🧖 The best public saunas in Finland in winter 2025–2026: Helsinki, Tampere, Oulu — where to go for real löyly and warm stories

If you want to choose "the one" sauna this winter

We write this guide as if we were telling a friend. You arrive in Finland in winter, the city smells of cinnamon, snow crunches under your boots, and there are dozens of "sauna" spots on the map. Where to go — to a wooden legend from the 1920s? To a minimalist building by the water? To a smoky steam room or a sea sauna? Below, we explain in simple terms and honestly how public saunas are organised in different cities, where there are more "souls", where there is wow architecture, and where there is just pure heat and tea from a thermos.

How to read Finnish saunas: types, rules, atmosphere

To avoid confusion, let's agree on some basic concepts:

● Wood-fired (puusauna) — soft, "enveloping" heat, the rustle of logs. Often — separate compartments.

● Smoky (savusauna) — "silky" löyly without a pipe; rarely found in cities, but if you get the chance, go for it.

● Electric/pellet — even, predictable heat; often found in architectural or maritime locations.

● Mixed/separate — the format varies from place to place. In mixed saunas, people almost always wear swimsuits.

● Avanto — a hole in the ice/sea/lake in winter. Keep it short and calm, don't try to be a hero.

● Etiquette — shower before the steam room, no alcohol inside, quiet voice, ask before löyly ("Saako heittää?").

● Reservations and schedules — in December–January, popular places are booked days in advance; many have special hours on 24–26 December.

Spoiler: often the "best sauna" is not the one with the most beautiful photo zone, but the one where it is truly warm: good heat, mutual respect and the opportunity to calmly be "yourself".

Helsinki — from wooden classics to maritime contrasts

Kotiharjun Sauna — "the heart of Kallio"

Wood-fired, 1928, separate sections. It smells of wood and hot stone, and you can hear the stove breathing evenly. People don't pose here — they come to sweat and cool off on the steps with a bottle of water. The address and sign seem to say, "We've been here for a long time. Come in and warm up."

Kulttuurisauna — silence, architecture and a view of the water

Minimalism, pellet stoves, advance booking and a request to bring your own towels/pefletti. On the shore, where winter smells of the sea and the iron of the pier. Ideal if you like rituals without fuss

Löyly — a "wooden sculpture" on the edge of the sea

An icon of modern Helsinki: smoky and wood-fired steam rooms, year-round access to the sea, a restaurant and terraces. In the evening, it is ridiculously beautiful there — and yes, make a reservation.

Allas Sea Pool — an urban swimming pool near Kauppatori

Pools in the city centre (including seawater), a sauna and a view of the ferries. A "pleasant and comfortable" format: come, warm up, dive in (if you're brave), return to the warmth.

Sauna Hermanni — retro cosiness of the 1950s

One of the last "neighbourhood" saunas in the capital: separate sections, simple rules, a friendly smile at the reception. For those who value atmosphere and familiar heat more than a view of the sea.

Sompasauna — DIY sauna 24/7 (with an element of adventure)

Volunteers, firewood, the sea, free and open to all — almost a symbol of Helsinki's street culture. The romance of "we heat it ourselves — we clean it ourselves". Remember: there are no staff here, everything is based on trust and responsibility.

Tampere — the sauna capital: legends and new formats

Tampere is called the Sauna Capital — and for good reason: here, you can easily see three different faces of the Finnish sauna in one day.

Rajaportin Sauna — the oldest operating public sauna (1906)

Stone, wood, a neat courtyard, separate sections and a "long" soft löyly. Outside, it may be freezing and windy, but inside, it is warm and respectful of the ritual.

Rauhaniemi Folk Spa — the "people's" sauna in Nyysjärvi

A large area, avarto/winter swimming, a democratic atmosphere and swimsuits are mandatory (mixed sessions). A favourite city classic "after work" and on weekends.

Kaupinojan Sauna — forest, ice water and invigorating steam

A harsh, honest format: sauna → lake → sauna. For those who want to experience the rhythm of the city-sauna. (Official operator — Tampereen Talviuimarit ry.)

Saunaravintola Kuuma — "steam + cuisine + lake"

New northern style – smoke and wood-fired steam rooms, restaurant, private access to the water and a view of Pyhäjärvi. Perfect for an evening for two: steam → dinner → steam.

Tullin Sauna — the city's "living room"

An urban sauna with a bistro and work corners in a building next to the old railway station warehouse: comfortable, social, modern. A good start if it's your first time and you're a little nervous.

Oulu — Baltic winds, avant-garde and the simple joy of warmth

The Finnish north is when the wind is salty, the snow crunches differently, and you want the steam to be just right.

Tuira Winter Swimming (service building + changing rooms)

Winter swimming at the mouth of the Oulujoki River: service building with showers/changing rooms, neat descent to the water. Short and sweet format. A good companion to a visit to the city sauna.

Koivurannan Saunalautta — "sauna raft"

A floating wood-fired sauna on the waterfront: in winter, it is usually by reservation/at specific times, while in summer, it is open more often. A local legend for lovers of the "unusual".

Nallikari area — private and seasonal formats by the sea

An area where you can enjoy a day at the seaside: private sauna spaces at restaurants or temporary sauna tents at the edge of the ice. Check what is open on specific dates

Comparison table: format, swimsuits, avant, prices

Prices and formats are subject to change: before visiting, check the opening hours and rules of the specific location (especially on 23–26 December and during New Year's week).

Checklist and mini-visit planner

Interactive map of saunas 2025–2026

Working map: "wooden legends", "architecture by the water", "avant-garde/sea baths". Convenient to open on your mobile — click on the markers to understand the format. Check the times before the holidays.

Beginner mistakes — bright stickers

When the fog lifts: the invisible "glue" of a winter's day

A winter day in Finland is as short as a breath. You enter the steam room as one person — with tasks on your mind, lists and itineraries — and leave as another: the warmth straightens your shoulders, conversations become softer, the city feels closer. A public sauna is not just a place to go, but a way to glue the day together so that you hear everything and don't miss a thing — the sound of the sea at Löyly, the crackling of wood at Kotiharjun, the laughter at the ice hole in Rauhaniemi.

If this guide has helped you choose your place of warmth, share it with those who are travelling to Finland in the winter, save it for yourself and write in the comments where you find the "right löyly". We will update the map, add new addresses and collect your short stories — so that those who come after you will be even warmer.