I see the flag of Estonia in the background of the three Musketeers in sauna, those it makes sense there no sausages in your sauna effort. Good Finnish Smoke Sauna always incorporates sausages, Lappen Kulta beer and a cold running river that could sweep the unwary downstream. But, good to see traditions being honored. When the going gets rough head to sauna and work it out amongst yourselves!
I must confess mostly ignorance about the different kinds of saunas, though, twice in the last two years I've nearly bought a house preciesly because it did have a sauna, but I think it was one of those infrared jobbies.
Is a smoke sauna different from a steam sauna? Is the sauna required to be outside the house or can it be part of the house?
The sauna “culture” is deeply ingrained in the Finnish way of life and “culture.” Way to go Kathleen on maybe buying a home with a sauna, grab the next one or add one on! Smoke sauna goes way back in Finnish History, the early Finn’s having migrated north out of eastern Central Europe (Note a Finn and Hungarian can sort of understand each others language) and they encountered a beautiful but tough nature. They built small huts that had a “fire place” in it. They cooked and slept in the little huts. Over time the huts stayed but the people built more substantial homes, but the tradition of throwing logs on the fire in the little hut to get hot and sweaty stuck. Sauna’s come in all sizes and shapes now. But, if you ever get a chance to head to Suomi/Finland see if you can get a chance to take a smoke sauna. It is quite something. As to where a sauna can be, most Finns have a small sauna in their homes or apartments. Those that have “summer” homes aka a retreat on the Finnish Archipelago or on a lake or river somewhere have larger saunas. The easiest and most efficient are electrically heated, they have rocks covering the coils and you throw water from a bucket on the rocks and build steam. The more experienced and used to the heat and steam the more water you throw on the rocks. Lastly, sauna is in a manner, a form of hygiene, especially in the old days. People sweated out bad stuff, jumped in cold water, sweated and jumped in cold water and then bathed. When you come out of smoke sauna you smell and feel completely rejuvenated. So whether you go with detached, attached, wood fired or otherwise, this writer cannot recommend the health benefits, physically and mentally enough. Oh, one more thing, people think there is some sort of naked bacchanalia out in the woods with Finnish sauna. Nothing could be further from the truth. Men go to sauna with men, women with women, married or couples and families go to sauna. The gathering after the heat to drink a beer and eat a sausage or two is meant to be a time to reflect and work out some of the weightier issues of the day. Or just to laugh, depends on what is on people’s minds. It is a pretty strict system. This is not so in other European countries that have their own sauna manners regarding who is comfortable sans clothing with members of the opposite sex. There is nothing more embarrassing than thinking you are in the “wrong” sauna in a German hotel, because a member of the opposite sex sans clothing walks in and takes a seat on the bench near you. This is especially so if you are an American trained by Finns in the proper manners of sauna. Hope this is helpful to inquiring minds!
They use a wood fire stove type “furnace” without a chimney, and the fire is kept low but hot and consistent for 6-7 hours. The “room” fills with smoke from the burning wood, and absorbs into the walls and ceiling. A bit before taking sauna they let most of the smoke out and then when add water to the rocks which have been heating for hours on the “stove” the rooms fills with a very rich but almost delicate steam. So not a “dry” sauna per se. But not a steam bath. So you sweat, and absorb the steam and just take this hot but gentle steam. I have only been in smoke sauna once in Jamsankoski Finland, but it was such a treat! When you leave the sauna, bathe and get sorted one is left with an amazing scent of wood smoke that sticks around for a day. Some of the hotels in Lapland and elsewhere in Finland have their own smoke saunas. If you head over worth booking a visit to one. They are sort of scarce.
I see the flag of Estonia in the background of the three Musketeers in sauna, those it makes sense there no sausages in your sauna effort. Good Finnish Smoke Sauna always incorporates sausages, Lappen Kulta beer and a cold running river that could sweep the unwary downstream. But, good to see traditions being honored. When the going gets rough head to sauna and work it out amongst yourselves!
I must confess mostly ignorance about the different kinds of saunas, though, twice in the last two years I've nearly bought a house preciesly because it did have a sauna, but I think it was one of those infrared jobbies.
Is a smoke sauna different from a steam sauna? Is the sauna required to be outside the house or can it be part of the house?
Enquiring minds want to know :)
The sauna “culture” is deeply ingrained in the Finnish way of life and “culture.” Way to go Kathleen on maybe buying a home with a sauna, grab the next one or add one on! Smoke sauna goes way back in Finnish History, the early Finn’s having migrated north out of eastern Central Europe (Note a Finn and Hungarian can sort of understand each others language) and they encountered a beautiful but tough nature. They built small huts that had a “fire place” in it. They cooked and slept in the little huts. Over time the huts stayed but the people built more substantial homes, but the tradition of throwing logs on the fire in the little hut to get hot and sweaty stuck. Sauna’s come in all sizes and shapes now. But, if you ever get a chance to head to Suomi/Finland see if you can get a chance to take a smoke sauna. It is quite something. As to where a sauna can be, most Finns have a small sauna in their homes or apartments. Those that have “summer” homes aka a retreat on the Finnish Archipelago or on a lake or river somewhere have larger saunas. The easiest and most efficient are electrically heated, they have rocks covering the coils and you throw water from a bucket on the rocks and build steam. The more experienced and used to the heat and steam the more water you throw on the rocks. Lastly, sauna is in a manner, a form of hygiene, especially in the old days. People sweated out bad stuff, jumped in cold water, sweated and jumped in cold water and then bathed. When you come out of smoke sauna you smell and feel completely rejuvenated. So whether you go with detached, attached, wood fired or otherwise, this writer cannot recommend the health benefits, physically and mentally enough. Oh, one more thing, people think there is some sort of naked bacchanalia out in the woods with Finnish sauna. Nothing could be further from the truth. Men go to sauna with men, women with women, married or couples and families go to sauna. The gathering after the heat to drink a beer and eat a sausage or two is meant to be a time to reflect and work out some of the weightier issues of the day. Or just to laugh, depends on what is on people’s minds. It is a pretty strict system. This is not so in other European countries that have their own sauna manners regarding who is comfortable sans clothing with members of the opposite sex. There is nothing more embarrassing than thinking you are in the “wrong” sauna in a German hotel, because a member of the opposite sex sans clothing walks in and takes a seat on the bench near you. This is especially so if you are an American trained by Finns in the proper manners of sauna. Hope this is helpful to inquiring minds!
What are they using to make the smoke and what kind of smoke is it? Is it a dry sauna or does it also have steam?
They use a wood fire stove type “furnace” without a chimney, and the fire is kept low but hot and consistent for 6-7 hours. The “room” fills with smoke from the burning wood, and absorbs into the walls and ceiling. A bit before taking sauna they let most of the smoke out and then when add water to the rocks which have been heating for hours on the “stove” the rooms fills with a very rich but almost delicate steam. So not a “dry” sauna per se. But not a steam bath. So you sweat, and absorb the steam and just take this hot but gentle steam. I have only been in smoke sauna once in Jamsankoski Finland, but it was such a treat! When you leave the sauna, bathe and get sorted one is left with an amazing scent of wood smoke that sticks around for a day. Some of the hotels in Lapland and elsewhere in Finland have their own smoke saunas. If you head over worth booking a visit to one. They are sort of scarce.
Oh i get it now. I does sound like a lovely thing to do. Finland and Lapland are on my To See list.