proven true.

Like pouring new wine in to old wineskins, if we try to be too strict then we risk complete failure.

Why so different? It’s just skin. We’re all the same down there. …Well, one of two varieties.

 

 

Why Sauna Nude?

People sauna without clothes because it is more comfortable individually, makes sauna more comfortable and enjoyable for everyone and importantly, is more hygienic.

It’s important to note that this has nothing to do with naturism, nudism, FKK or similar.  A nudist resort is about nudity itself, which is fine, but sauna is not. To repeat from earlier:

“In the sauna nudity is not the objective; it is simply a necessary condition for bathing properly”
– Bernhard Hillila, ‘The Sauna Is’

More than a few people in Finland, Sweden, Germany and elsewhere have told me that you cannot sweat properly and fully unless you are fully nude. Having experienced both a number of times, I don’t disagree.

 

Individual Comfort – It is more comfortable in the sauna because swimsuits or towels wrapped around us keep our skin from breathing, sweating properly and cooling.  Areas covered by a swimsuit can take longer to warm up and then can be much hotter, stuffy and uncomfortable feeling than the rest of our body. Our body cools itself by sweating and then this sweat evaporates resulting in cooling our skin (enthalpy of evaporation). Swimsuits hamper this evaporative cooling in any area they cover.

It’s especially more comfortable outside. Skin dries fairly quickly making it enjoyable to stand outside. Swimsuits not so much. A wet swimsuit, and worse, a dripping wet swimsuit, isn’t comfortable, especially when it’s cold or breezy. The time spent out of the sauna cooling down between rounds is as important as the time spent in the sauna and an uncomfortable cold wet swimsuit can make this time less enjoyable, not relaxing and shorten the amount of time we want to stay outside so our body never properly cools.

Being nude makes the routine of showering before sauna and then rinsing well after each round a lot easier and more effective. This is good for us and everyone else in the sauna.

And finally, a sweaty swimsuit feels gross. And unfortunately showering does not rinse the sweat and bacteria from our swimsuit or our skin underneath it so this grossness goes with us all day.

 

Hygiene & Health – Finns say “sauna is a clean space and the textiles and bacteria that come with them are unhygienic”.

There are three elements to this.

First is our skin – having all of our skin exposed to air reduces or eliminates bacteria growth and odors that happen any time we sweat. One of the great things about sauna is that we naturally rid ourselves of bacteria that has built up since our last sauna – and that’s good and healthy for our body and skin. But skin covered in cloth doesn’t breath well and becomes a haven for bacterial growth …and the odors that come with it.

It is also difficult (impossible really) to clean ourselves well with a swimsuit on (and thanks to apocrine glands, these are parts that need cleaning the most) so the bacteria doesn’t get rinsed off between rounds and continues to grow. 

Second is cloth – if it is not freshly cleaned with unscented detergent it can transport unappealing chemicals, scents and bacteria that become offensive in the heat of a sauna. This might include chemicals from detergents, chlorine or sweat. Then there’s the issue of people who don’t wash their suits frequently enough which isn’t obvious in a swimming pool but definitely can be in a hot sauna. 

Third is micro plastics – While we can smell the bacteria or strongly scented detergent emanating from offending swimwear, we don’t know for sure about micro plastics. We know that most swimsuits emit micro plastics (PM1.0) and we know that this is more likely to happen with the higher temps of a sauna. We also know that PFAS is more likely to be emitted from these plastics in higher heat. If the dose is enough to be concerned about is unknown. Some scientists have said it is but that I’m aware of there has been no study nor any solid evidence to prove this.

 

Egalitarian Comfort. There is a element of equality and equal vulnerability. Since it is more comfortable individually to be nude and results in a more pleasant and hygienic environment for everyone then most people do prefer to sauna naked. However, it can be uncomfortable for some, particularly women, to be naked when others are clothed. It is thus best for everyone to be naked so that everyone is equally vulnerable and so also equally comfortable.

– Kirsten Huth-Neises, Thermengruppe Josef Wund

It goes much deeper than this though as this experience of being naked and vulnerable among others affects our psyche and helps us to accept our own vulnerabilities and view others with a more humane, respectful and equal vision.

I’ve also been told that some take someone wearing a swimsuit in an otherwise nude sauna as an insult, as if someone is saying ‘I’m better than you, I’m too good to be nude’.

 

Why Require Bathers To Be Nude? Why not allow those who want to wear a swimsuit? Most saunas forbid swimsuits, not just recommend not wearing them (and some require that you use their towels, not your own that may have detergent chemicals).

• First, everyone is more likely to shower and shower thoroughly before each round if we are all nude.
• Fresher healthier air – others in the sauna don’t want the smell of our bacteria which can be so bad that Finns say it will “kill the living and awaken the dead”. If everyone is required to be nude and shower before entering the sauna then we significantly decrease the likelihood of offensive body or other odors – we can be fairly certain that everyone rinsed/washed everywhere. And there is indeed often a noticeable difference in saunas that require nudity and those where people are wearing swimsuits and cultivating a crop of bacteria.
• Pools in textile-free spas see much lower bacterial and other germ loads than those in textile spas. This allows them to use salt electrolysis systems to maintain cleaner water while textile spas must use additive chlorine and often very high amounts. Both Chlorine and it’s byproduct Chloramine are quite unhealthy for us and even with their use the average bacterial load is still often higher than a textile-free spa.
• And finally, it makes for a more egalitarian and comfortable environment for everyone.

A spa that requires bathers be nude is overall cleaner and healthier for us than one that allows swimsuits.

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Are Guys Checking Out Nude Gals? – Of course. And gals are sometimes checking guys out. That’s part of the human package. But it’s appreciation rather sexual in this context. This is I think a difficult concept for Americans to grasp given a culture that equates nudity with sex but it’s really not sexual. While those from outside of the U.S. are accustomed to non-sexual nudity, those from the U.S. are not. Skinny dipping in the U.S. is sexual – guys getting to see nude gals. Sauna in Europe is not, it’s just normal. I think that for most in the U.S., guys in particular, it may take numerous experiences to understand just how non-sexual this is.

Two people have mentioned to me that a bunch of gals in bikini’s is more erotic/sexual/stimulating than the average continental mixed nude sauna experience. I don’t disagree.

Also, sauna etiquette says to not stare and to keep your eyes on people’s faces. Again, for Americans this becomes easier and more natural over time with more experience.

A note on this. Many people have some bit of difficulty looking others in their face. For some this is simply shyness. For some its cultural – there’s a joke that the best way to know if a Swede likes you is if they look at your feet instead of their own. For those on the autism spectrum, including those with Asperger’s, it can be very difficult or for some even impossible to look people in their eyes.

This is very much a no judgement area. There are all shapes and sizes of bodies with all sorts of decorations and interestingly this is less judgmental than the same people in swimsuits or work suits. Why? I’ve no idea but it truly is. For some reason when we’re all nude we simply see other fellow humans, but when we’re wearing textiles we get categorized. 

For those confused by the first half discussing the risks of nudity and now kind of advocating for it, that’s life. Life is not simple cut and dried. I’ve done my best to present all sides as best I can. There may be some risks (beyond Americans embarrassing discomfort) to consider. Some may want to never go nude, some same-sex only, some only with family, some only close friends and family, some may avoid nudity with those similar in age, etc. And then many don’t care and will sauna nude anytime. We would much rather sauna with friends wearing swimsuits (and suits are the norm in America) than not sauna with them at all so we’re totally fine either way. There is no right or wrong here – people should simply make the best choices for their life plans.

 

Different Cultures

While nude is the norm outside of the U.S., there are some nuanced variations (click for a larger image*). Importantly, while we might like a clean distinction of cultures by country, that is not always the case. The cultures of the North Tyrol of Italy and of the French Alps for instance are different than the other 90% of these countries but these small regions are also estimated to have 80-90% of the saunas in these countries. I’m told that Hungary is a total mixed bag with everything from mixed nude to separated to swimsuits.

Continental Tradition – Most cultures, including Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Northern Italy, Eastern Switzerland, French Alps and others are all nude mixed all the time. This goes for public as well as private and sexes are rarely separated. You will actually be yelled at for attempting to wear a swimsuit (one of my more embarrassing experiences). It may be important to note however that survey’s indicate that ≈ 50% of Continentals are not comfortable going nude at a beach and about 20% a mixed sex sauna with other than family. So while the ‘culture’ might be all nude all of the time, not everyone is comfortable with that culture. I’m told one difference in beach and sauna is due to cell phone cameras and people, quite understandably, not wanting photos posted online. Others have said that it’s simply not usually necessary at a beach though they’ll also defend any who prefer to be nude.

While nude has always been the norm, mixed, other than family and close friends, was not. Until the early 1970’s a majority of public saunas, around 70%, were sex separated. Patrons increasingly said that they wanted to be able to be with family and friends though so more and more public facilities began offering mixed sex (still nude or textile-free) and this soon became the norm. A few offered mixed textile (everyone wearing swimsuits) but given the discomfort of wearing a swimsuit (along with increased bacteria?) these were not popular.

Sweden is somewhat more reserved. Private saunas for family and friends are usually mixed sex and nude. Brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, other relatives and friends all together. And it’s totally normal and natural. Depending on the group they will occasionally separate by sex though. It’s not unusual for girls to become selective about who they sauna with from about mid teens until marriage.  Public saunas vary but mixed nude is the norm.

Norway is somewhat similar to Sweden for private saunas but public saunas are more likely to be separated by sex or require swimsuits (though this is changing).

Finland and Estonia are a bit more modest yet. Families, close extended family and friends will all sauna together nude. When more distant family, friends or acquaintances are included the default is women first and then anyone is welcome. If there is only one woman who wants women only then other women will join her even if they’d normally do mixed later. And there is zero judgement either way. The women only time is also somewhat cooler which many women prefer so sometimes this may be as much for temperature as modesty.

Businesses in Finland will often have either separate men’s and women’s saunas or often a single sauna with a schedule of times for women and mixed. Some will also have separate times for men though this seems less and less common.  

France is kind of split. Eastern France, particularly Rhône-Alpes, where about 90% of France’s saunas are, is mixed nude. The rest is largely a swimsuit world though that seems to be slowly changing. The further you get from Germany or the Alps, the more likely you’ll need a suit.

Poland has, since WWII, leaned somewhat towards the American swimsuits culture though recently they’ve been moving back towards more of a Finnish, Nordic or German culture.

Public saunas across Europe are a mixed bag. Most are all nude and mixed sex. Of the rest, most are nude, no suits allowed, with variations in separating by sex or not. Some will be mixed much of the time but have some specific times for just women. A few for tourists are swimsuits optional or required. Those that allow or require swimsuits are increasingly requiring tight fitting breathable material only (E.G., Speedo / Square Cut). This doesn’t eliminate the bacteria problems in saunas and pools but does help a little.

Going to sauna with business associates, public or private sauna, varies but all together nude is the norm though some will segregate by sex or provide time for women to go first.

Larger spas and sauna worlds might have small sections for women only and men only and then a larger mixed section so that everyone has a comfortable option. Some however have found that the men’s section becomes the gay section and are considering eliminating it. This latter not because of anything negative against gays but that these sometimes become more of a sexualized environment. They’ve also found these unnecessary as men don’t have the modesty concerns that women do.

Saunas may be mixed sex nude but there is a clear Male / Female modesty difference. If there are 30 German couples in an Alpine resort most of the men will go to sauna but only perhaps 25 of the women and one or two of these women will keep a towel partially wrapped around themselves. If 30 Finnish couples then maybe only half of the women will go to sauna. This has also been our experience at places like Adler Lodge Alpé.

In some cases the women or men are simply not comfortable being nude around others. From conversations with a number of people it is also clear that women don’t care who sees their husband nude but some men aren’t so comfortable with other men outside of family seeing their wife nude. The takeaway here is that it’s important to keep in mind that whatever anyone is or is not comfortable with is completely normal and acceptable. There is no right or wrong. There’s nothing wrong with being nude in a sauna nor being uncomfortable with it.

English Speaking Countries are the most reserved with the U.S. the most of the most. The U.S. is generally all swimsuits all the time and we’re pretty much the odd ones out on this. Or worse, it’s not unusual to see people wearing sweaty workout clothes in U.S. gym saunas.  Fortunately this is changing, though very very slowly.

On the other hand, teens and 20-somethings in the U.S. will get together for nude sauna parties.

Editorial Comment: Our nudity-is-always-sexual or nudity-is-shameful ethos does not appear to have served us well. We have become leaders in many of the negative things that fearful people warned would happen …if we didn’t continue the belief that all nudity is sexual. I think changing this for those who’ve grown up with it is difficult and I don’t think any kind of mass change would be good anyway because I think it is something that for most you do need to grow up with. We can change it for our children though so that they can grow up with a healthier and more balanced attitude and hopefully avoid some of the negative bits that permeate U.S. sex culture today. I know this sounds nutty to most in the U.S. but that’s because we’ve grown up with and still think that nudity-is-always-sexual.

Editorial Comment II: On the backwards from everyone else bit… While not concerned about a bit of nudity, other cultures are concerned about violence in media. Us? Not so much. There was far more angst over Janet Jackson’s nipple slip than that U.S. drivers kill 5x as many of our children as drivers elsewhere. I’m not sure we have our priorities sorted very well.

Native American’s were traditionally all nude all the time in their sweat lodges though that changed somewhat with the advent of victorian principles.

Japan and many parts of Asia were traditionally all nude mostly mixed all the time, then somewhat Americanized after WWII. Today they seem to be reverting back to mixed nude outside of tourist areas.

Hammam culture in the Middle East and elsewhere varies. Most today are nude or nude with a linen wrap but with sexes separated. In Turkey and some other more secular countries mixed sex nude had begun to become the norm though recently there has been pressure to change that. 

I’ve talked with numerous secular and religious Jews, Christians and Evangelicals across Europe who all seem just as comfortable with being nude in a mixed sex sauna as anyone. For these religions this does seem to be purely a U.S. cultural thing and not a religious thing. My first nude sauna experience in Germany was actually with a evangelical Baptist pastor (who’s dad IIRC was a cousin and friend of Dietrich Bonhoeffer) I was interviewing for his work with drug addicts and he invited me to their sauna club. 

No Judgement / No Coercion – I want to emphasize this again. Nobody, guy or gal, should ever be judged for their comfort or discomfort with nudity, their comfort or discomfort with their spouses nudity, nor coerced to do something they’re uncomfortable with. We are all different and there is no right or wrong with this.

 

Our Sauna

Our sauna is whatever everyone is comfortable with on any given day. That can be everyone wearing suits, women first then mixed, or mixed.

We can also setup separate family times if people want to give it a go in private.

The sunken patio is fairly well protected so there, the lower level of the house and of course in the sauna you are welcome to wear whatever you do or do not want. Beyond these a towel, shorts or swimsuit is a good idea.

Oh, no jewelry or electronics. While watching someone who’s just realized that their earrings are getting very hot very fast is entertaining it’s also a bit painful to see.

 

Swimsuit Recommendations

First, an alternative to a swimsuit and something that is allowed in some spas/saunas in Europe is a Pareo or Sarong made of the same Elastane and Polyamide (a type of Nylon) as quick drying swimsuits. These are available for men, women or unisex. Most spas that allow them will require that they be removed for showering to insure that bathers wash/rinse well before or after each round and they are usually not allowed in steam baths or laconiums and sometimes not in pools. Otherwise they can provide a good alternative for those who want a bit more modesty.

As with swimsuits, the smaller they are the more comfortable they will be in a sauna. About 25cm x 100cm (10” x 40”) seems the most popular. These are not as comfortable as being nude but some people find them more comfortable than a swimsuit.

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For those who choose to wear a swimsuit in the sauna and for what to wear for a jump in the lake…

There are three key properties to cloth that are important here:

Breathability – Cloth doesn’t breath very well so any part of our bodies covered with cloth will, in the sauna, be hotter, sweatier and more uncomfortable than areas open to air. 

Harbors Gook – Cloth can retain various substances from cleaning products to sweat to chlorine to whatever you can imagine. Sometimes these can affect the fresh environment in a sauna.

Retains/Drips Cold Water – Cloth retains water and moisture. After toweling skin drys in about 5-10 seconds. A thin skin tight swimsuit in about 3-5 minutes, looser swimsuits in about 20 minutes. There are two problems with this. The first is that it can be cold and the process of evaporation makes them even colder. Standing around outside between sauna rounds when it’s cool or cold with dry skin is quite comfortable but in a cold wet swimsuit not so much. Worse is that loose swimsuits drip and having cold water dripping on your legs and feet from your swimsuit isn’t very pleasant. 

So, the important considerations are; cover as little skin as necessary with cloth, choose cloth that breaths well, dries quickly and retains as little water or chemicals as possible. Generally the thinner the better and the more tight fitting the better.

For guys; briefs (‘speedo’) are best but a tight fitting square leg, square cut or boxer (three names for the same thing) is a bit more modest and works well to avoid uncomfortable cold drips. Jammers are probably third best (Tyr’s short Jammers are good) with loose trunks or board shorts the worst.

 

What To Expect (Visiting Textile-Free Saunas)

The vast majority of saunas in the world are textile-free (nude) and mixed sex. Here’s a brief bit on what to expect, particularly at hotel spas and the larger sauna worlds such as Thermé Erding.

Hint: In promo photos people wearing towels usually indicates a nude area while people wearing swimsuits is a suits required area.

Trial Period – For those who want to try dipping their toe in first… You can wear a swimsuit under your clothes, change in to a robe in the changing room and remove your swimsuit under the robe, and then plop down on a lounge chair in the sauna zone for a bit to get a feel for everything. All without any exposure discomfort. If you want to dip your toe in a bit more you can then try a sauna. Use a shower that provides the most privacy. After showering, wrap your towel around yourself to enter the sauna and either keep it wrapped or loosen it a bit (carry an extra to put under your feet if necessary). Then use the same shower afterwards. This can often be accomplished with little or no exposure. I’ve known a number of people to do this, some decide to leave before trying a sauna, some decide to stay, and there’s no shame either way. One American expat couple said that they didn’t try a sauna until their third visit and now they visit a couple of times per month.

CAUTION: In all of these you may find it difficult or impossible to avoid some modesty exposure. To paraphrase my friend Kimmo, if you feel a little trepidation then push through and enjoy a wonderful experience. If you feel a lot of anxiety then perhaps don’t go so that you don’t feel trapped in to something that you are very uncomfortable with. Similarly, spouses and friends should never push each other too hard nor go against their spouses wishes. 

FWIW, many people plan to keep themselves as covered as possible at all times but after a while realize that this is not necessary and become less concerned about brief exposure and more comfortable and relaxed with the whole experience.

Sauna Bag – My sauna bag includes a robe, 3 towels, wet slippers, sauna hat, cash, Tylenol & Advil (in a water/vapor proof container) and a water bottle. Maybe also some soap or shampoo if you want. Some people also bring a book or magazine to read (no electronics allowed though). Keep this bag at your lounger.  While that’s all nice to have, many spa’s provide towels and other stuff so it’s often no problem to visit even if you’ve nothing with you. 

Changing/Lockers – In many cases these are mixed sex (and mixed age so there will likely be kids around) though a few are separated. Most people just change somewhat quickly and discreetly as they would on a beach though you can certainly wear a bathing suit under your clothes. Some also offer private cabins to change in. If you are only going to saunas and not open pool areas then most people change in to a robe with nothing underneath.

Many hotel and boutique resort spas have no dedicated changing/locker areas – people simply dry off or change in the common area. Some examples here: Spa Saunas In The South Tyrol

One of the smaller common areas at Thermé Wien with 24 of the 220 lounge chairs in the sauna zone. Photo taken from the entry to one of the Steam Baths. Cold Plunge (18°c) pool in the middle, Entry & showers for the Bio-Sauna (65°c) to the right with a larger common area and two more steam baths further to the right. To the left outside of this image is a Finnish Sauna (90°c) and then further to the left another larger common area with windows to the outside sauna garden.

Lounge Chair Home Base – In some cases your first order of business is finding a lounge chair to be your home base for the day. Hanging your sauna bag on the chair and placing a towel on it is sufficient to lay claim (and yes, this is OK unlike over crowded resort pools that discourage people playing The Towel Game). Many sauna worlds only allow in enough people at one time to fill about 80-85% of the chairs so there should always be some available.

HOWEVER, some do not so much allow this and if they are busy will remove items from unattended loungers so check first. These often have cubbies in the thermal area where you can keep your stuff. FWIW, I generally prefer those that allow having a home base lounger as this makes the overall experience more relaxed. 

Hotel Spa’s will sometimes not have enough lounge chairs for everyone (or any) to have their own but it is not as necessary in these so usually not a problem.

Within the textile-free sauna zone most women wear a robe or towel when relaxing or walking around and men will sometimes wear one. Most men and some women simply walk around nude. Those smiling people in photos sitting in the sauna with towels wrapped around them? Not reality. Pretty much everybody is sitting on a towel, totally exposed and fully comfortable. And there are people of all ages, shapes, sizes and colors with all manner of decoration and scarring. I once met a couple celebrating their 75th anniversary with a day at their favorite spa (and they padded back and forth between the Finnish Sauna and Plunge Pool like they were teens).

Spa at Hotel Spiess & Spiess in Vienna. Behind the Klaffs sauna are two showers (you can see part of one) that provide a reasonable bit of privacy. There are a total of five lounge chairs.

From the opposite direction. Here you can see the door to the women’s changing room with the men’s just to the left of it (FWIW, I don’t think anyone ever closed either door and couples would often choose one and both use it). To the right of that is a beverage station with tea and cold water along with a couple of chairs. The windows to the far right are frosted and lead to the yoga studio that has a glass roof that lets in sunlight during the day.

Showers – You must shower each and every time before entering a sauna or steam bath – Hygiene Before Heat. The amount of privacy for this varies. In some cases there are some showers that are somewhat or even very private but most are at best semi-private and many quite open. You can’t shower with a robe or towel on but you can often at least keep your back to open areas.

Sauna – You will need a towel to sit on and this often includes under your feet. If you want to also cover up with a towel then that will need to be an extra one so plan accordingly. Rather than wrap up, some women and men lay a bunched up towel across their lap – just enough to cover their bits, not so much that it’s too uncomfortable.

Steam Bath – Most facilities do not allow any textiles (including towels) in these nor would that be very comfortable so here there is nothing to hide behind.  The steam is often sufficiently dense for most people to feel comfortable though.

Pools – These too will involve some unavoidable exposure for a brief period getting in or out. A cold plunge after a sauna round is something not to be avoided so prepare accordingly!  Tip: If it’s raining or snowing out, even just a tiny bit, your towel will get cold and wet which isn’t fun. So in this case leave your towel inside or under cover somewhere and make your way to your pool of choice in the buff.

Aufguss – Aufguss schedules are usually posted beside the entry to each sauna or on larger boards or screens in the common areas. Note that these can be very very hot.

 

 

Americans

We have witnessed numerous incidents of U.S. Americans going ballistic over the nude sauna practices outside of the U.S. including more than a few trying to assert their ‘right’ to wear a swimsuit despite local rules and customs.

Americans are often not appreciated nor well liked in Europe. As one person told me “we tolerate Americans in tourist areas, not so much for our holidays”. 

We are, according to many in Europe, “far too loud, obnoxious, arrogant, ignorant and immature”. Oh, if we disagree with that statement then they’ll say that we’re exemplifying two of those; arrogance and ignorance.

I think it’s critical to understand what underlies some of this. First is that Consideration and Respect For Others is very important for Europeans vs American’s Me and My Rights attitude that they see as selfish and elitist. They think ‘My Community’ rather than ‘Me’ and My Community can be the people they are in the sauna with, the community they live in, their country, or in particular their family and the friend group they’ve had since they were teens. They also value Personal Space and this includes head space.

So, they always sit on a towel in a sauna so not to leave any of their sweat or other undesirable stuff behind for others. They make sure they are clean and freshly showered before entering the sauna and are careful to not track any grit or grime in. They don’t wear any textiles (unless a swimsuit is required) that would harbor bacteria and other offensive stuff. They are careful to always be considerate of others.

In most public spaces they talk quietly so that they don’t disturb or annoy others while we think it’s our right to talk as loud (and obnoxiously display our arrogance, ignorance and and immaturity) as we want. They understand that a loud environment suppresses our cognitive ability and believe that doing so is unhealthy and rude. Their rule of thumb is that somebody 1m (3 feet) shouldn’t be able to understand them and 2m away shouldn’t be able to hear them. Yes, that quiet. 

When a server doesn’t ask how we’re doing or someone on the street doesn’t say ‘hello’ it’s because they believe that doing so is unnecessarily interrupting us (and it is) and that would be inconsiderate of them. If you want directions or have a question then ask and you’ll find one of the most friendly and helpful people on earth.

They stay as far right as possible on multi-lane roads, don’t block the left lane and generally try to be considerate of other drivers and especially of people walking or riding a bicycle.

They believe that not being honest and direct with someone is disrespectful and inconsiderate so they are very honest and direct, which we are offended by, leaving them confused why we’re offended by honesty.

Restaurant owners and chefs often believe they have an obligation to serve food that in its composition and portion is healthy and of high quality. Serving unhealthy or poor quality food or large portions is seen as being disrespectful toward their guests. Similarly, manufacturers and retailers feel a duty to offer quality products and to not mislead customers about them just to make more profit (consumers are also more knowledgable and would often rather have one quality product than five cheap products).

They feel a duty to walk or bicycle for local trips (less than 1-3 miles each way) rather than drive. This because they know it is critical to good health and they feel they shouldn’t become a burden to their healthcare system. They know it results in less air and noise pollution which is being considerate of others. And, it costs them less and costs their community less. 

This even extends to traffic engineers who are considerate of everyone, not just drivers, and are very focused on comfort and safety for all, particularly more vulnerable who are walking, bicycling or using a mobility device. They are also very considerate of those nearby in homes or businesses and try not to negatively impact them, or ideally have a positive impact. American traffic engineers are focused almost exclusively on low delay for drivers with little or no consideration for people walking, bicycling, living or working nearby. That widening a roadway to increase traffic throughput will increase noise and air pollution for residents and make crossing a street more dangerous is not a consideration for U.S. traffic engineers.

They try not to negatively impact others in any way if possible.

Second, there is less Class Hierarchy. Everyone is on the same level and of equal value. A CEO is expected to wash their lunch dishes just as anyone else. While there may be a chain-of-command in a business or other organization, in life as in the sauna everyone is equal and nobody has any greater rights or status than anyone else. In many countries this also includes a bit of consensus culture so a CEO or manager may have ultimate decision authority but they will value input from everyone at every level and will try to find a consensus solution (which sometimes involves increasing people’s knowledge so that they understand better, or a decision maker changing their mind based on knowledge from others further down the chain).

And Third, they have a High Regard for Learning and Knowledge. Part of this is simply that they know the benefits of good accurate knowledge for making good decisions – personal, business, or polis. They also believe that it is their responsibility to those in their community and that not doing so is… disrespectful and inconsiderate of others. They believe it’s important to take life somewhat seriously and to try to create a better world for everyone and that not doing so is inconsiderate and disrespectful of friends, family and especially children who will inherit this world. They have little regard for the ‘don’t overthink it’ ethos that’s increasingly engulfing the U.S. and more than a few have mentioned that American’s are quite gullible due to our lack of desire to learn and our love for the ‘easy button’.

It’s interesting how this comes across in different cultures. Germans are very direct ‘do this don’t do that’, a Finn will make a suggestion and if you don’t get the point they’ll make the suggestion again, …and again. After a while you get the message that what they really mean is ‘do this don’t do that’. 

And no, I am not saying that they are perfect. Far from it. Every culture has it’s issues. Danes are fond of saying that Swedes are just the human form of Germans 🙂  A few Finns have told me that they wish their culture was a little more open and friendly like the U.S.  Only a little though, a tiny little 🙂 

I think actually that most Europeans like Americans, or want to like Americans, they just don’t like some things about us.

If you want to understand Europe and Europeans better there are two books I’d recommend; ‘The Happiest Kids In The World’ by Rina Mae Acosta & Michele Hutchison and ‘Bringing Up Bebe’ by Pamela Druckerman. I’ve found that the best way to understand a culture is to study how they raise their children and these are two of the best.  Others to consider; ‘There’s No Such Thing As Bad Weather’, ‘The Danish Way Of Parenting’, and ‘Achtung Baby’.  Also, Rick Steve’s ‘Travel As A Political Act’ is a worthwhile read as well.