Page 45 iGap travelguide 2023
P. 45
iGap Travel Guide
45
Often considered a Finnish phenomenon, Estonians
are also true sauna-lovers. Their sauna traditions date
back 800 years, and there are many opportunities to
enjoy them while visiting the country. The earliest
records of saunas in Estonia date back to the early
13th century, and today saunas form an inseparable
part of every private home, summer cottage and farm.
The healing power of a sauna is hard to match and
Estonians have such respect for saunas that they’ve
built them in some very unusual locations, including
on buses, old fire trucks and barges (where in between
enjoying the sauna itself you can jump into the lake
or river straight from the sauna door). For the most
authentic sauna experience, be sure to visit the
southern region of Vorumaa where the smoke saunas
have been given protected cultural status by UNESCO.
THE SAUNA
45
Often considered a Finnish phenomenon, Estonians
are also true sauna-lovers. Their sauna traditions date
back 800 years, and there are many opportunities to
enjoy them while visiting the country. The earliest
records of saunas in Estonia date back to the early
13th century, and today saunas form an inseparable
part of every private home, summer cottage and farm.
The healing power of a sauna is hard to match and
Estonians have such respect for saunas that they’ve
built them in some very unusual locations, including
on buses, old fire trucks and barges (where in between
enjoying the sauna itself you can jump into the lake
or river straight from the sauna door). For the most
authentic sauna experience, be sure to visit the
southern region of Vorumaa where the smoke saunas
have been given protected cultural status by UNESCO.
THE SAUNA
