Would you like to know more about Swedish sauna culture? Did you know that Swedish saunas are as old as the Finnish saunas?
I interviewed two Finns living in Sweden about the Swedish sauna culture. This post is not supposed to be an exhaustive report about the matter, but I hope you will find it useful and interesting, nonetheless. If you have had different experiences, please tell me about them in the comments!
Swedish sauna culture – history
Till the 1800th hundreds the Swedish sauna culture was very similar to the Finnish one. Then something changed; it became immoral and being sweaty was considered dirty.
In the end of the 1900th century, saunas became more popular again. This was because Sweden wanted to improve the overall hygiene of the country. Village saunas were built and in 1930 Sweden’s “Folkbad” announced the last day of November as the great sauna day.
In the 1970’s saunas fell out of fashion again. Many builders still planned houses with saunas in mind, so some apartments have small rooms with wooden panels even today. They were originally supposed to be saunas.
Where can you find a sauna in Sweden?
Saunas can be found in gyms, spas, hotels and in people’s private homes. In public saunas, it is polite to bring your own towel to sit on.
Some apartment buildings have saunas, just like in Finland. You just book a slot. I am not sure how many people use these saunas; therefore, I cannot say anything definitive about that.
Sauna steam
Depending on the place, you might have the opportunity to throw water on the stove. Well, you do not throw it, you fill it in through a little lid placed in the stove´s frame. Some people take their own water bottles with them. In the public swimming pools, there often is a possibility to throw water, but it is polite to ask first.
Sauna stones
I once heard a rumour that Swedish saunas do not have any sauna stones. According to my sources, most of them do have stones but sometimes another material is used on top of the stove. We have them in Finland as well, but I am not sure what they are called. They look a bit funny, like little blocks. Maybe someone can let me know their name in the comment section.
Swedish saunas
My interviewees told they have seen some interesting design solutions when it comes to saunas. For example, right next to the sauna, there is a second living room with fitted carpets.
You then walk a few meters to get to the showers, meaning that the sauna and shower are next to each other but have no connecting door. Some saunas have very low benches next to the walls and no drain. This of course means you cannot use any water in the sauna.
One person told that she had seen a sauna only used to dry the laundry. “In our apartment building we have 99 apartments and surprisingly many of them have a sauna. The buildings were built back in 1981 and this area was not a centre for Finns living in Sweden or anything like that” says Heidi.
“Our sauna was built by a Swedish family before we moved in”. Some people have built their saunas inside the house, others have a separate building in the garden.
Different sauna experiences
Another interviewee told me that when she moved houses, one of the selling points was that the new house already had a sauna. The temperatures are usually the same as in the Finnish saunas, so not too cold. Even though Finns might like even hotter temperatures.
Public saunas
Entrance fee for public swimming pools is usually around 50-90 Kr, so around 5 to 9 euros, and you can use the saunas for the same price. Men and women have separate saunas, showers and dressing rooms. Some saunas have Aufguss-sauna evenings with a real German style sauna master.
Sweden has a high percentage of immigrants and that has caused some the hygiene issues in the public saunas and pools. Because many people are not used to going to the sauna or swimming, they do not know that you should not wear underwear under your swimming trunks.
Problems have also arisen from public nudity which is uncommon in many other countries in the world. However, cities and towns have educated their new residents and now the situation is much better.
Summary of Harvia´s sauna poll
Every other Swede goes to sauna at least once a year and 40% go to sauna a few times a year. For Swedes, sauna is first and foremost a place to relax after going to a gym, or whilst you enjoy a spa break.
According to the poll, Swedes also appreciate beautiful design and technology. Saunas are becoming increasingly popular and young people are particularly interested in saunas.
Bastu
Svenska Bastuakademien, (Swedish sauna academy) has been active since 1988. Especially active are the people from Torniojokilaakso, they have a museum with 11 different saunas.
The Swedish word for sauna is bastu. It is a combination of the words bad and stuga. If you go to the sauna you go ”bada bastu”. That is pretty much the only thing I can still remember from my Swedish lessons.
Summary
Sweden and Finland both have a long sauna history. Swedes enjoy going to the sauna but do not go as often as the Finns. It is always a good idea to take a towel with you to sit on. Especially in Tornionjokilaakso, saunas are very popular.
If you are interested in saunas, you might want to check out Svenska Bastuakademien which was founded in 1988.
Read more: Svenska Bastuakademien
Have you had any experiences with Swedish saunas?
Are you interested in other sauna cultures? The blog also provides comprehensive information on other sauna cultures. You could start by reading about German sauna culture.
Read more: German sauna culture
