What makes a Finnish summer so unforgettable? Perhaps it is the thousands of lakes, or the endless light of the midnight sun. Yet more than anything, it is the sauna. In Lakeland Finland, Sauna is part of daily life, a place where families come together, friends share stories, and body and mind find peace.
As summer unfolds, you might wonder where you would go to enjoy the heat. Would it be a small sauna by a quiet forest lake, where the only sound is birdsong? Or would it be a lively city sauna, filled with laughter and conversation? Each sauna has its own rhythm, its own story, and its own way of capturing the spirit of Finnish summe.
Join us to explore the many sides of Finnish sauna culture. Soon, you will discover that sauna is so much more than heat. It is well-being, happiness, and the very soul of summer in Finland.
1. The ‘Mökki’ Sauna: Sauna by the Summer Cottage
The heart of Finnish summer beats at the mökki, the lakeside summer cottage. Nearly every family has one, or knows someone who does. And almost every mökki has its own sauna.
Do you know the feeling of wood crackling in a small stove as the scent of birch fills the air? That’s the mökkisauna. You sit there with your family or friends, heat rising around you, and when it’s time, you dash outside and dive straight into the cool, clear lake. It’s pure magic.
No rush, no stress. Just silence, laughter, and the warmth of old wood.
Lakeland Tips:
In South Karelia, Suur Valkiajärvi Cottage offers a rustic lakeside cottage where you can heat a traditional wooden sauna with space for up to 10 people. On Niinisaari Island in Puumala, Okkola Holiday Cottages blend naturally into the landscape, each with its own wood-heated sauna, private dock, and rowing boat waiting at the shore.
In the Jyväskylä Region, a traditional lakeside mökkisauna is combined with a modern holiday villa at Villa Sahra in Uurainen. Villa Paasirinne A is a spacious, modern log villa with a wood-heated mökkisauna, located in Toivakka.
In the Savonlinna region, Lomalehto Cottages provide year-round comfort, from cozy fireplaces to lakeside saunas and hot tubs—perfect for both summer swims and winter retreats.
The classic Finnish cottage with the perfect private saunas on the lake shore can be found in the Lahti region for example in Yli-Kaitala Resort, in Iitti.
Find a 'Mökkisauna' for you ↗2. The Smoke Sauna: A Step Back in Time
If you wish to experience something truly ancient, seek out a savusauna, the traditional Finnish smoke sauna. Unlike modern saunas, it has no chimney. Instead, smoke from a wood-burning stove fills the room and is released before you step inside. The walls are darkened with soot, the air feels timeless, and the heat is softer yet deeper. You will feel it all the way in your bones.
Have you ever known the feeling of being wrapped in warmth that seems to rise from the earth itself? That is a smoke sauna. When you step out, you carry the gentle scent of campfire on your skin, and you feel cleaner, lighter, more alive than ever.
It is quiet, meditative, almost spiritual. A moment of connection to something older than memory, and to the very soul of Finnish summer.
Lakeland Tips:
The world’s largest smoke sauna Tupaswilla, that can seat 160 people at once, can be found in Laukaa. In North Karelia, Nevala Nature Farm and Healing sauna welcomes visitors to explore the healing effects of the traditional Finnish sauna with wellness treatments where ancient Nordic sauna traditions meet the nature elements. In Etelä-Savo, the Kaidan Kiho Smoke Sauna is heated from early morning to create a smooth, bone-deep warmth, with lake swims in summer and ice dips in winter.
You can easily enjoy the steam of a traditional smoke sauna at Revontuli Lakeland Village’s open Sauna Hopping evenings, where visitors get to try out a total of five different saunas. Nearby the Lake Rautjärvi, you can experience a unique Arctic smoke sauna adventure Hugo’s Smoke Sauna, before cooling off in the lake or relaxing in an outdoor hot tub under the stars. And for a truly atmospheric evening, Jätkänkämppä Lodge near Kuopio offers a 1950s lumberjack’s lodge experience with food, drinks, and one of the largest authentic smoke saunas in the region.
Heading to Artic Lakeland at Lentiira Holiday Village, their traditional smoke sauna is located right by the lake. Between löyly rounds the brave ones can take a dip in lake be it summer or winter.
Find a Smoke Sauna near you ↗3. The City Saunas: A Social Gathering Place
Not everyone escapes to a cottage, and luckily, most Lakeland cities offer their own treasures. Public saunas are alive with locals chatting, curious tourists, and children giggling. These are the places where stories are shared, sweat is earned, and friendships are warmed.
Do you know how good it feels to step into the heat with strangers and step out feeling like friends? In Finland, the sauna is a great equaliser. No titles, no rush, just steam and smiles.
And when you’re ready, take a dip straight into a lake or even a river. In many cities, floating saunas and wooden docks wait just outside. Because here, even in the heart of town, nature is never far away.
Lakeland Tips:
Tampere is the official Sauna Capital of the World. The public sauna culture is alive and well there, and you don’t need to leave the city centre for some of the most invigorating sauna experiences. Try the 80-year old Rajaportti sauna, or a more modern take at Sauna-Restaurant Kuuma.
If you want to explore sauna culture a little further, there are some great city-based experiences worth trying. For example, the Sauna Tour by Äksyt Ämmät takes you from guesthouse to guesthouse in North Karelia, combining local food, hospitality, and of course, different saunas along the way. In Kontiolahti, the Sauna World offers several unique saunas in one place, making it easy to try different styles and atmospheres in a single visit.
Sataman Viilu’s sauna world in Jyväskylä includes three saunas of different styles and sizes in the city! During the sauna session, you can take a dip in the lake year round or enjoy the warm bubbles of the Jacuzzis. For a more urban experience, head to Kankaan sauna, a public sauna enjoyed by locals in the Kangas neighbourhood of Jyväskylä.
And if you are traveling through Etelä-Savo, the Järvisydän Sauna World by Lake Saimaa is perfect for groups, with three saunas, an outdoor terrace, and space for up to 45 people.
Find a Public Sauna near you ↗
4. Lakeland Spas: Where Sauna Meets Luxury
Not every sauna moment in Finland is rustic or hidden in the forest. Sometimes, it feels just right to combine the heat of the sauna with the comfort of a spa. In Lakeland Finland, you can soak in warm pools, enjoy treatments, taste good food, and still step straight out to fresh lake air. It is where tradition meets modern well-being. Whether you want to pamper yourself after a day outdoors, spend a social evening with friends, or simply float under the midnight sun, the spas of Lakeland invite you to slow down, breathe deep, and discover well-being in true Finnish style.
Lakeland Tips:
In Kuopio, Saana Spa offers a modern wellness experience right by the water, while Rauhalahti Spa blends classic sauna culture with entertainment and relaxing treatments. For something more atmospheric, Lähde Forest Spa at Panorama Landscape Hotel surrounds you with treetop saunas, pools, and the calm of Finnish nature. Further south, along the shores of Lake Saimaa, you will find even more spa treasures. In Lappeenranta, Day Spa Lähde offers pampering wellness right in the heart of the city.
Nearby in Imatra, Imatran Kylpylä is a classic Finnish spa hotel with pools, saunas, and family-friendly activities, making it a favorite for both locals and visitors.
Jyväskylä Region’s Spa Hotel Peurunka offers everything you can hope for from a relaxing spa holiday; a wide variety of accommodation options, aqua spa, day spa, restaurants, and lots of activities for the whole family. In Keuruu, The Keurusselkä Resort combines wellness, nature and a relaxed atmosphere, offering sauna and spa experiences, activities on nature and accommodation.
New AISTI Sauna & Spa in Lehmonkärki Resort, Asikkala features a variety of saunas, a striking infinity pool, relaxing outdoor hot tubs, and atmospheric lounge areas, all designed to refresh the senses and promote deep relaxation.
Find a Spa near you ↗5. Special Saunas: Floating, Rolling, and Hidden Gems
And then, there are the saunas you never expect. A floating sauna drifting quietly on a lake. A tent sauna glowing by the shoreline. A Viking sauna, a sauna raft, or even a tiny hut deep in the woods where someone’s grandfather still chops firewood by hand.
Do you know that feeling of stumbling upon something both simple and wonderful? That is what these saunas are. They remind us that in Finland, sauna is not just a building, but more like a feeling, a pause in everyday life and a moment of connection.
Lakeland Tips:
In Lakeland Finland, you will find many of these treasures. In Tampere, Saunatemppeli is a lakeside tent sauna that hosts events from sauna rituals to silent sauna bathing evenings.
The Sauna Village, located in Jämsä on the shores of Lake Päijänne, is a journey into the centuries-old history of the Finnish Sauna. The Sauna Village has 24 historic smoke saunas, the oldest ones of which date back to the 18th century. Public sauna evenings are arranged during the summer months. For another historical sauna experience, head to Saraakallio – Rock Art Theme Sauna in Spa Hotel Peurunka. This sauna was designed to honor the 7000 years old rock paintings of Saraakallio.
Further east, experiences range from the rustic to the modern. In North Karelia, Venejoen Piilo invites you to “have sauna like a Finn,” while on Lake Puruvesi you can bathe in a 100-year-old sauna at Resort Naaranlahti. For a brighter, contemporary choice, Koukku Lodge offers both wood-heated and electric saunas alongside its modern log cottage. Tucked deep in the wilderness up North, hides the Arctic Giant’s forest sauna, outdoor showers and a dipping pool for a perfect getaway.
Some saunas turn into adventures of their own. At Viking Sauna World, you can try seven different saunas (from treetop to smoke sauna) before cooling off in a pond and enjoying a hearty meal. Or you might prefer to drift away with Saunalautta Imatra, a floating sauna boat on the river Vuoksi. In winter, the brave head to the Sahanlahti Ice Block Sauna, carved from the ice of Lake Saimaa. For comfort close to the city, Bella Lake Resort near Kuopio offers lakeside suites, each with its own sauna.
Where would you go first? Whether it floats, smokes, glows, or surprises you in the middle of the woods, every sauna in Lakeland Finland holds a little piece of the summer soul.
We hope to see you soon for your sauna experience in Lakeland Finland!
