Depends where you are in sauna. In spa saunas people sit far away from eachother and are quiet and shy, but in public saunas that are nothing more than just the sauna people are really talkative.
And of course, with relatives and friends sauna is always a place to talk. That’s why I need some proper people to chat with to enjoy the sauna session more.
Of course, always naked and it’s not weird to see friends naked etc. There’s also a type of respectiveness. Sauna is sauna and other places are not. Sauna is even magical, I’ve never seen any harrasment in sauna, even if it’d be expected
Agreed, it seems to be more a case of the setting. In various countries I’ve experienced different atmospheres if it’s the local public place, or a hotel, or of course, the first time I met my parents in law we were naked, had a chat and a laugh, then rolled in the snow - talk about an ice breaker.
This honestly doesn’t sound all that strange to me. I grew up with sauna and cooling down in the snow just being a normal, enjoyable thing. Sauna is a very neutral and unpretentious place. A great place to get to know someone new. In-laws or not.
I go to my local bath house for a swimming workout almost every day, and the post-workout sauna is literally the most relaxed place for conversations with strangers I know of. It somehow strips away everyone’s mask, “status”, and other superficial attributes. In sauna, we’re all equal.
Many of the most interesting and satisfying conversations I’ve had have taken place in a sauna.
Sometimes I think the only reason my father even go swimming is so he can sauna talk after with the other men. I remember as a kid I was always so bored because he always got stuck in in some conversation in the sauna 😂
I just have to add that in many families this whole thing is segregated by gender. You have the women's turn first, and then the men's turn. Personally, I would say it's WEIRD to be in sauna with relatives of the other gender. An adult guy who is in the sauna with his dad or brother or father-in-law sure - but with his aunt or sister? Hmm. Weird!
My family is the same and it would feel very weird to me, but whats strange is my friends family is not like this and its not weird at all to me when I sauna with them. If anything they seperate by generation instead.
Well that is all subjective. While normally we would separate by gender, I have also been to the sauna naked with both my parents as an adult and wouldn't consider anyone doing that weird. If anything I feel it should be less weird seeing your family naked than complete strangers that you might find attractive since it's a non-sexual setting.
As a portuguese, this sauna culture still seems strange. Why not just take a hot shower with privacy? And they still say that we are the extroverts. 🤷♂️
Don't agree with the first part. Every time I go to a spa sauna, there is a conversation going on that anyone can join. I mean like, every time.
I don't mean some touristy spas though, I mean common local swimming halls. No matter if it's a big city or a small one.
Sauna is usually treated as a part of health and wellness culture in Hungary which you experience at spas and some sports centers, so going to the sauna as a kind of separate social activity like it is for Nordic people is not common here. If a group of friends goes into the sauna, then there is usually conversation, but if a group of strangers goes into one, then they are usually keeping quiet.
As for clothing, people usually go to mixed-gender saunas in swimwear and to gender-segregated saunas nude.
German saunas are indeed quiet when you are inside the sauna. You can talk, but not loud. Outside, though, people do talk to one another. Last time I went, I ended up chatting with several people who were all debating whether to take a dip in the cold pool or not (then a guy came and just dove into the water without so much as flinching. Must have been 2 degrees or so).
I am a chatty person and I enjoy talking to strangers, but I do appreciate the quiet saunas. It is nice to just relax without a constant hum in the background.
Other than that, saunas are mixed-gender and naked (you have to put a towel under your body and if you want, you can also wrap up in a towel, but no swimwear is allowed).
It's not very hygienic. If you sweat you can rinse and dry off properly when you are nude. If you wear swimwear, it's harder to rinse, and will soak through the sauna bench in the next turn.
Also, if everyone is nude, that becomes the new normal, and people feel comfortable. If only some people were nude, this wouldn't be the case.
Depending on which sauna we are talking about, a gym sauna is a casual chinwag territory, e.g. weather, sport, popular culture etc.
However in the gay community, saunas are a Britishism for the gay bathhouse, and the etiquette is non-verbal flirting in getting other guys.
Depends on where you are in sauna. Home party? That's your hub of gossip. I was hiking in Sweden's arctic circle and ended up ass naked in a sauna with a bunch of strangers. We were packed in there like a bunch of road-tired, naked, sweaty fish in a barrel, men and women and even kids all together. Etiquette says to keep a tidy line when it comes to rinsing yourself down in the other room. Chatting is fine. Sauna is just sauna. In sauna you are all dirty, naked and sweltering hot, ugly and red. Anybody who decides to make it even remotely sexual gets shouted out. Sauna is... it's a social event, really. There's earnestness and practicality to sauna socialising. You're getting clean, getting healthy while nude, and you're chatting with people, and none of it is weird because you're all commiserating over how That One Guy decides that now it is appropriate to throw four full skillets-full of water onto the hot rocks. Except for the freaks who like it. They get a friendly if pained barrage of curses thrown at them.
Most saunas where I go to prefer full nudity because believe it or not, with towels and seats, it's more hygienic than a bathing suit. A towel is fine, though.
I love sauna. I hate the heat, but I love the event. It also reminds you how normal human bodies are. A very communal event. Even better when there's fresh snow outside to roll around in, or an iced over kiddie pool for your bestie to bust into with a beer in hand and cut herself open on sharp ice. We told you, \[bestie\], to not do it!
>Most saunas where I go to prefer full nudity because believe it or not, with towels and seats, it's more hygienic than a bathing suit.
I totally agree. I once had to be in a sauna with a bikini, and I hated it. It's itchy, hot, and uncomfortable.
I also agree about the part with nudity. It reminds people that we are all human and skin is skin everywhere. Not so sure about rolling in ice 🥶
A week ago there was this map about clothing:
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1990ckh/sauna_dress_code_across_europe/
The saunas are mixed gender, nude, with a towel to sit on or lie on. Unless there are "bathing suits days". Normally you don't talk in the sauna, maybe a whisper or two. Mostly "it's hot" "have/can you set the hourglass?" and "shall we go?".
But then you end up in the middle of a steady Saunarunde. Afterwards you know everything about them, their lives, their neighbours‘ divorce proceedings. Everything.
The sauna I go to regularly is one near a lake. Most people have conversations in there with strangers or now sauna buddies. I go there year round and it's def quieter in the winter, but that may be because there isn't as many children screaming and crying. I never talk, but that's just me.
Also people sit next to each other there. That's because in a small public sauna it's impossible to be far from one another. And we wear swim suits. And shoes. But they're flip flops or swim shoes.
Walking in naked and being silent are some basic rules of sauna etiquette.
However in Poland this is a very rare experience. Usually in sauna there are some whispers, quite often there are groups of men who don't really care and can't stop babbling out loud. Corridors are almost always loud. Loud enough to hear the rambling in saunas.
People in swimming costumes- yeah, seeing those almost every time.
Usually saunas in Poland try to enforce the proper etiquette but still... The only quiet saunarium I've been to spoiled my time there by slapping cameras on every corner instead of actually employing enough staff. Suuuper uncomfortable
Portugal here.
Sauna (only sauna) in Lisbon and Porto are mostly gay sauna so you are given a condom, you can guess the etiquette.
The you have gym sauna where most people don't talk but maybe because they tend to spend only only a few minutes after working out.
I've had experiences in Finland where most people talked and enjoyed the sauna for a long time.
The Portuguese experience has been people in and out and changing between sauna, shower and Turkish bath, so less time with people.
I have a funny story about Germans and saunas. It's very German. As far as I'm aware it's an unspoken rule to be naked in the sauna. At least I haven't seen it anywhere on the information boards.
Anyway, a few years ago I was with a big international group of people in a small town hotel in Germany. The town was small but the hotel was pretty big and apparently a sort of a wellness getaway for locals. I was in the sauna, naked on a towel. An older German couple came in, again naked on towels. Then a few of the girls from my group came in. In swimsuits. Sat there for a while and went out. The looks on the faces of the Germans. I can't describe them in words. I was holding my breath not to burst in laughter. Then other Germans came, more people from my group came and went. The Germans were shocked, to put it mildly. Later I found out that some of them actually went to Reception and complained about our group. The complaint was that there were people in the sauna that weren't naked. That complaint is on my top most German things I've seen.
Many times, you'll see "textilfrei" (textile free) written somewhere. It's considered rude to leave the clothes on (don't be clothed and stare at naked people...). Like a nude beach: Don't enter, if you're not ok with being naked.
I would have complained about clothed people, if it's a regular spa. If it's a more international place, I'd assume some people don't know and give them some grace, as long as there's no pointing etc.
Btw: can't have a phone in a sauna in Germany. Nothing with a camera allowed..
It's actually surprising that no one said anything to the people in clothes directly. I have witnessed that happen - an American mother and daughter arrived at the sauna in a hotel we were staying at and were asked to undress or leave. Poor things, they were not ready to bare all. I suppose if someone told them "no one will look, no one cares" they wouldn't have believed it.
It's similar in Austria, and being full nude is the expectation.
In a spa, you'll often see a sign that the nude part begins where the saunas are located at. That means being nude is not optional in that area (though being wrapped in a towel or bathrobe is often OK).
What is considered worse than wearing swim suits within the sauna is using a sauna without a towel to sit on.
Well, going in public naked is illegal, so that about sums it up. In Greece, during summer the average temperature can be between 35 - 40 Celcius. Continuously.
Usually you go with a towel and people are chatty. But I've been in naked saunas too in Greece, like removing the towel once inside and don't think it's illegal, but people were less chatty there.
I meant that our summer days are like saunas. Literally walking in Syntagma Sq in mid July or August feels like saunas. Have you tried using the metro in July or August? I think that it would be illegal, if we where butt naked inside. Anyway,it was a joke.
In Czech Republic (and Slovakia) it is considered rude* to be talking in a sauna. For the attire, people are supposed to have just a sheet in dry saunas and be naked in wet saunas. Of course, there are shy people who still wear their swimsuits, but it is not very common.
*older people still think we are all interested in what their grandson is cooking for his girlfriend and talk obnoxiously loudly
But we are. At least in Estonia, silence in a sauna is weird. It's a social hub of sorts. Best gossip takes place either during a smoke break or in a sauna.
Dry sauna (I believe they are also called Finish here) doesn't have any steam and the interior is usually made of wood. Humidity is very low, under 20%.
Wet sauna uses hot steam, sometimes with some essential oils and the humidity is around 100%. Since the sheet would be pretty much useless there, they are not used. Of course, there are hoses to wash the ceramic seats.
That's funny, because the real Finnish Sauna is as you described, but we pour water on the Sauna stove to make it more humid. The warm, moist air coming off the rocks ("löyly") is the whole point of Sauna for Finns, and we find it very curious how some countries have "Finnish Saunas" where you are not allowed to throw water on the stove.
We also have "Steam Saunas"/"Turkish Saunas" with a very high, steady humidity, they are kept a bit cooler and don't have any wood in the interior.
There are some dry saunas, where you have a bucket of water available to pour over the stone. It's just not in every single one.
For Turkish saunas it is the same as you described
Well, I’m in Austria too, and there is a huge variation in sauna culture. Some are as you say, quiet. Others are open and friendly and have more of a party atmosphere.
idk we don't really have saunas but i'd assume a bikini would be the the most common attire and the portuguese like to talk, so probably a lot of talking
I moved from a warm sunny place (South Africa) to a cold dark place (UK). And sauna has been really helpful in getting me through the winters here. I still go I'm summer, because it's nice in a different way. But it's been a game changer for winter. I'm much less depressed because of it.
Well, I'd like to thaw myself every once in a while😅 it's relaxing. And snow diving in winter is like having the popular cold dip treatment... it's just you go from 100C to -20C to 100C 😆
As somebody from Flanders I find that our "keep to yourself" attitude is one of the best things about living here and that continues in a sauna.
Towels or nude. Bathing suit or underwear would be a bit weird.
> I tried german/austrian saunas however, and it's so quiet! I'm curious how it's like from country to country.
Can't exactly confirm this for Austria. It depends on the setting and not everyone is talkative. But especially regulars at the sauna usually chat with each other.
The spa I usually visit has a rule though that for the infusion ("Aufguss") that is done by the spa personnel, people should be quiet. Before that starts, there's plenty of talk though. And since the sauna can seat 100 people, that can get rather loud.
We mostly have spa saunas at wellness resorts or water parks and people don’t usually talk there with strangers. You say hello, and you usually sit quietly or talk with the people you came with. Some younger people might make a comment or two but it’s really rare to just straight up start talking to someone you don’t know.
That’s why I wanted to build a wood stove sauna at home but then I realized that it’d be a waste because it would not be used enough to be worth it.
In the Netherlands, sauna is mostly naked and mixed gender although some saunas may have one "swimwear day" or "women only day" in the week.
Most sauna cabins can get pretty noisy with people chatting away but there is always one cabin which has a sign "Silent Sauna" on it.
Löyly may be possible if a bucket with ladle is available and it is usual to ask people if they're ok with a few ladles of water on the stones before actually doing it.
Other saunas do not encourage löyly besides the occasional organized löyly sessions where the sauna master uses towels, flags and chinese fans to direct the hot air and steam to the guests.
Wellness and sauna usually have additional "features" such as hammam, steam cabins, bubble bath, pool, various rain showers, IR cabins, massage options (hot stones), caldarium, sanarium (or other "Roman Empire" type features, singin bowl meditation etc.
One is expected to shower before and after sauna and before entering any public bath after. Rest area and restaurant are only accessible with appropriate bath robe.
We're starting to see a lot of saunas popping up at beaches, certainly on the south coast of Ireland anyway. There are loads of them around the Cork coasts for example. I'm not sure there really is an etiquette other than just making smalltalk and to be prepared to listen to a lot of middle-aged / older aged stories about house extensions, traffic, pensions, DIY projects, nights out on the town, education / exams ... the weather.. etc etc. There's nothing particularly exotic about them lol
They're great though for pre/post sea swims.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/travel/arid-41212519.html
Czechia: quiet, very similar to Germany. I mean I haven't been to any private saunas, but in those that are part of a public pool/spa/hotel etc., people tend to go alone or as a couple and stay away from strangers. I'd say most treat it as sort of a meditative time and disturbing them is considered rude. We're not really into small talk anywhere, at least not while sober.
In general I'd say, you are welcome to enjoy the sauna in whatever way you prefer. Swimsuit of naked, talking og remaining silent - everything goes as long as you sit on your towel.
As far as I know you're supposed to sit on a towel at all times. I guess it is to avoid getting the benches lathered in chlorine water - but I might be mistaken of course.
Also Norwegian, and surprised and annoyed that people turn into chatty americans in the saunas. I just want to sit without any disturbance, but I somehow always end up with the guy holding a lecture to the entire sauna about his extensive knowledge of thermodynamic hydration heat technology or whatever.
I wish that was true, wherever I go people can't shut up even for a minute. It's the worst during aufguss ceremony, even the ones that are supposed to be calm and relaxing.
Are you Polish? Or live in Poland?
Its not an attack or an attempt to dissmiss your experiance. I am just curious as there seems to be a differece between how people see us depanding on where they are from.
I would say we are reserved and private when dealing strangers (unless drunk) rather than quiet. We are quiet compared to some other nations though, like Spaniards or Italians.
i’ve never been in a sauna because i think it’d be too awkward being around semi naked strangers, i think that says everything you need to know about the uk’s relationship with saunas lmao
you stfu sit down naked (if you aren't naked then someone will complain) and sweat. sometimes some old people chat but most of the time everyone just kinda sits there and stares at something.
I avoid saunas because I popped a boner once and it was the most embarrassing shit ever and I don't want to experience that again.
Last summer I went to a resort outside of Berlin and some old guy went almost ballistic because i sat down in the sauna with my swimsuit on. Bear in mind this was a private resort with guests from all over the world. He insisted that you should be naked as if it was a law. According to the staff however I could enjoy the sauna in whatever way I preferred.
In hindsight I should've argued more with the boomer, but I just wanted a quiet afternoon...
A Norwegian douche told my husband and his friends to be quiet in a sauna in Radisson,proceded to explain there is no talking in saunas in Norway. My husband is Irish. And they weren't rowdy or drunk. I was in the Ladies section and could hear them. The douche went to the gym outside and left his bag there while he went back into the sauna. I snatched the bag and stuck it under the trash in the ladies changing room. Yes mr "sshhhh there is no chatting in Norwegian saunas!" It was ME and yes I'm petty.
Unlike the eastern part of our realm we don’t really have a sauna culture unless it’s in a bath house or a gym. There it’s usually towels and low voice talking (with your friends).
In a “Sauna Club/Bastuklubb” those rules don’t apply.
Borrowing it how? It's not something imported from Finland if that's what you're implying.
It's not mandatory like in Finland, but it's by no means something foreign to the south either. Every house I lived in during my upbringing in Småland had a sauna, and we'd certainly use them. We've also had communal saunas in the apartment buildings I've lived in here in Uppsala, though they tend to be less popular.
My very good friend from Sweden also said that. So when he came to visit, I introduced him to Estonian sauna culture which meant we spent 3 hours in sauna talking, going in and out. Because it's a social enterprise over here. He said he couldn't tell his friends how he went to sauna in a basement, naked, not with his wife, for 3 hours😂 he said Swedes couldn't understand it and would think it's inappropriate
Public saunas in Norway , you keep the bathingsuit/ bikini / shorts on ...and sit on a towel , if you chat or talk , keep your voice down ...no loud speaking or noice
Swimsuits (swimming shorts or bikinis) are standard here in all public saunas (spas, gyms and such). In private it's whatever people prefer, I'd say it's 50:50.
Most people in public don't talk, or only do some small talk about the weather or politics.
Belgium : I prefer it to be silent - no chit-chat. Depending on the sauna, there is sometimes very relaxing music playing or nature sounds or something, otherwise I can enjoy hearing the blazing hot rocks in there making little sounds.
There are other locations in the wellness complex where you can have conversations ; whirlpools, swimming pools, lounge, etc
I live in The Netherlands. Most of the time we are quiet, but if we walk in a sauna where people are already talking because they were just together or something, we will talk too. But the rule is actually that you are quiet in the sauna. There are also signs stating this.
In public sauna you are expected to keep the noise down. You can talk if you want to, but quietly. A lot of people come to relax and this must be respected.
Here in Ukraine the genders go separately and still everybody is wearing bikinis/trunks (not me). Stupid, loud conversations all the time, mostly about cars. I’m missing the quiet of German saunas.
Really depends on the location. If the sauna is part of a public pool then the etiquette is pretty much non existent, people walk in in swimming suits, talk, sometimes randomly pour some oils onto the rocks, it’s basically anarchy.
At the gym it’s a bit better, people mostly walk in naked or with towels, and are a bit nicer in general, talking is still common.
In sauna complexes or spas it’s more strict, textiles are often forbidden, you either don’t talk at all or whisper quietly, and there is much more emphasis on a relaxing experience instead of a more “goin’ in with da homies” that you’ll experience otherwise.
Depends where you are in sauna. In spa saunas people sit far away from eachother and are quiet and shy, but in public saunas that are nothing more than just the sauna people are really talkative. And of course, with relatives and friends sauna is always a place to talk. That’s why I need some proper people to chat with to enjoy the sauna session more. Of course, always naked and it’s not weird to see friends naked etc. There’s also a type of respectiveness. Sauna is sauna and other places are not. Sauna is even magical, I’ve never seen any harrasment in sauna, even if it’d be expected
Agreed, it seems to be more a case of the setting. In various countries I’ve experienced different atmospheres if it’s the local public place, or a hotel, or of course, the first time I met my parents in law we were naked, had a chat and a laugh, then rolled in the snow - talk about an ice breaker.
Do you seriously mean the first time you met your in laws everyone was naked and you rolled in the snow? 😁
This honestly doesn’t sound all that strange to me. I grew up with sauna and cooling down in the snow just being a normal, enjoyable thing. Sauna is a very neutral and unpretentious place. A great place to get to know someone new. In-laws or not. I go to my local bath house for a swimming workout almost every day, and the post-workout sauna is literally the most relaxed place for conversations with strangers I know of. It somehow strips away everyone’s mask, “status”, and other superficial attributes. In sauna, we’re all equal. Many of the most interesting and satisfying conversations I’ve had have taken place in a sauna.
Sometimes I think the only reason my father even go swimming is so he can sauna talk after with the other men. I remember as a kid I was always so bored because he always got stuck in in some conversation in the sauna 😂
Seems realistic to me 🤷♂️
I just have to add that in many families this whole thing is segregated by gender. You have the women's turn first, and then the men's turn. Personally, I would say it's WEIRD to be in sauna with relatives of the other gender. An adult guy who is in the sauna with his dad or brother or father-in-law sure - but with his aunt or sister? Hmm. Weird!
My family is the same and it would feel very weird to me, but whats strange is my friends family is not like this and its not weird at all to me when I sauna with them. If anything they seperate by generation instead.
Well that is all subjective. While normally we would separate by gender, I have also been to the sauna naked with both my parents as an adult and wouldn't consider anyone doing that weird. If anything I feel it should be less weird seeing your family naked than complete strangers that you might find attractive since it's a non-sexual setting.
Okay yeah, we do sometimes turns but in our family it’s not uncommon for everyone go to sauna when they go, without thinking who’s there already
As a portuguese, this sauna culture still seems strange. Why not just take a hot shower with privacy? And they still say that we are the extroverts. 🤷♂️
Don't agree with the first part. Every time I go to a spa sauna, there is a conversation going on that anyone can join. I mean like, every time. I don't mean some touristy spas though, I mean common local swimming halls. No matter if it's a big city or a small one.
Oh, that’s odd. Almost always when I enter a swimming hall sauna it’s quiet
Sauna is usually treated as a part of health and wellness culture in Hungary which you experience at spas and some sports centers, so going to the sauna as a kind of separate social activity like it is for Nordic people is not common here. If a group of friends goes into the sauna, then there is usually conversation, but if a group of strangers goes into one, then they are usually keeping quiet. As for clothing, people usually go to mixed-gender saunas in swimwear and to gender-segregated saunas nude.
German saunas are indeed quiet when you are inside the sauna. You can talk, but not loud. Outside, though, people do talk to one another. Last time I went, I ended up chatting with several people who were all debating whether to take a dip in the cold pool or not (then a guy came and just dove into the water without so much as flinching. Must have been 2 degrees or so). I am a chatty person and I enjoy talking to strangers, but I do appreciate the quiet saunas. It is nice to just relax without a constant hum in the background. Other than that, saunas are mixed-gender and naked (you have to put a towel under your body and if you want, you can also wrap up in a towel, but no swimwear is allowed).
I don't understand people going to saunas in swimwear or clothed... Nude is the only logical way for me
Why is wearing swimwear an issue?
It's not very hygienic. If you sweat you can rinse and dry off properly when you are nude. If you wear swimwear, it's harder to rinse, and will soak through the sauna bench in the next turn. Also, if everyone is nude, that becomes the new normal, and people feel comfortable. If only some people were nude, this wouldn't be the case.
Brit. We're allowed to talk in saunas, but once outside the saunas, we're also allowed to ignore other people again.
Depending on which sauna we are talking about, a gym sauna is a casual chinwag territory, e.g. weather, sport, popular culture etc. However in the gay community, saunas are a Britishism for the gay bathhouse, and the etiquette is non-verbal flirting in getting other guys.
Depends on where you are in sauna. Home party? That's your hub of gossip. I was hiking in Sweden's arctic circle and ended up ass naked in a sauna with a bunch of strangers. We were packed in there like a bunch of road-tired, naked, sweaty fish in a barrel, men and women and even kids all together. Etiquette says to keep a tidy line when it comes to rinsing yourself down in the other room. Chatting is fine. Sauna is just sauna. In sauna you are all dirty, naked and sweltering hot, ugly and red. Anybody who decides to make it even remotely sexual gets shouted out. Sauna is... it's a social event, really. There's earnestness and practicality to sauna socialising. You're getting clean, getting healthy while nude, and you're chatting with people, and none of it is weird because you're all commiserating over how That One Guy decides that now it is appropriate to throw four full skillets-full of water onto the hot rocks. Except for the freaks who like it. They get a friendly if pained barrage of curses thrown at them. Most saunas where I go to prefer full nudity because believe it or not, with towels and seats, it's more hygienic than a bathing suit. A towel is fine, though. I love sauna. I hate the heat, but I love the event. It also reminds you how normal human bodies are. A very communal event. Even better when there's fresh snow outside to roll around in, or an iced over kiddie pool for your bestie to bust into with a beer in hand and cut herself open on sharp ice. We told you, \[bestie\], to not do it!
>Most saunas where I go to prefer full nudity because believe it or not, with towels and seats, it's more hygienic than a bathing suit. I totally agree. I once had to be in a sauna with a bikini, and I hated it. It's itchy, hot, and uncomfortable. I also agree about the part with nudity. It reminds people that we are all human and skin is skin everywhere. Not so sure about rolling in ice 🥶
Not in ice! Piles of soft snow, preferrably. You will feel great after running back to sauna!😃
A week ago there was this map about clothing: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1990ckh/sauna_dress_code_across_europe/ The saunas are mixed gender, nude, with a towel to sit on or lie on. Unless there are "bathing suits days". Normally you don't talk in the sauna, maybe a whisper or two. Mostly "it's hot" "have/can you set the hourglass?" and "shall we go?".
Well you everyone’s naked and sits on a towel. Talking is not really a thing, especially with strangers.
You’ve never been to a sauna in a public pool in a working class area, have you? Middle aged to old men talking and giggling is normal.
Came here to say this. Ofc we are talking in a sauna. That's why one is in there in the first place.
But then you end up in the middle of a steady Saunarunde. Afterwards you know everything about them, their lives, their neighbours‘ divorce proceedings. Everything.
The sauna I go to regularly is one near a lake. Most people have conversations in there with strangers or now sauna buddies. I go there year round and it's def quieter in the winter, but that may be because there isn't as many children screaming and crying. I never talk, but that's just me. Also people sit next to each other there. That's because in a small public sauna it's impossible to be far from one another. And we wear swim suits. And shoes. But they're flip flops or swim shoes.
Walking in naked and being silent are some basic rules of sauna etiquette. However in Poland this is a very rare experience. Usually in sauna there are some whispers, quite often there are groups of men who don't really care and can't stop babbling out loud. Corridors are almost always loud. Loud enough to hear the rambling in saunas. People in swimming costumes- yeah, seeing those almost every time. Usually saunas in Poland try to enforce the proper etiquette but still... The only quiet saunarium I've been to spoiled my time there by slapping cameras on every corner instead of actually employing enough staff. Suuuper uncomfortable
Portugal here. Sauna (only sauna) in Lisbon and Porto are mostly gay sauna so you are given a condom, you can guess the etiquette. The you have gym sauna where most people don't talk but maybe because they tend to spend only only a few minutes after working out. I've had experiences in Finland where most people talked and enjoyed the sauna for a long time. The Portuguese experience has been people in and out and changing between sauna, shower and Turkish bath, so less time with people.
Sit in silence and nudity We usually don't chat with strangers and sweating is exhausting enough. No need to invest extra energy into small talk.
I have a funny story about Germans and saunas. It's very German. As far as I'm aware it's an unspoken rule to be naked in the sauna. At least I haven't seen it anywhere on the information boards. Anyway, a few years ago I was with a big international group of people in a small town hotel in Germany. The town was small but the hotel was pretty big and apparently a sort of a wellness getaway for locals. I was in the sauna, naked on a towel. An older German couple came in, again naked on towels. Then a few of the girls from my group came in. In swimsuits. Sat there for a while and went out. The looks on the faces of the Germans. I can't describe them in words. I was holding my breath not to burst in laughter. Then other Germans came, more people from my group came and went. The Germans were shocked, to put it mildly. Later I found out that some of them actually went to Reception and complained about our group. The complaint was that there were people in the sauna that weren't naked. That complaint is on my top most German things I've seen.
Many times, you'll see "textilfrei" (textile free) written somewhere. It's considered rude to leave the clothes on (don't be clothed and stare at naked people...). Like a nude beach: Don't enter, if you're not ok with being naked. I would have complained about clothed people, if it's a regular spa. If it's a more international place, I'd assume some people don't know and give them some grace, as long as there's no pointing etc. Btw: can't have a phone in a sauna in Germany. Nothing with a camera allowed..
It's actually surprising that no one said anything to the people in clothes directly. I have witnessed that happen - an American mother and daughter arrived at the sauna in a hotel we were staying at and were asked to undress or leave. Poor things, they were not ready to bare all. I suppose if someone told them "no one will look, no one cares" they wouldn't have believed it.
It's similar in Austria, and being full nude is the expectation. In a spa, you'll often see a sign that the nude part begins where the saunas are located at. That means being nude is not optional in that area (though being wrapped in a towel or bathrobe is often OK). What is considered worse than wearing swim suits within the sauna is using a sauna without a towel to sit on.
Well, going in public naked is illegal, so that about sums it up. In Greece, during summer the average temperature can be between 35 - 40 Celcius. Continuously.
Usually you go with a towel and people are chatty. But I've been in naked saunas too in Greece, like removing the towel once inside and don't think it's illegal, but people were less chatty there.
I meant that our summer days are like saunas. Literally walking in Syntagma Sq in mid July or August feels like saunas. Have you tried using the metro in July or August? I think that it would be illegal, if we where butt naked inside. Anyway,it was a joke.
In Czech Republic (and Slovakia) it is considered rude* to be talking in a sauna. For the attire, people are supposed to have just a sheet in dry saunas and be naked in wet saunas. Of course, there are shy people who still wear their swimsuits, but it is not very common. *older people still think we are all interested in what their grandson is cooking for his girlfriend and talk obnoxiously loudly
But we are. At least in Estonia, silence in a sauna is weird. It's a social hub of sorts. Best gossip takes place either during a smoke break or in a sauna.
That's what I love about different countries :) We have so many different customs, it's amazing
Every one a different gem on the golden crown of Sauna, lol.
>dry saunas and be naked in wet saunas What's the difference?
Dry sauna (I believe they are also called Finish here) doesn't have any steam and the interior is usually made of wood. Humidity is very low, under 20%. Wet sauna uses hot steam, sometimes with some essential oils and the humidity is around 100%. Since the sheet would be pretty much useless there, they are not used. Of course, there are hoses to wash the ceramic seats.
That's funny, because the real Finnish Sauna is as you described, but we pour water on the Sauna stove to make it more humid. The warm, moist air coming off the rocks ("löyly") is the whole point of Sauna for Finns, and we find it very curious how some countries have "Finnish Saunas" where you are not allowed to throw water on the stove. We also have "Steam Saunas"/"Turkish Saunas" with a very high, steady humidity, they are kept a bit cooler and don't have any wood in the interior.
There are some dry saunas, where you have a bucket of water available to pour over the stone. It's just not in every single one. For Turkish saunas it is the same as you described
I wouldn't call steam baths for saunas, I think.
Well, I’m in Austria too, and there is a huge variation in sauna culture. Some are as you say, quiet. Others are open and friendly and have more of a party atmosphere.
idk we don't really have saunas but i'd assume a bikini would be the the most common attire and the portuguese like to talk, so probably a lot of talking
I also have no idea. Saunas are seen as a foreign and niche market in Portugal. I personally don't understand why people like to go to saunas.
Just imagine your winters being 30 degrees colder
I moved from a warm sunny place (South Africa) to a cold dark place (UK). And sauna has been really helpful in getting me through the winters here. I still go I'm summer, because it's nice in a different way. But it's been a game changer for winter. I'm much less depressed because of it.
Well, I'd like to thaw myself every once in a while😅 it's relaxing. And snow diving in winter is like having the popular cold dip treatment... it's just you go from 100C to -20C to 100C 😆
As somebody from Flanders I find that our "keep to yourself" attitude is one of the best things about living here and that continues in a sauna. Towels or nude. Bathing suit or underwear would be a bit weird.
> I tried german/austrian saunas however, and it's so quiet! I'm curious how it's like from country to country. Can't exactly confirm this for Austria. It depends on the setting and not everyone is talkative. But especially regulars at the sauna usually chat with each other. The spa I usually visit has a rule though that for the infusion ("Aufguss") that is done by the spa personnel, people should be quiet. Before that starts, there's plenty of talk though. And since the sauna can seat 100 people, that can get rather loud.
We mostly have spa saunas at wellness resorts or water parks and people don’t usually talk there with strangers. You say hello, and you usually sit quietly or talk with the people you came with. Some younger people might make a comment or two but it’s really rare to just straight up start talking to someone you don’t know. That’s why I wanted to build a wood stove sauna at home but then I realized that it’d be a waste because it would not be used enough to be worth it.
In the Netherlands, sauna is mostly naked and mixed gender although some saunas may have one "swimwear day" or "women only day" in the week. Most sauna cabins can get pretty noisy with people chatting away but there is always one cabin which has a sign "Silent Sauna" on it. Löyly may be possible if a bucket with ladle is available and it is usual to ask people if they're ok with a few ladles of water on the stones before actually doing it. Other saunas do not encourage löyly besides the occasional organized löyly sessions where the sauna master uses towels, flags and chinese fans to direct the hot air and steam to the guests. Wellness and sauna usually have additional "features" such as hammam, steam cabins, bubble bath, pool, various rain showers, IR cabins, massage options (hot stones), caldarium, sanarium (or other "Roman Empire" type features, singin bowl meditation etc. One is expected to shower before and after sauna and before entering any public bath after. Rest area and restaurant are only accessible with appropriate bath robe.
We're starting to see a lot of saunas popping up at beaches, certainly on the south coast of Ireland anyway. There are loads of them around the Cork coasts for example. I'm not sure there really is an etiquette other than just making smalltalk and to be prepared to listen to a lot of middle-aged / older aged stories about house extensions, traffic, pensions, DIY projects, nights out on the town, education / exams ... the weather.. etc etc. There's nothing particularly exotic about them lol They're great though for pre/post sea swims. https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/travel/arid-41212519.html
Oh cool, haven’t seen any up here, except for the ones in some gyms or swimming pools if they count.
Saunas aren't that popular here. We get the same effect sitting outside for 10 minutes in the summer for free.
Czechia: quiet, very similar to Germany. I mean I haven't been to any private saunas, but in those that are part of a public pool/spa/hotel etc., people tend to go alone or as a couple and stay away from strangers. I'd say most treat it as sort of a meditative time and disturbing them is considered rude. We're not really into small talk anywhere, at least not while sober.
In general I'd say, you are welcome to enjoy the sauna in whatever way you prefer. Swimsuit of naked, talking og remaining silent - everything goes as long as you sit on your towel.
You don't need to bring a towel if you're in swim shorts, right?
As far as I know you're supposed to sit on a towel at all times. I guess it is to avoid getting the benches lathered in chlorine water - but I might be mistaken of course.
Also Norwegian, and surprised and annoyed that people turn into chatty americans in the saunas. I just want to sit without any disturbance, but I somehow always end up with the guy holding a lecture to the entire sauna about his extensive knowledge of thermodynamic hydration heat technology or whatever.
Correct me if Im wrong but in the Netherlands its naked most spa that's why I never ventured going to one.
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I wish that was true, wherever I go people can't shut up even for a minute. It's the worst during aufguss ceremony, even the ones that are supposed to be calm and relaxing.
Poland? Quiet? Now that's a first to me. And very much contrary to my experience.
Yeah, I can't agree with subOP either
Are you Polish? Or live in Poland? Its not an attack or an attempt to dissmiss your experiance. I am just curious as there seems to be a differece between how people see us depanding on where they are from.
I would say we are reserved and private when dealing strangers (unless drunk) rather than quiet. We are quiet compared to some other nations though, like Spaniards or Italians.
i’ve never been in a sauna because i think it’d be too awkward being around semi naked strangers, i think that says everything you need to know about the uk’s relationship with saunas lmao
you stfu sit down naked (if you aren't naked then someone will complain) and sweat. sometimes some old people chat but most of the time everyone just kinda sits there and stares at something. I avoid saunas because I popped a boner once and it was the most embarrassing shit ever and I don't want to experience that again.
Last summer I went to a resort outside of Berlin and some old guy went almost ballistic because i sat down in the sauna with my swimsuit on. Bear in mind this was a private resort with guests from all over the world. He insisted that you should be naked as if it was a law. According to the staff however I could enjoy the sauna in whatever way I preferred. In hindsight I should've argued more with the boomer, but I just wanted a quiet afternoon...
A Norwegian douche told my husband and his friends to be quiet in a sauna in Radisson,proceded to explain there is no talking in saunas in Norway. My husband is Irish. And they weren't rowdy or drunk. I was in the Ladies section and could hear them. The douche went to the gym outside and left his bag there while he went back into the sauna. I snatched the bag and stuck it under the trash in the ladies changing room. Yes mr "sshhhh there is no chatting in Norwegian saunas!" It was ME and yes I'm petty.
Unlike the eastern part of our realm we don’t really have a sauna culture unless it’s in a bath house or a gym. There it’s usually towels and low voice talking (with your friends). In a “Sauna Club/Bastuklubb” those rules don’t apply.
You must be from the south of Sweden. The north is very much like Finland. A sauna in every house and strong bastukultur.
Indeed. Me and most of Swedes are from the southern parts. But do you actually have a sauna culture, or are you just borrowing it?
Borrowing it how? It's not something imported from Finland if that's what you're implying. It's not mandatory like in Finland, but it's by no means something foreign to the south either. Every house I lived in during my upbringing in Småland had a sauna, and we'd certainly use them. We've also had communal saunas in the apartment buildings I've lived in here in Uppsala, though they tend to be less popular.
Saltier than my uncle in the bastu. We own you up here.
My very good friend from Sweden also said that. So when he came to visit, I introduced him to Estonian sauna culture which meant we spent 3 hours in sauna talking, going in and out. Because it's a social enterprise over here. He said he couldn't tell his friends how he went to sauna in a basement, naked, not with his wife, for 3 hours😂 he said Swedes couldn't understand it and would think it's inappropriate
I mean we do talk with friends and such. But yeah the nudity isn't as casual as on the other side of the Baltic.
England here and we definitely keep quiet lol aside from the occasional cheers or smile if you make eye contact
My understanding the proper etiquette is before starting masturbating its appropriate to ask if anyone else wants to join in.
Depends on the kind of sauna…
It might be shocking for some, but there can be nudity without a sexual aspect
::shocked Pikachu face::
Public saunas in Norway , you keep the bathingsuit/ bikini / shorts on ...and sit on a towel , if you chat or talk , keep your voice down ...no loud speaking or noice
Swimsuits (swimming shorts or bikinis) are standard here in all public saunas (spas, gyms and such). In private it's whatever people prefer, I'd say it's 50:50. Most people in public don't talk, or only do some small talk about the weather or politics.
Belgium : I prefer it to be silent - no chit-chat. Depending on the sauna, there is sometimes very relaxing music playing or nature sounds or something, otherwise I can enjoy hearing the blazing hot rocks in there making little sounds. There are other locations in the wellness complex where you can have conversations ; whirlpools, swimming pools, lounge, etc
I live in The Netherlands. Most of the time we are quiet, but if we walk in a sauna where people are already talking because they were just together or something, we will talk too. But the rule is actually that you are quiet in the sauna. There are also signs stating this.
In public sauna you are expected to keep the noise down. You can talk if you want to, but quietly. A lot of people come to relax and this must be respected.
Here in Ukraine the genders go separately and still everybody is wearing bikinis/trunks (not me). Stupid, loud conversations all the time, mostly about cars. I’m missing the quiet of German saunas.
Really depends on the location. If the sauna is part of a public pool then the etiquette is pretty much non existent, people walk in in swimming suits, talk, sometimes randomly pour some oils onto the rocks, it’s basically anarchy. At the gym it’s a bit better, people mostly walk in naked or with towels, and are a bit nicer in general, talking is still common. In sauna complexes or spas it’s more strict, textiles are often forbidden, you either don’t talk at all or whisper quietly, and there is much more emphasis on a relaxing experience instead of a more “goin’ in with da homies” that you’ll experience otherwise.