A Guide to Finland's Steamy Sauna Culture

Sisu first came into my life when I was at a café with a friend: "It's the grit and determination that we Finns have," said Tiina, who is from Turku, a city in the south of Finland. "Our strength in the face of adversity."

I imagined sisu as the force that allows Finns to survive bone-chilling Nordic winters, when the country is cloaked in moonlight (24-hour nights here actually have a name—they're called kaamos) and there is so much snow that locals can ski through city centers. It never occurred to me that I'd also need sisu to partake in one of Finland's oldest and most beloved traditions.

I was on my way to my first Finnish sauna.

It all sounded so benign: Public saunas in Finland, like bars, are places where locals go to escape the cold and hang out with friends over a tuoppi olutta (pint of beer). You can find saunas across the countryside, along Helsinki's harbor, even inside Parliament. It's estimated that there are 2 million saunas in Finland. Bear in mind this is a country of just about 5.5 million. Incidentally, many apartment buildings and offices have saunas, too, so going for a steam with your coworkers is to them what happy hour is to us (kinda).

It was late afternoon when I arrived at Helsinki's famous Kulttuurisauna, a sparse concrete box with a picture window looking out over sailboats drifting on the Baltic Sea. The procedure is simple: Take off your clothes, sit on a washcloth, sweat. A lot. (Public saunas are typically heated to around 200 degrees.) Clothes off, nerves high, I pushed open the door to what amounted to a very chic prison cell. Half a dozen naked women of various ages and shapes reclined on three tiers of cedar benches. Before I'd even sat down, I was sweating.

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You make friends quickly in a sauna. A twentysomething blonde, curiously wearing a wool cap, recounted a recent date to me and her friend. Noticing my face growing red, a grandmotherly type pulled me to a lower bench, saying, "It's cooler down here." Then, with a smile, she ladled water onto hot rocks, filling the room with a rush of steam that seared my eyes, clogged my throat, and left me gasping for air.

While everyone chatted leisurely, I concentrated on not fainting, until Wool Cap motioned for me to follow her. Finally, an escape! We headed outside to the edge of the Baltic, which was barely above freezing that day. Maybe we'd take in the view and hurry back inside? I was shivering. But Wool Cap jumped in. "Beers after!" she yelled from the icy waters.

I summoned some sisu and took the plunge.

ullstein bild via Getty Images

FEELING THE HEATHelsinki's best saunas are steeped in tradition—and steam (so, so much steam).

Kulttuurisauna is renowned for its minimalist design and proximity to the Baltic Sea. As I learned, cooling off with a frigid postsauna swim is a Finnish tradition.

Löyly (meaning "steam") is the newest and sceniest sauna on Helsinki's harbor. Its terrace bars overlook the sea.

Kotiharjun is the traditionalist's choice: a family-run sauna that was built in 1928.

Take a tour of Iceland's Blue Lagoon Spa: