Welcome to the cool Saunablogger blog, stories from saunas around the world, from Finnish smoke saunas to luxury spa saunas. Not to mention hotel saunas! The Saunablogger has explored saunas in 42 countries, in a total of 187 saunas. You can also click on the map below to see where in the world they took place.
The Saunablogger articles appeared originally in the Blogspot Planetskier series, at TGR posts, or at the Relaa website. See also the articles about skiing, caving, urban exploration, climbing, cycling, flying, and swimming.
All sauna-related articles:
| Kärkölä swimming hall Another day, another swimming hall :-) This time I went to Kärkölä's swimming hall -- mostly because I had not been there, and it was close-ish to my previous stop at Talma Ski. Full story Alternate link January 2026, Kärkölän uimahalli, Järvelä, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal) | |
| There is something wrong with the beach We drove up to the cottage for a nice sauna and swim. Except... the water is surprisingly hard. Full story Alternate link December 2025, Arkko summer cottage, Teisko, Finland Swimming (None); Sauna (Normal) | |
| Tervakoski swim My car is on its final stretches [too expensive to fix after check-up declared the hull to be fixed], so driving it while it is still legal... so I drove up to Tervakoski for a visit to the their swimming hall. I thought it would have been an old, tired hall. And it looked like being from the 1970s. But inside it was actually quite nice. Recommended. Full story Alternate link December 2025, Tervakosken uimahalli, Tervakoski, Finland Car; Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool, Water); Sauna (Normal) | |
| Paimio drive and swim 1.5 hour one-way drive just to swim? But it is a new (for me) swimming hall, and I needed a mini-vacation, so... I went. And it turned out to be worth the trip! While old, the swimming hall has been completely renovated, it was closed in fact for two years. It looks entirely new, maybe the pool area is a bit small compared to new ones but otherwise top-notch! Full story Alternate link December 2025, Paimion uimahalli, Paimio, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal) | |
| Skiing in the cold storm at Pyhä We flew to the Finnish north and drove to Pyhä just before the big winter storm of the end of 2025 hit. And came back after it, missing the storm impact on our flights. However, it did it the skiing time. I was wondering if something was wrong with my helmet visor setup, because I couldn't keep it clear... could see almost nothing. But it wasn't the visor or my use of it, it was the supercooled water flying around and freezing on everything. Even the tops of my skis froze up with an ice layer. Clothing. Helmet. Everything. Full story Alternate link December 2025, Pyhä, Finland; Hotelli Pyhätunturi, Pyhä, Finland; Kairankutsu husky farm, Pyhä, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Sauna (Normal); Travel | |
| Messilä opening weekend and a Lahti swim First I thought of driving to Jyväskylä's Laajavuori (4 hours away) to experience one melting slope.. but then I found out that I can drive only 1.5 hours to another melting slope in Messilä near Lahti... win! And it only rained a bit. But it was actually quite a lot of fun! Full story Alternate link December 2025, Messilä, Lahti, Finland; Lahden uimahalli, Lahti, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Sauna (Normal, Steam); Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool, Water) | |
| Orimattila swim It was a long drive, and to the middle of nowhere... not a place I would expect to find southern Finland's best swimming hall. But it may be the best, just finished in 2022, so it is very modern scandinavic style, airy, lots of light. And works well. Full story Alternate link December 2025, Orimattilan uimahalli, Orimattila, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal) | |
| Amethyst mine and spa In Luosto -- near the better known Pyhä ski resort -- there's an amethyst mine that runs tourist digging tours. In the summer you may hike to the mine, but in the winter the better option is to take a ride on a snowcat " Amethyst Pendolino" and visit the mine. A visit includes the ride, a presentation about the history and purpose of the mine, and then you get to .. digging. You may take the smallest finds home, and everybody is guaranteed a find. And afterwards you might also visit the Amethyst Spa, a Lapland Hotels Luostotunturi resort who has a spa with an amethyst theme. Full story Alternate link December 2025, Ametistikaivos, Luosto, Finland; Ametistikylpylä, Luosto, Finland Urban-Exploration (Mines); Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool) | |
| Swim in Loviisa.. at old people's home In my quest for swimming at different places, I ended up this time in Loviisa. They don't have a proper swimming hall, but they do have a small swimming pool at the Esplanad, a service house / elderly care home. It is open for the public a few hours on four days during the week. The pool is only 16 meters long, however, and quite shallow from one end, so not easy to swim. Full story Alternate link November 2025, Esplanad, Loviisa, Finland Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool) | |
| Vuosaari walk & swim On a dark, late November evening, I drove to Vuosaari in eastern Helsinki. I had to complete my daily steps, so walked through the neighbourhood. In a landscape of high-rise residential buildings -- maybe they should even be called skyscrapers in Finland at 26 floors. There was also the glow of the local shopping mall, and then ... the swimming hall. Full story Alternate link November 2025, Vuosaaren uimahalli, Vuosaari, Helsinki, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal, Steam); Walking | |
| A Refreshing Dip at Åkeshov Swimming Hall It was a dark and rainy night when I made my way to Åkeshov sports hall for a swim :-) but the journey was surprisingly pleasant. Stockholm's public transport never cease to impress, the bus ride was smooth and comfortable, complete with USB charging ports on every seat. Full story Alternate link October 2025, Åkeshovs sim- och idrottshall, Åkeshov, Stockholm, Sweden Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal) | |
| October ski weekend at Levi It has been a while since I skied properly. I skied in July at an indoor ski resort in Madrid and Oslo, and in June also in Oslo. But after that in August and September only on some snow piles outside ice skating halls... so it was time to ski again! Last year for October I went for a day trip to Levi (alt. link), but while fun that was a gruelingly tiresome travel and way too short time in Levi. So this year I went for the whole weekend. Full story Alternate link October 2025, Levi, Kittilä, Finland; Levi Hotel, Kittilä, Finland; Helsinki-Vantaa, Vantaa, Finland; Kittilän lentokenttä, Kittilä, Finland Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Walking; Hiking; Swimming (Indoor, Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal, Steam); Flying; Travel | |
| Kangasala swimming hall Had to pick up the car from Kangasala, near Tampere, after the breakdown (alt.link). They had fixed it for mere 40€, though only a temporary fix: the heating system is now bypassed, so now heating in the rainy fall weather. But, on the positive side I managed to get a swim in a new place: the Kangasala swimming hall. Full story Alternate link October 2025, VMS Racing, Kangasala, Finland; Kangasalan Uimahalli Kuohu, Kangasala, Finland Car; Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal) | |
| Kontula swimming hall Kontula swimming hall. Mixed feelings, a wonderful pool area. Is it new? Run by Urheiluhallit who usually run excellent facilities, very nice! Not so flashy dressing room and saunas/showers area, but ok. But outside... darkness, rain, suspicious people standing in the dark in the rain in the park as I walk by... gangs having some kind of fight, not sure how serious. Anyway, I am not usually afraid almost anywhere in the world, but now I felt a bit insecure here. Full story Alternate link October 2025, Kontulan uimahalli, Kontula, Helsinki, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal) | |
| Swim at the Neidonkeidas... a public swimming hall with food-fired sauna! Decided to drive to Lohja for a quick swim at the Neidonkeidas, the local public swimming hall. Full story Alternate link October 2025, Virkistysuimala Neidonkeidas, Lohja, Finland; Lohjan jäähalli, Lohja, Finland Swimming (Indoor, Water, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal); Skiing (None) | |
| Swim by the fires Another cottage swim, this time by the light fires and a sunset. Wonderful! A bit cold though. Full story Alternate link October 2025, Arkko summer cottage, Teisko, Finland Swimming (Outdoor, Waterbody-Lake); Sauna (Normal) | |
This is the 1th set of articles. The next sets are set 2, set 3, set 4, set 5, set 6, set 7, set 8, set 9, set 10, set 11, set 12, set 13, set 14, and set 15.