Finland’s sauna culture takes on new forms: explore new sauna experiences

For Finns, sauna is so much more than a wellness ritual. It is one of the cornerstones of the national identity and integral part of everyday life: a place to relax, connect, cool off, and spend time in nature. Today, while staying true to the core roots and ways, that tradition is also being reimagined in increasingly diverse and creative ways, combining sauna with contemporary wellbeing, design, accommodation, culture and outdoor activities.

Here are six new experiences offering a glimpse into the multiverse of Finnish sauna culture.

In the heart of Helsinki, Hotel Kämp has recently introduced Kämp Spa, a 1,200-square-metre wellbeing destination combining Finnish sauna traditions with modern approaches to recovery and wellbeing.

Traditional Finnish, steam and infrared saunas sit alongside a pool, cold plunge pool and signature treatments, complemented by cryotherapy, Neurosonic beds, compression therapy and personalised wellness experiences.

Finnish heritage also appears in playful details, including in-house collagen ice cream and signature drinks – one cocktail is served in a cup inspired by the traditional Finnish sauna bucket, or löylykiulu.

Kämp Spa offers a contemporary interpretation of Finnish wellbeing, where sauna, recovery and everyday rituals come together in an elegant setting.

In Oulu, sauna culture takes to the sea. Located beside Oulu Market Square, Hehku is a floating public sauna offering direct access to the water for swimming and cooling off after the heat.

Created by the Bastusauna concept and opened in July 2026, Hehku is fully self-service: guests book online, receive a personal access code and arrive when their session begins. Open throughout the year, it offers a distinctly Finnish contrast in every season – refreshing swims in summer and winter swimming through cold or icy water.

The combination of sauna, swimming and a central waterfront location makes Hehku an accessible way to experience Finnish sauna culture as part of city life.

At Lempee Sauna & Stay in Lempäälä, sauna is combined with modern lakeside accommodation. Two contrasting saunas look out across Lake Pyhäjärvi through large glass walls, bringing the surrounding nature into the experience.

Kajo represents contemporary Scandinavian sauna design, with a light, minimalist atmosphere and gentle, lingering löyly. Korpi draws on Finnish sauna tradition, combining hand-hewn logs, warm lighting and three levels of benches for different temperatures.

Guests can also enjoy warm and cold pools, lake swimming and five two-person cottages surrounded by nature. Less than 30 minutes from central Tampere, Lempee combines the Finnish pleasures of sauna, lake and cottage life in one compact escape.

On the shores of Lake Päijänne, Sisusauna draws inspiration from ancient rock paintings, local stories and Finnish mythology. Traditional Finnish wood and contemporary craftsmanship create a space where ancient influences meet modern design.

Three levels of löyly offer different intensities, while the surrounding lake remains central to the experience.

Sisusauna is newest part of AISTI Sauna Spa, an adults-only outdoor spa featuring five saunas, a heated infinity pool, outdoor jacuzzis and direct access to Päijänne for swimming and winter ice swimming. At its heart is a traditional smoke sauna, named Finland’s Best Sauna in 2026.

Together, AISTI’s experiences turn sauna into a sensory journey through Finnish nature, wood, smoke, cold water and silence.

For visitors looking beyond Helsinki’s best-known sauna landmarks, Löylykontti offers a glimpse of sauna as everyday city life.

Its newest location in Sörnäinen, on the Suvilahti waterfront, features two wood-lined container saunas overlooking the Baltic Sea. Guests can book a shared session or their own sauna, with direct access to the sea in summer and a maintained ice hole in winter.

The concept is deliberately uncomplicated: no reception, membership or prescribed ritual. Just sauna, cold water and time by the sea.

Located close to Suvilahti’s cultural venues and the restaurants and bars of Kallio, it offers visitors the chance to experience the kind of neighbourhood sauna that local residents return to throughout the year.

The concept is also expanding, with four additional Helsinki locations planned in Eira, Jätkäsaari, Tapaninvainio and Palettilampi – all developed with winter swimming in mind.

Just outside Joensuu, Lykynlampi Sauna World brings together sauna, Karelian traditions, nature and outdoor activities.

The destination currently features two experience saunas, Kelo and Valo, with lake swimming available in summer and ice swimming or a cold-water pool in winter. The surrounding recreation area adds further experiences, including Finland’s largest scenic swing and events such as the Lykyfest festival.

Lykynlampi is also becoming a stop for gravel cyclists, with bike rental available at the sauna and routes including the approximately 65-kilometre Pyhäselkä Loop, part of the Saimaa by Cycle network.

The sauna world is continuing to grow, with a third experience sauna currently under construction and due to open in 2027, adding another chapter to Lykynlampi’s celebration of Karelian sauna traditions.

From floating city saunas and contemporary spas to lakeside accommodation and outdoor sauna worlds, these experiences demonstrate how Finnish sauna culture continues to find new forms.

Yet the essence remains unchanged: heat, water, nature, connection and a moment to slow down.