Helsinki. A usual visit to wood fired Kotiharjun Sauna
This post is a part of a mini series describing my sauna-centered road trip across Southern Finland.
A usual visit to wood fired Kotiharjun Sauna #
Last time, I was at Kotiharjun Sauna in Helsinki, a place I try to visit every time I’m in the city. This sauna is conveniently located near the city center, easily accessible by public transportation, and is one of the last, if not the last, wood-heated public saunas in Helsinki.
Kotiharjun Sauna has a special charm. You can take a walk to get there, enjoy a nice chat in the steam room, or sit outside half-naked with just a towel, sipping on a beer or another drink, while facing a relatively quiet Helsinki street. Despite being close to the city center, it offers a unique experience where you can relax and unwind in a communal setting.
The crowd at Kotiharjun Sauna is always diverse. You might meet businesspeople on a trip, lumberjacks from Canada with Finnish roots, or regulars who frequent the sauna. The mix of people—older, younger, locals, and tourists—creates a welcoming atmosphere. Even if many visitors are not accustomed to this type of experience, the sauna naturally encourages a sense of community, openness, and friendliness.
There are a few charming details about Kotiharjun Sauna. For instance, just inside the entrance, there’s a communal freezer where everyone stores their beverages. People drop their drinks into the freezer when they arrive, so they’re nice and cold after a sauna session. No one marks their drinks; there’s an unspoken trust that no one will take someone else’s beverage.
One thing I learned at Kotiharjun Sauna is a crucial word in the Finnish sauna culture. The steam room is designed with multiple levels, and the higher you sit, the hotter it gets. There’s a custom where someone entering the steam room asks the people already sitting if they want more steam. The people sitting at the highest level, near the ceiling, usually have to confirm or deny this request. In Finnish, this question is asked, and it’s a key part of the sauna experience. I often sit at the highest level, enjoying the intense heat, so I’ve become familiar with this word, recognizing it as the signal that more steam might be coming.
I highly recommend Kotiharjun Sauna for anyone looking to experience a communal and authentic sauna in Helsinki. While it’s not fair to compare it directly to other saunas, I do prefer Kotiharjun for its larger steam room and overall ambiance.
Recently, I’ve started visiting another sauna in Helsinki—a community-driven sauna on the outskirts of the city. It requires a bit of a walk from the metro station, but it’s worth it. This sauna is free to use and offers a different vibe, with smaller steam rooms and a location by the water, which I appreciate. It’s mixed-gender and attracts a variety of people, from tourists to locals. The saunas are well-maintained, and I particularly enjoy visiting in the winter, when I can jump into the cold Baltic Sea after heating up in the steam room. The contrast between the hot sauna and the freezing water is exhilarating.
Espoo and a pleasant final touch #
As a funny aside, on my last trip outside of Helsinki, I stayed in a modern area that used to be a student town but now hosts many offices. To my surprise, the bathroom in my accommodation had a sauna. I didn’t use it, though, as I had much better options in the city, and I prefer the communal sauna experience over a private one. Still, it was a nice touch to the overall sauna journey I had across certain parts of Finland.
