Surge of interest in sauna culture among young women in Finland

Interest in sauna culture among young women has surged, even gaining global attention. Shared saunas have become vital communal spaces for youth following the isolation experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Janne Koskenniemi, the executive director of Saunaseura, emphasizes that public saunas facilitate connections to social groups.

Public saunas are accessible to anyone willing to pay, and membership is not required. Often perceived as affordable spaces, the concept of public saunas is evolving to include various facilities like swimming halls and spas.

At the University of Vaasa, a unique attraction called the trailer sauna, owned by a student association, has become a social hub. “There’s always a crowd when the sauna heats up, which wasn’t the case just a couple of years ago,” notes Tuomas Erkkilä, a member of the association’s board.

The sauna serves as a meeting place where people come together, engage in games, and sing. Matias Mäkelä, the cultural representative of the student body, comments on the relaxed atmosphere, stating, “Being naked makes it easier to talk openly.”

Finnish sauna culture is in transformation as more people seek community experiences rather than private sessions only with family or friends. Interestingly, the emphasis is shifting back to the popularity of public saunas that thrived in the early 1900s.

New public saunas have opened across Finland, with the most recent launch in Oulu and new facilities also emerging in Jyväskylä, Espoo, and Helsinki. A sauna restaurant is anticipated to open in Vaasa’s inner harbor, while plans for another sauna near the university are underway. In Helsinki, the demand is high with three sauna operators recently sought for new locations.