01
Shower first, always
Rinse before you enter. In public saunas you sit on a small paper or linen seat cover (laudeliina) — bring your own or take one at the door.
02
Ask before you throw löyly
Löyly is the steam from water on the stones. In a shared sauna, ask 'Saako heittää?' (May I throw?) before ladling. Nobody minds the question; everybody minds a surprise.
03
Nakedness is normal — and separate
Public saunas are usually single-sex and naked. Mixed public saunas (like Löyly or Allas in Helsinki) require swimwear. Nobody looks; it's genuinely not a thing.
04
Smoke sauna is the holy grail
A savusauna has no chimney — it's heated for hours, the smoke is let out, and the soft heat lasts all evening. If your stay offers one, say yes.
05
The vihta
A bundle of fresh birch twigs you gently slap yourself with. In eastern Finland it's called a vasta, and people will argue about which word is correct.
