Did you know that Estonia has its own sauna culture? In fact, Estonian sauna culture is about 800 years old. Estonia and Finland are connected in many ways and a long sauna culture is one of them. Estonians cannot live without a sauna.
In 2014, South Estonian smoke sauna culture got on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Finland sent in their application much later, in 2019.
Estonian smoke sauna
Estonians enjoy the Finnish-style saunas too, but the traditional Estonian smoke sauna is the pride of Estonia. There is no chimney in the smoke sauna, so the smoke rising from the wood circulates in the sauna. The temperature can rise up to 100 degrees.
The Estonian smoke sauna is built slightly differently than the Finnish smoke sauna. The stove is built of Estonian slate and it is shaped like an oven. The stove heats the sauna and throwing water on the stones increases the humidity.
The benches are wider because Estonians want to lie on them. There are no footboards. Legs are either kept on the benches, or they hang freely over the bench.
The bench-stove ratio is different from that in Finland. The stove is placed approximately at an average person’s chest height.
In the old days, the lady of the house usually heated the sauna using birch wood. First, she used dry split logs and then fresh birch wood. This ensured the best sauna experience. An experienced sauna heater was highly respected.
The sauna was always heated on Saturdays, and you had to finish taking a sauna before it got dark. Otherwise you might have an accident.
How to take a sauna
A new sauna-bather is advised to start from the lower benches and proceed with caution. The maximum time in the sauna is half an hour. You can cool off on the lawn or in the snow, you can have a dip in the lake or just sit outside.
Sauna whisk
Estonians also use vihta (sauna whisk or a bath broom) made of birch branches. Sometimes they also use oak or juniper. Every wood has its own specific qualities.
In the old days, the same sauna whisk was sometimes used for a whole month. However, in some regions a new whisk was made every week and every sauna-bather had their own whisk.
The whisks were made in summer and then dried for winter. The whisks hung from the ceiling ready for sauna days. You needed to be careful in the sauna, because dropping leaves on the sauna stoves brought you bad luck.
The sauna elf
The sauna elf (or saunatonttu) lived (or lives) in Estonian smoke saunas. When bathers entered the sauna, they always greeted the sauna elf. They also tried to appease him by throwing water on the sauna stoves.
Ice swimming
In Estonia, you do not just have a dip in the icy water, you actually swim. Ice swimming championships are held every year.
The Estonian way
Estonians have invented many ways to promote the Estonian sauna culture. One of them is the Estonian “sauna road” or “sauna way”. It opened a couple of years ago with thirty sauna entrepreneurs. Each sauna offers some kind of sauna experience. It can be whisk-making, sauna spells, or a special sauna treatment.
Some of the places are also rural tourist destinations, so it is possible to stay overnight, dine, enjoy the nature or have a real sports vacation. If you are interested in Estonian sauna experiences, you should visit “Visit Estonia”-homepage for more information.
In Estonia, men and women go to sauna separately. Everyone goes in naked, so swimming costumes are not really allowed. However, you can wrap a towel around you, if you feel a bit shy. Families and friends take a sauna together and enjoy the evening with sauna, swimming eating, drinking and chattering.
Sauna-marathon
A sauna marathon is celebrated every year on the second day of February in Otepää. The purpose of this marathon is not really to compete, but to have fun. Saunas, sauna wagons and other sauna-constructions are collected in Otepää.
All you need to do to enter is to gather a team of four, make sure your car seats are protected, take some warm clothes, decent slippers and warm drinks with you and you are good to go. There are more than 20 saunas and hot pots and you should spend at least 3 minutes in each sauna.
After each sauna, one member of the group must have a dip in the icy lake. Then you can go on to the next sauna. In recent years, the sauna marathon has gathered almost a thousand participants from around the world, e.g. From Russia, Finland, Mexico, Latvia and Estonia.
The teams that have managed to take a sauna in all of the different location within the timeline have the right to vote for the best sauna. Sauna owners try their best to entertain the sauna-bathers in order to win.
Read more: Article in English.
Special saunas
Finland is not the only country specialized in strange saunas. The Visit Estonia website lists the Top 10 special saunas in Estonia. There are peat saunas, floating saunas, ferry saunas, pipe saunas, sauna ships and cart saunas.
Spa treatments
Estonia has a unique spa treatment culture and they prefer clean and local products.
Furcellaria and sage treatment
First the skin is dry brushed, then the furcellaria and sage are applied to the body. The treatment is left on for 20 minutes under a heat blanket. Then the problem areas are massaged. The excess product is then rinsed off with warm water.
Lime flower treatment
The lime flower treatment makes the skin wonderfully soft and glowing, and it has a wonderful scent.
Magnesium bath
The body absorbs magnesium well in warm bath water. After the bath, a balm made out of home-made beer is rubbed into the skin, which soothes and moisturizes the skin, leaving it wonderfully soft.
Peat face mask
The peat face mask reduces the symptoms of acne, psoriasis and inflammation. It restores skin’s elasticity and reduces wrinkles. Stem flower water rejuvenates and gives energy to the skin. A relaxing facial massage is done with hemp oil which moisturizes and rejuvenates.
Small sauna vocabulary:
- Sauna – Saun, sauna
- Steam room – Leiliruum
- Löyly (steam) – Leil
- Hot pot – Tünnisaun
- Vihta (bath whisk) – Viht, saunaviht
- Sauna stove – Keris
- Sauna-bather- Saunataja
- Smoke – Suits
- I heat the sauna – Panen sauna kütte
- To throw steam – Viska leili
Summary
I have to say that I didn’t know there was such a great sauna culture in Estonia. It makes me almost envious to see how well Estonia takes care and promotes its sauna culture. There is a sauna marathon, sauna treatments, Estonian sauna way and saunas for every taste. As I wrote this, I could not help but dream about going to Estonia to try these sauna experiences myself.
Source: Visit Estonia website
