Kotiharjun Sauna

12 Historic European Spas and Bathhouses for a Wellness Getaway | Condé Nast Traveler

"The Finnish people, accustomed to a cold climate for much of the year, love their saunas, and you don’t have to look hard in Helsinki to find one to sweat it out in, but Kotiharjun, a public wood-burning sauna and the last of its kind in the city, is the real deal. If you can, visit on a Thursday or Saturday when the option for a complete body wash (modestly priced) is available at the no-frills facility. If and when you need a break from the sauna’s heat, you may purchase a beer or soft drink and sip it before returning to the enveloping warmth enriched by the sweet smell of toasted wood. This being a public sauna, you’re just as likely to sweat it out with locals as with other travelers." - Stacey Lastoe