Kotiharjun Sauna

The sight of people cooling off on benches right on the sidewalk is the first sign you’ve found Kotiharjun Sauna. Set in a 1928 red-brick building in the Kallio district, this is the last public wood-burning sauna left in Helsinki, and its character is a direct link to that era. The layout inside has remained largely unchanged since it was built. Men use the ground floor sauna, while the women’s is located up on the second floor. The spaces are functional and unpretentious, with a vintage feel that comes from decades of continuous use. Inside each sauna room, tiered wooden benches wrap around a massive central stove – the *kiuas* – which holds 1,500 kilograms of stones and takes five to six hours to fully heat. The quality of the soft, enveloping steam it produces, known as *löyly*, is what this place is all about. The atmosphere is highly social and communal, with conversations flowing easily between neighborhood regulars and visitors. Nudity is the norm, though wearing a towel or swimsuit is also perfectly acceptable. A key part of the ritual is bringing your own beverages, including beer, which can be stored in a fridge at the entrance to grab for the sidewalk cool-down sessions. This cycle of intense heat followed by a break on the street is the essential rhythm of a visit. For a more traditional experience, bathing attendants offer washing services on certain days, and massages can also be booked. The floors can get extremely hot, so bringing a pair of flip-flops is a good idea.