Saunaravintola Kuuma

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  • Address: Laukontori 21, Tampere
  • Sauna type: Mixed-gender (with swimwear)
  • Heater type: Electric and wood-burning
  • Sauna fee (single): Adults €15 (from Monday to Friday between 11 AM and 5 PM adults €10, children under 16 and students €8).
  • Drinks policy: Because it’s a restaurant, own drinks are not allowed.
  • Things to note: There’s a possibility to swim in a pool separated from the waters of Tammerkoski rapids.
  • Website: Check http://saunaravintolakuuma.com/ for more information, opening hours and up-to-date sauna fees and reductions.

Sauna restaurant Kuuma is the most recent addition to the sauna scene of Tampere. Having just heard the sad news about Tullin sauna going belly up, it remains to be seen whether Kuuma (meaning “hot”) has what it takes to survive in the ruthless world of restaurant industry.

Kuuma has a great location right next to the town centre. Leaving your car home and catching a bus instead may be a good idea, though. Kuuma is also the most expensive sauna in town with its price tag of 15 euros per visit for adults, although there are reductions if you visit during the day.

Kuuma has a sizable café/bar/restaurant, but I didn’t test it during my visit. You can go just for drinks, smaller bites or all in for a fine Nordic-style tasting menu.

It seems that Kuuma has put more effort into the restaurant than the saunas, though. The first thing I noticed about the area dedicated to the sauna is that it’s pretty small. Especially the changing room felt crowded even though there were only a handful of people there. There were three shower stalls (with walls of obscured glass) shared by men and women.

The two saunas were spacious enough and each could seat around 15 people comfortably. Both have windows with nice views of the area around Ratina. Interestingly, one of the saunas is a wood-burning one and the other is an electric smoke sauna. That’s something I hadn’t encountered before. It was an interesting experience and looked sleek, but it wasn’t much compared to a traditional smoke sauna. I just wonder how they produced the smoke smell. The löyly was a bit drier than what I’m used to, but not too bad.

The pool is small but adequate with excellent views.

In the wood-burning sauna, water was thrown on the rocks under a metal hatch like in a traditional kiuas that’s only heated once and allowed to slowly cool down. This allowed controlling the heat a bit: leaving the hatch open meant more heat.

The fact that Kuuma has a pool separated from the quiet waters of Tammerkoski rapids is a nice addition. You can’t really do laps, but it’s enough for a refreshing dip.

I visited during a Friday and it was very quiet – there were only three people in addition to me, but this might have been because there had been a private event just before.

Kuuma seems to be geared more towards people looking for a place to eat or drink, and the saunas seem almost an afterthought. However, after seeing what happened to Tullin sauna, it might be that Kuuma has the right idea when they emphasize the restaurant instead of the sauna. Maybe there simply aren’t enough people willing to try out new sauna experiences in a town the size of Tampere.

Tullin sauna

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  • Address: Åkerlundinkatu 3, Tampere
  • Sauna type: Mixed-gender (with swimwear)
  • Heater type: Electric
  • Sauna fee (single): Adults €14, children aged 7-12 €5, and children under seven get in for free. Discounted cards with ten visits available.
  • Drinks policy: Because it’s also a restaurant, own drinks are not allowed.
  • Things to note: Tullin sauna is much more than a public sauna and offers breakfast, lunch and dinner in its bistro, provides work spaces, and doubles as a reception for Dream Hostel & Hotel.
  • Website: Check https://www.tullinsauna.fi/en/ for more information, opening hours and up-to-date sauna fees and reductions.

Opened a little over a year ago, Tullin sauna is a fairly new addition to the sauna scene of Tampere. It’s smack dab in the middle of the planned “new centre” of Tampere, so the location doesn’t get much more central than this. The university is right next door, as are several hotels and the exhibition centre / concert hall Tampere-talo. Getting here is easy, but I’d suggest leaving your car home unless you want to pay for parking. For tourists visiting Tampere, Tullin sauna is among the easiest saunas to visit, as it’s right next to the budget/boutique hotel Dream Hostel & Hotel.

The sauna bucket contains a towel, a seat cover and a tin cup. Beer sold separately.

There are a few things that set Tullin sauna apart from most other public saunas in Tampere. The first is the price. At 14 euros, the price of a single visit is arguably steep. Add to this the prices of drinks and you’re looking at over 20 euros per visit, except if you only stick to water, of course. However, Tullin sauna could be classed among the increasingly trendy sauna restaurants that maybe cater to a different audience than the more traditional ones. I don’t see this as a bad thing because I welcome new ways of preserving and maintaining our interesting public sauna culture. The hardcore regulars of the more traditional saunas might not be caught dead in a place like this, but that’s their choice.

Many people are willing to spend some extra when they go for a night out, so why not add a sauna into the mix? You can order drinks into the sauna with the press of a button, the bistro provides meals and snacks if all the bathing makes you hungry, and there’s a wide selection of beauty products to go for that killer look.

Grooming products galore.

There are two sauna rooms, one bigger and one smaller. Both have electric heaters, but they’re pretty good ones. Their heat setting didn’t appear to be very high, though, as both saunas had a pretty mild, humid löyly. If you want to cool down, you need to do it in the shower or outside on a loading dock that’s been turned into a cool-down area. I don’t think it’s the most relaxing place to chill in your swimsuit, but I guess it’s all part of the urban sauna charm.

The interior design deserves a separate comment. Tullin sauna has an industrial design with lots of concrete mixed with light wood. The sauna rooms are made out of hand-carved logs that spread the smell of wood and sap in the air. It all works well, looks very modern and has almost a spa-like quality to it.

I can recommend Tullin sauna for people wanting an easy access to a Finnish sauna, although it’s not really a traditional one. The unfortunate thing about the place is that at least during the weekdays it seems to be quiet. Maybe it’s the price, maybe it’s the fact that it doesn’t have established regulars yet. In any case, if you go in looking for socialising with locals, you might end up disappointed. But having a sauna all to yourself is pretty nice too, occasionally.

Vesaniemen sauna

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  • Address: Vesaniementie 15 , Kangasala
  • Sauna type: Single-gender (with or without swimwear)
  • Heater type: Electric
  • Sauna fee (single): Adults €5, children under 12 get in free. Discounted cards with twelve visits available. Note that the sauna fee should be paid in cash.
  • Drinks policy: Own (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) drinks are supposedly ok, but I didn’t make sure. There’s complimentary water and juice for visitors.
  • Things to note: The sauna is open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday evenings during the winter swimming season. There’s currently no information on summer opening hours.
  • Website: Check http://www.uintiseura.fi/vesaniemen-sauna/ (in Finnish only) for opening hours and up-to-date sauna fees.

The winter swimming season is officially over, but because of my writing hiatus, here’s one more review of a sauna meant for winter swimming. The visit took place at the end of March, so that’s why there’s still snow and ice in the pictures.

Vesaniemen sauna is located in a fairly unassuming community building in Kangasala. The interior is mostly what you would expect based on the exterior, but the changing rooms, showers and sauna aren’t too shabby especially when it comes to space. It didn’t get too crowded except occasionally in the sauna, which seats some 15 people. There are separate facilities for men and women, so I can’t say whether the women’s sauna is the same size.

The sauna had a brand new electric kiuas that really packed a punch, but although the löyly was hot, it wasn’t unbearable. This might be because we also spent a lot of time in the lake taking swims from one jetty to another. The walk to the lake from the sauna is pretty long but luckily the weather was fine.

As in many other saunas run by winter swimming associations, the visitors had clearly formed a community of fellow sauna-goers and swimmers, but they didn’t give us newcomers the cold shoulder either.

For people based in Tampere, the biggest hurdle to visiting the sauna is the distance. It takes half an hour by car to get to Vesaniemi from Tampere and over an hour by bus. Although the sauna’s pretty nice with a friendly community, overall Vesaniemi offers nothing very special. That’s why you probably might be better off going to a sauna closer to Tampere unless you’re visiting Kangasala or happen to live there.

Suolijärven sauna

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  • Address: Suolijärvenkatu 5, Tampere
  • Sauna type: Mixed-gender (with swimwear)
  • Heater type: Wood-burning
  • Sauna fee (single): Adults €6, children €3. Students, pensioners and the unemployed €5. Discounted cards with five visits available. Note that the sauna fee should be paid in cash, preferably in exact change.
  • Drinks policy: Own (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) drinks are allowed in the changing rooms and out in the yard. Bring your own water.
  • Things to note: The sauna is there only during the winter swimming season, from October to April. The sauna can be rented for private occasions.
  • Website: Check https://juttusauna.fi/suolijarvi-sauna-in-english/ for opening hours and up-to-date sauna fees and reductions.

Like Tohlopin sauna which I reviewed back in February, Suolijärven sauna is a mobile one and operated by the company Juttusauna. This one is bigger, though, and seats about 15 people. Suolijärven sauna is located in the neighbourhood of Hervanta, next to Lake Suolijärvi, which has a pretty unappealing name (‘suoli’ means intestine or bowel in Finnish). The setting, however, is all but unappealing. Like with Tohlopin sauna, Juttusauna has managed to find a location that’s both easily accessible and surprisingly tranquil.

The sauna can be reached by bus and the parking situation is good. Hervanta isn’t exactly close to the city centre, but as it’s practically a town in its own right, it’s great that the place has its own sauna. I was glad to see that several foreign visitors, who I presume were students from the University of Technology, had also found the place.

Suolijärven sauna operates in pretty much the same way as Tohlopin sauna. There are small changing rooms close to the sauna and the hole in the ice. These have no running water, but there’s another building with larger changing rooms, showers and toilets close by. You should leave most valuables home, although you can also leave them next to the sauna building.

The sauna has a great wood-burning heater that gives off just the right amount of heat after a swim. The sauna attendant keeps the fire going, so visitors don’t have to worry about that.We visited on a Sunday and although there were people constantly about, it wasn’t really crowded at any point. There was little in the way of socialising, but the atmosphere was amiable.

Suolijärvi is a great place to visit for a swim and a sauna as well as outdoor activities like walking the nice little nature trail going around the lake. It’s a shame the sauna’s there only until the end of April before returning in October.

Halkoniemen sauna

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  • Address: Ojanteentie 16, Nokia
  • Sauna type: Mixed-gender (with swimwear)
  • Heater type: Electric
  • Sauna fee: Adults €5, children 2€. Annual memberships are available, but the waiting list is about a year. Note that the sauna fee must be paid in cash and in exact change.
  • Drinks policy: You can bring your own drinks. Bring your own drinking water, too.
  • Things to note: In winter, the sauna is open on six days a week (closed on Mondays) and in summer on three days a week.
  • Website: https://www.nokiantalviuimarit.net/ has up-to-date information on opening hours and prices in Finnish.

After focusing on saunas in Tampere, it was high time to make an excursion a little further, to the neighbouring municipality of Nokia. Although Nokia isn’t that far from Tampere, the public transport between them leaves much to be desired. There are only few buses from Tampere to the sauna. As is often the case with public saunas, driving is the way to go here, too. There’s no need to worry about parking space – there’s lots of it next to the sauna.

Halkoniemi has two saunas, an ordinary one and a traditional smoke sauna, but the latter is sadly only available to the members of Nokia winter swimming association and their guests. As we had no acquaintances in the association, it was just the ordinary sauna for us.

Although there’s space for about 20 people in the sauna, the building isn’t huge and the changing and shower rooms were quite small. For the number of visitors the sauna gets, they seemed to be adequate. The sauna is clearly popular, but it wasn’t crowded during our visit. The sauna provided a nice löyly despite its electric heater.

Great views of Lake Pyhäjärvi. Somewhere there on the opposite shore, is another sauna I’ll hopefully get to visit later on.

As could be expected, most visitors were members of the winter swimming association that runs the sauna. As an outsider in these kinds of places, it sometimes feels a bit like intruding into an inner circle. The regulars usually know each other and have things in common to talk about. All visitors were friendly and considerate, though.

Winter swimming at Halkoniemi is excellent. The location is beautiful and quiet, and there’s a heated walkway all the way from the sauna to the stairs into the lake.

Halkoniemi is worth visiting if you find yourself in Nokia, as the price of a single visit is low and it’s a good sauna overall. However, there are equally good saunas closer to Tampere.

Kaupinojan sauna

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  • Address: Kaupinpuistonkatu 1, Tampere
  • Sauna type: Mixed-gender (with swimwear)
  • Heater type: Wood-burning
  • Sauna fee: Adults €8, children 3€ (children under seven get in for free). Discounted cards with 12 visits and annual subscriptions are available.
  • Drinks policy: You can bring your own drinks. Water is available from drinking fountains. The sauna attendant also sells refreshments.
  • Things to note: The sauna is closed on the second Tuesday of each month for maintenance.
  • Website: See https://www.talviuimarit.fi/english-info/ for information, up-to-date opening hours, prices and reductions.

I’ve visited Kaupinojan sauna once before a few months ago, so the things I mention here aren’t all just first impressions.

Getting to Kaupinoja by public transport isn’t very easy, as the closest bus stops are nearly two kilometres from it. Going by car is a good idea. There’s a lot of parking space close to the sauna. However, with nearly 60,000 visits annually, Kaupinojan sauna is easily one of the busiest public saunas in Tampere, which means that parking during the peak hours may be a hassle.

There really doesn’t seem to be a quiet time at Kaupinojan sauna, despite the fact that it’s open practically every day. We visited during the day but it was the winter holiday, and there were at least a two dozen visitors when we arrived. Similarly to Rauhaniemi, people constantly come and go. Visitors seem to be of all ages, but there are a lot more young people about than in most other public saunas. The nearby sports facilities of Kauppi probably play a part in this.

In a sauna, even the fans of rivaling hockey teams can be at peace.

The sauna facilities are good and spacious, and well equipped to handle the steady flow of sauna goers. They’re also quite modern because part of the old sauna building burnt down in 2008. The large windows of the “cool-down room” are particularly nice because the views of Lake Näsijärvi are spectacular.

The sauna is quite large and easily seats at least 50 people. The seats are in three levels, but there’s also a few small benches close to the floor for minimum heat. Every surface of the sauna, including the seats and handrails, is searing, and a seat cover is a must. Luckily, wooden seat covers are provided.

I’m sorry to say this, but Kaupinojan sauna sometimes also has people who have no regard for others and throw a ton of water in a sauna that’s already at a hundred degrees. It gets very hot even on the lowest benches, making it impossible to bring in children, for example. There’s no accounting for taste, and some like it hotter than others, but it’s really just common courtesy to take other visitors into consideration. According to a local newspaper, this seems to be a recurring problem at Kaupinoja.

There’s not much socialising going on at Kaupinoja. Since the sauna room itself is big and there may be as many as 400 visitors per evening during the winter, it’s understandable that there aren’t close-knit groups of fellow sauna goers here. The inconsiderate behaviour of some visitors doesn’t probably help much either.

Kaupinojan sauna is ideal for people who love intense, scalding heat and don’t mind the crowds. The location on the shore of Lake Näsijärvi is excellent, and the sauna and winter swimming facilities are top-notch. The price of a single visit is a bit higher than in many other places, but it’s to be expected because the sauna is pretty much always open.

Suomensaaren sauna

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  • Address: Suomensaari, Tampere
  • Sauna type: Mixed-gender (with swimwear)
  • Heater type: Electric
  • Sauna fee: Adults €7, children 3€, pensioners and students €6.
    Discounted cards with ten visits and annual subscriptions are available. Note that the sauna fee must be paid in cash and preferably in exact change.
  • Drinks policy: You can bring your own drinks. Bring your own drinking water too because tap water at the sauna comes from the lake.
  • Things to note: You can swim in the lake in summer and winter. On winter Sundays, there’s a milder löyly than usual. The sauna can also be rented for private occasions.
  • Website: See http://www.lielahdenkipina.fi/suomensaaren_sauna.htm for up-to-date opening hours, fees and reductions.

Suomensaaren sauna is around ten kilometres from the centre of Tampere but it’s easily reachable by car or bus. There’s plenty of parking space by the sauna and the closest bus stop is a ten-minute walk from it.

You’ll get actual tickets!

The sauna building is a small brown log house and one of two buildings on what used to be a small island but is now part of the mainland. There’s a small lobby where you pay the sauna fee and where you can also buy refreshments and post-sauna sausages. Do bring cash with you; cards are no good here.

The changing room was spacious and very clean despite the dreadful weather outside. We arrived soon after the sauna had opened and there were fewer than ten people about. This changed soon, though, and thanks to the steady flow of visitors there were around 25 people at any given time in the sauna for the rest of the evening. The sauna has space for about 35 people to sit comfortably but I heard that 50 people have squeezed in at the busiest times.

Sauna and winter swimming rules in the form of a poem.

The community spirit in Suomensaaren sauna is amazing, starting with the extremely friendly and helpful sauna attendant. There were no cliques of regular visitors or snooty attitudes towards newcomers, which you can,
unfortunately, experience in some public saunas. The Suomensaari regulars were all very welcoming and willing to help. One even offered to drive us back to the town centre. The atmosphere was friendly and neighbourly throughout. This is what public saunas are all about.

Initially, the löyly was dry, as could be expected from an electric heater, but with the influx of visitors and water thrown on the rocks, it got nice and humid soon. The temperature was high, over 100 degrees to accommodate winter swimmers, but pleasant nonetheless. It may get a bit hot for those who don’t swim but you can also cool down in the big yard. If you want to enjoy lower sauna temperatures, you can visit on a winter Sunday, designated for those who prefer a milder löyly.

Winter swimming facilities at Suomensaari are good. The stairs to the jetty are maintained well and there’s a bit of a heated walkway at the end of the jetty. There’s also a pump that keeps a large area of the water unfrozen. Thanks to four separate sets of steps into the water, we didn’t have to spend any more time on the jetty than necessary, which was great because there was an icy wind that felt like daggers on your skin after a swim.

I can warmly recommend visiting Suomensaaren sauna. Don’t let its slightly remote location deter you from going. It’s hands down the nicest public sauna I’ve visited so far thanks to the pleasant heat, great atmosphere, friendly visitors and kind service.

Niihaman sauna

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Niihaman maja
  • Address: Pikku-Niihamantie 80, Tampere
  • Sauna type: Mixed-gender (with swimwear)
  • Heater type: Wood-burning
  • Sauna fee: €6
  • Drinks policy: There’s a café that sells non-alcoholic refreshments. Own drinks were not frowned upon in the changing rooms, but you should be discreet with alcoholic beverages because there are often children about.
  • Things to note: You can swim in the nearby lake in the summer or take a dip in the small hole in the ice in the winter. The sauna can be rented for private occasions.
  • Website: https://www.niihamanmaja.fi/ (only in Finnish). In 2019, the sauna is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 PM to 7 PM.

Getting to Niihaman sauna can be difficult without a car. The closest bus stop is about 2 km away, and walking from the stop is a bother because there’s only a dirt road for cars. There is, however, a 4-kilometre footpath from Kauppi to Niihama, should you want to hike. In the winter, the path’s reserved for skiers. There’s ample parking space at Niihama.

The sauna building.

Niihaman maja is actually a lot more than just a sauna. It’s a sort of base for all kinds of outdoor activities, like hiking, fishing, frisbee golf, skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing and sledding. The place used to be a farm after the wars. The old farmhouse and sauna building are still standing. The farmhouse now has a charming little café and though it doesn’t provide accommodation, it almost feels like an inn with all the people coming and going, having coffee or a home-cooked meal, and stopping to sit by the fire.

Although skiers and other people frequent Niihaman maja, the sauna isn’t very popular. When we visited, they hadn’t started the fire in the sauna because there had been no one else there before us, and we had to wait quite a bit before it was warm. Luckily though, we weren’t in a hurry. We ended up having the sauna all to ourselves during our stay. There’s a small anteroom in the sauna building, but because it’s a mixed sauna, you’re asked to change into your swimwear upstairs in the main building.

The sauna itself was a typical, traditional “out sauna” that can be found next to older houses. If you’re looking for an “authentic” Finnish sauna experience, this one should deliver. There’s space for around seven to eight people, but the manager said it’s a busy day if ten people visit altogether. The wood-burning heater could’ve probably provided a nice löyly with more time, but it didn’t get as hot as I’d have liked it. The temperature reached a measly 65 degrees during our stay.

The beach isn’t right by the sauna and there’s a bit of a walk down a hill if you want to take the icy plunge in the lake. The hole in the ice was like something you could find at a cottage, meaning it’s just enough to dip into. No swimming here. There’s no pump to keep the hole from freezing over, but the manager will literally break the ice for you! There’s also a shower in the sauna if that’s your preferred method of cooling down.

The Niihama sauna didn’t really have a public sauna feel to it because, well, it actually used to be a private sauna back in the day. For most Finns, the sauna alone is probably not worth the price and trouble of getting there. For tourists, it may be an interesting experience. However, you should visit Niihama anyway because its charm lies elsewhere: in the beautiful and tranquil location, its facilities for outdoor activities, and its delightful little café. Bonus points for really friendly service.

Tohlopin sauna

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  • Address: Pyydyspohjankatu 1, Tampere
  • Sauna type: Mixed-gender (with swimwear)
  • Heater type: Wood-burning
  • Sauna fee (single): Adults €6, children €3. Students, pensioners and the unemployed €5. Discounted cards with five visits available. Note that the sauna fee should be paid in cash.
  • Drinks policy: Own (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) drinks are allowed in the changing rooms and out in the yard. Bring your own water.
  • Things to note: The sauna is there only during the winter swimming season, from October to April. Note that there are no showers, toilets or water taps at the sauna. The sauna can be rented for private occasions.
  • Website: Check
    https://sites.google.com/site/tohlopinuimaseura/tohlopin-laemmittelysauna (only available in Finnish) for opening hours and up-to-date sauna fees and reductions. In spring 2019, the sauna is normally open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays from 5:30 to 8 PM, but there may be exceptions.

Tohlopin sauna is significantly smaller than the saunas I previously reviewed, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in personality. The sauna is operated by a company called Juttusauna that rents out mobile saunas and sauna tents. The sauna at Tohloppi is a mobile one so it can be transported pretty much anywhere. However, when it’s used as a public sauna, it’s parked on the beach by Lake Tohloppi next to changing rooms for swimmers.

The sauna is not very close to the city centre but it’s pretty easily accessible by bus or car. There’s a lot of parking space by the beach. If you take the bus, there’s a bit of a walk from the closest bus stop to the sauna. The beach is located close to a quiet suburb but could’ve been in the middle of a forest because there really weren’t any people around besides sauna visitors.

Lake Tohloppi

As usual, you pay the sauna fee to a sauna attendant. He hangs around the sauna during the opening hours and makes sure the fire doesn’t go out. The changing rooms have heating, but they’re tiny, so there’s not much room to warm yourself up if the sauna’s crowded. And it was pretty crowded when we visited. With around 15 visitors, it was busy for a sauna with a capacity for nine. This wasn’t a huge problem, though, because people were friendly and accommodating. We often had to wait for our turn outside, though. However, the sauna attendant, who was actually the owner of the company, told me it was exceptionally busy during our visit.

The löyly in the sauna was a delight. As I mentioned before, I’m partial to a wood-burning stove. I’d say this one was quite good even by wood-burning heater standards. Especially at the beginning, there was just the right amount of heat and humidity in the air. After about an hour, it got maybe a bit too humid for some because a lot of water was thrown on the rocks.

The ice swimming facilities were basic but adequate. There were no heated walkways or other luxuries, just two ladders going into the water. I nearly fell on the stairs because they weren’t maintained very well. If you can handle the cold, going barefoot may be a better alternative to wearing slippery shoes.

It seems I’m getting used to winter swimming because this time I was able to do a few swimming strokes instead of just taking a quick dip in the water. It could be that the milder weather made it easier, but I’d like to think my ability to withstand the cold has also improved.

So far, Tohlopin sauna has been my favourite. The löyly was excellent for a small sauna trailer and the atmosphere on the beach was amazing considering how close it was to a residential area. The minor downsides include the lack of places to sit and warm up if there’s no room in the sauna and the fact that there were no showers and toilets. For fans of winter sports, I recommend ice skating or cross-country skiing on Lake Tohloppi and having a relaxing sauna after.

Kaukajärven sauna

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  • Address: Kangasalantie 80, Tampere
  • Sauna type: Mixed-gender (with swimwear)
  • Heater type: Electric
  • Sauna fee (single): Adults €7, children €4. Early-bird reduction
    on weekdays from 12 PM to 3 PM: adults €4, children €2. Discounted cards with ten visits also available.
  • Drinks policy: Own (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) drinks are allowed in the changing rooms and out in the yard, but being visibly intoxicated is not tolerated. Tap water is available in drinking fountains. The sauna attendant’s kiosk sells refreshments.
  • Things to note: There’s a three-metre diving platform at Kaukajärvi. In the winter, you can go ice swimming.
  • Website: Check https://www.kaukajarvensauna.fi/ for opening hours and up-to-date sauna fees and reductions.

Although Kaukajärven sauna is not very close to the centre of Tampere, it is easily accessible from the city centre by bus or car. There’s a parking lot nearby, but space is limited so if you plan to visit at peak hours like Saturday evening, you might be better off catching a bus.

Our visit took place on a Thursday before 3 PM, so we paid the very reasonable discounted price of 4 euros per person. Like in most public saunas, valuables can be left in the sauna attendant’s office. The sauna building was a bit humble and apparently built in 1982, at least according to a plaque on the wall. I tried to confirm this with the sauna attendant, but she wasn’t certain. The overall look of the building suggests that it probably was built in the 1980s.

The year of construction?

The changing room was very spacious and even had a heated floor! It may not sound like a big deal, but it really isn’t a given in most saunas and greatly adds to the comfort because it keeps the floor and your socks dry. There are separate shower rooms for men and women, but taking long showers is discouraged because warm water tends to run out at busier hours.

I noticed there were quite a lot of rules for good conduct at the sauna. The rules were in Finnish only, but they mostly boiled down to being polite towards and not bothering other sauna goers, e.g. speak in a low voice, ask if it’s okay to throw water on the rocks and don’t have sauna contests. The rules seem to work, though; everyone at the sauna was friendly and polite. Most people greeted each other and asked if it was okay to throw water on the rocks, but there wasn’t a lot of conversation going on between strangers. It was quiet during the day; all told there were around 15 people and most of them were solo visitors.

There are two sauna rooms at Kaukajärvi. The bigger one seats some 30 people and the smaller one ten. The big sauna had a more intense heat than the smaller one. I have to say I’m not a big fan of electric sauna heaters, and the big sauna was even a bit worse than I expected. It felt like there was almost no humidity at all and when water was thrown on the rocks, there was a burning sensation instead of pleasant warmth. Because the small sauna wasn’t as hot, the löyly was better, but not comparable to those produced by a wood-burning heater – or even the oil-burning heater in Rauhaniemi.

Plenty of room for ice swimming.

Even though the löyly situation wasn’t perfect, ice swimming was refreshing as usual. The (ice) swimming facilities are Kaukajärvi’s strong point. The hole in the ice is a big one and allows those who don’t mind the cold take long swims around the jetty. Those looking for something even more extreme can take a three-metre plunge from the diving platform, though I do recommend leaving Olympic diving for summertime. The wonderful thing about Lake Kaukajärvi is that its water is among the clearest in Tampere and you can easily see the bottom of the lake at several metres. Though there’s a small stretch of heated walkway on the jetty, the stairs aren’t heated so bring your slides or water shoes and be careful on the icy steps.

Kaukajärven sauna is ideal for people who want to go ice swimming, take a sauna in peace and aren’t very particular about the heater type of the sauna as long as it’s hot. The inexpensive sauna fee during the day makes a visit worthwhile, even if you favour wood-burning saunas.