Estonian Saunas

If you ask an Estonian what the best reasons to visit Estonia is, "sauna" is likely to come up in the first line or two. While the following can be debated, one well-known trait of Estonians is that it takes time for people to warm up to a conversation. This is where the sauna comes in, because there is nothing more social than sitting naked in a dark wooden cabin with your friends and "taking the heat."

Sauna has been a local everyday luxury for centuries, right up to the present day. When visiting friends or family over the weekend, the go-to phrase is "panen sauna kütte," which means "I'll heat up the sauna," implying that the night will be spent cleansing, eating, drinking, and catching up. Men and women frequently go to saunas separately, and swimsuits are frowned upon; towels, on the other hand, may be tolerated. Estonians enjoy both the Finnish sauna and the country's national pride, the UNESCO-listed smoke sauna tradition. While the experience is similar, the difference is in the chimney, or more specifically, its absence. There is no chimney in a smoke sauna, and the smoke from burning wood circulates throughout the room.

"Whisking" is a healthy scrub made from birch twigs that is an essential part of the Estonian sauna tradition. Any tree can be used to make a whisk, but birch and oak are the most common in Estonia. Sauna benefits include stress relief, pain reduction, and even weight loss. Estonians adore saunas, not only for their health benefits but also for their ability to bring people together. Saunas can be found in almost every summer house, spa, and country home in Estonia.