Niemi-Kapeen. Savusauna
This post is a part of a mini series describing my sauna-centered road trip across Southern Finland.
Intro #
One of the goals for this journey was to visit a proper savusauna. There aren’t many left in Finland that are still in operation (although the number is increasing), and only a fraction are open for communal bathing.
A savusauna is a smoke sauna where the stones are heated by direct fire, and there is no chimney, so the smoke exits through the door and windows. It is ’the old way’ of sauna.
A colleague recommended Niemi-Kapeen to me, but according to their website, they only offered private rentals. This would have been quite pricey and too much work for just one person since heating up a savusauna takes about four or five hours and a lot of firewood. The steam rooms are usually large, so arranging this just for me felt like overkill.
However, I decided to call them and explain my situation, mentioning that I was really eager to experience a savusauna, but it was only me. To my surprise, I was in luck. During that particular period, they were offering public sessions, which meant I could join a group of around 10 to 12 people. I reserved my spot and headed there.
Preparation #
The day I arrived, it was raining heavily, and the landscape was dark and foreboding, even though it was early afternoon. There were only three other people there: the owner, who runs the business with his father; the father himself, who was preparing the sauna; and an Italian sauna enthusiast who like me was eager to try the sauna.
The sauna wasn’t quite ready yet but was in the final stages of preparation. It had already been heating for around four hours, and the stones were hot enough, so it was time to perform the final steps: let the fire die out, clean up, and get rid of the smoke. For the latter, there’s even a special term in Finnish (which I forgot—if you know, please drop me a message). This is done by creating the first steam while the windows and door are open, which pushes the smoke out.
The sauna #
The sauna was built by the owners using timber that had fallen as a result of a lightning strike. It was spacious and dark because of the small window, and the surfaces were blackened by soot from the smoke. The benches ran along both walls, with an enormous pile of stones by another wall between them. Outside the sauna, there was a wooden pathway leading through the forest to a large lake about 30 meters away.
The best sauna experience of my life #
The experience in a properly prepared savusauna is extraordinary. The steam room felt like a totally different, mystical space—dark, warm, filled with the smell of smoke, and occasional unusual sounds you don’t usually hear in a regular sauna. It was easy to imagine that sauna spirits like Finnish Saunatonttu or Russian Bannik were hiding in the dark corners under the bench. The heat was very different from a regular sauna—intense and powerful, yet surprisingly gentle. It felt as if the massive pile of hot stones was a living, breathing being, demanding careful interaction.
It was still raining heavily. After leaving the sauna, I headed to the lake, immersing myself in the surrounding environment—the wooden bridge under my feet, the raindrops, the smells of the forest. Nature was all around, with its sounds of raindrops hitting the trees and the ground, the smell of the wet forest, and the mist over the lake. With all this, you jump into the cold water with raindrops hitting you and the water’s surface around you, and you feel truly alive, truly a part of the world. The entire experience was deeply physical and emotional. I was completely present in the moment, feeling alive and connected to nature. It was an overwhelming experience filled with emotions; I felt like I could cry, laugh, or scream with happiness. It was pure and genuine.
Conclusion #
Later, I believe there were about 12 of us enjoying the steam room together. You could feel the stones gradually losing their heat, and the steam becoming thinner. After a few hours, we shared non-alcoholic beers with the owner, which I had brought with me, and enjoyed a delicious vegetable soup and some cake. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay overnight (they offer this option), so I packed up and left. As I drove to my final stop in Helsinki, I lingered on the experience, knowing that this was the best sauna experience I’d ever had. It was so complete and profound, a memory I will cherish forever.
