Journey

Unique saunas in Lakeland – from north to south

Take a tour of some of the most unique saunas in Lakeland.

Credits: Projectico / Panko Concept

Starting Point: Ukkohalla

5-7 days

Journey: Unique saunas in Lakeland – from north to south

Sauna is one of the most famous things in Finland and a cultural treasure Finns have cherished for centuries. In fact, there are hundreds of thousands of saunas in this little Nordic country of ours. In this journey. we have gathered a selection of unique and traditional public saunas to explore in the Lakeland area. This tour will relax both the body and the mind. We start north in Ukkohalla near Lapland and end the tour in Lahti, just one hour north of Helsinki.

Hyrynsalmi

Ukkohalla Sauna World and Spa

Ukkohalla's SaunaWorld offers an opportunity to experience nine different saunas in one place. Don't miss the opportunity to try a traditional Finnish sauna, a steam sauna, a cave sauna, and many more!

Travel trip:

From Ukkohalla, we recommend continuing your sauna tour south to the city of Kuopio. The fastest way is by car – the ride takes about three hours.

Kuopio

Kuopion Saana, Sauna & Spa

Saana – a Savonian dialect word for "sauna" – combines traditional Finnish sauna, culinary experiences as well as numerous events and activities in one location in the city of Kuopio. These services together with the unique, modern architecture and beautiful location by Lake Kallavesi make Saana one of the most interesting places to visit in the Lakeland area.

Travel tip:

From Kuopio, head south towards one of the most famous lakes in Finland, Lake Saimaa. There you'll find the town of Rantasalmi and the Järvisydän resort and spa. The drive takes about 1,5 hours.

Rantasalmi

LakeSpa | Hotel & Spa Resort Järvisydän

Järvisydän Lake Spa is a new kind of Finnish wellness experience. The spa, that consists of six unique saunas and five pools, is built in the middle of natural rocks and large windows overlooking Lake Saimaa. Järvisydän has the Sustainable Travel Finland label.

2 hours

Travel tip:

The sauna tour continues from Lake Saimaa west to Jämsä, known for ski resort Himos. Jämsä is also the home of Sauna Village and 20 traditional Finnish smoke saunas.

Experience the mysterious smoke sauna in Himos

Jämsä

Sauna and local life at Himos

Jämsä's Sauna Village includes 20 smoke saunas all the way from 1700’s to 1940’s. On the guided tours of Sauna Village, you can get acquainted with the history of the Finnish sauna spanning a thousand years, and have the possibility to test the smoke saunas.

4 days

Travel tip:

Our next sauna destination is Tampere, the sauna capital of the world. The drive from Jämsä to Tampere is a little over an hour.

Rajaportti sauna, people cooling outside.

Tampere

Rajaportti Sauna - Oldest Public Sauna in Finland

Rajaportti sauna in Tampere's idyllic Pispala neighbourhood is the oldest public sauna in Finland still in use. Rajaportti was built 1906 and it's unique feature is a pre-heated, massive stove that gives a long-lasting, sturdy "löyly" (steam). There is also a coffee house and services of a massage therapist available.

Reminder:

From Tampere, let's head south to the historic town of Hämeenlinna. This leg of the sauna journey can be done with public transportation, there are both bus and train options available. You can check the daily connections at Perille.fi.

Olympic sauna 1952 by the lake Vanajavesi

Hämeenlinna

Olympic Sauna 1952, Aulanko Katajistonranta

Olympic Sauna 1952 is a traditional Finnish sauna that was built for the 1952 summer Olympics held in Finland. This sympathetic small logwood sauna is located on the shore of Lake Vanajavesi in Hämeenlinna, 1-hour north of Helsinki..

Travel tip:

After Hämeenlinna it's time for the last stop on the journey: the city of Lahti, located an hour east of Hämeenlinna. You can find both bus and train connections at Perille.fi.