Why are Finns obsessed with saunas?

Most Finns consider traditional smoke saunas to be the best because of the very soft loyly they produce. The smoke clears through a small hole in the ceiling before you enter. You can still smell it – a pleasant sensation which transports your mind to the forest – but you do not see it or feel it in your eyes.

Is it normal to be naked in Finland?

A lot of visitors are invited to use the sauna as it is a well-established Finnish cultural custom. Different cultural attitudes to nudity make many visitors want to cover up rather than go in fully naked. It is understandable, but not recommended. Either politely decline the sauna or be brave and bare all.

How long do Finnish people sauna?

Usually one takes at least two or three cycles, lasting between 30 minutes to two hours. In Finland’s numerous summer cottages bathing might go on well into the night. This is especially true in the summer when there’s virtually no darkness at night. The sauna session itself is finished off with a thorough wash.

Are saunas Finnish?

Saunas have existed in other cultures, but it is in Finland that they have become entwined in the national culture. Traditional saunas are heated by wood, burned either in a stove with a chimney, or by a stove with no chimney. The latter – a smoke-sauna – is the original sauna and believed by most Finns to be the best.

How do Finns sauna?

They are to be found in city apartments and in country cottages. Traditional saunas are heated by wood, burned either in a stove with a chimney, or by a stove with no chimney. The latter – a smoke-sauna – is the original sauna and believed by most Finns to be the best.

Does every house in Finland have a sauna?

Almost every house in Finland is said to have a sauna.

Which country has most saunas?

Finns own more saunas per capita than anywhere else in the world—2 million, or about one per household.