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Sauna center

Estonians are known as a sauna-loving people. To the ancient islander, the sauna was more than just a place for washing. It has been a ritual space for celebrating important life events, a place where serious conversations were clarified and life wisdom was shared.

The sauna culture of Saaremaa, comparable to a sacred place, respects the traditions of ancestors and the spirits of nature, fairies, and souls. Going to the sauna is an event in itself, which over the millennia has strengthened the resilience and vitality of the islanders. For the people of Saaremaa, the sauna is like a gateway that connects the wisdom of the past with the dreams of the future, while at the same time cleansing both soul and body..

Every sauna experience on Saaremaa consists of at least five components:

Hot sauna

Be it for birch whisking or warming up your body.

Proper steam

The steam session is started gradually. A wise man doesn't rush! From a lower temperature to a stronger one. The heat should not be overly biting, but rather comfortably moist like the sea. Before taking the whisk, three splashes of water should be given to the stove.

Fine sauna whisk

In addition to birch, a sauna whisk can be made from other fine trees, plants, and juniper bushes. Each plant has its own effect, which is beneficial to health.

Cold plunge

Be it a bucketful of cold water, a plunge into a snowdrift, or a quick run back and forth to a bay or body of water, which is always found behind the sauna door in Saaremaa.

Cold beer and a fish snack

You can immediately tell by the taste of the fish if it's truly a Saaremaa thing.

All this beauty can be experienced firsthand at the Saaremaa Sauna Center. The Sauna Center is open to both hotel guests and all islanders, as well as visitors to the island.

Pricelist

Saunas that you will find with us:

Island Woman's Sauna / Sanarium

55°C

  • Low-Temperature Relaxation Sauna
  • Air humidity 25-55%
  • Suitable for children and the elderly, as well as for everyone who does not favor high temperatures
  • Relaxes muscle tension and stimulates subcutaneous blood circulation
  • Allows for enjoying the sauna for up to 20 minutes.

Knight's Steam Sauna

45°C

You feel as if you are in a mystical morning mist of Saaremaa, where bursts of steam touch the body and cleanse the senses. Such a sauna would have been frequented by medieval knights guarding the castle, neatly going four or five times in a row.

  • A sauna with low temperature and high air humidity (air humidity 100%)
  • Air humidity 100%
  • The sauna is beneficial for the respiratory system and provides relief for joint problems.
  • The aroma of eucalyptus and menthol helps to relax.

Farmer's Sauna or Juniper Sauna

75°C

A 75-degree sauna made of juniper wood offers a sauna experience filled with the scents of Saaremaa's wild juniper fields, being both refreshing and calming, reminiscent of salty sea air, Saaremaa's sunny summer days, and coastal landscapes.

  • Air humidity 50-80%
  • No steam is thrown in this sauna

Vikings sauna or Hot Air Sauna

90°C

High temperatures and sharp steam are like the challenging life of the Vikings, where each visit to the sauna is like sailing on stormy seas to foreign lands – intense, empowering, and requiring bravery.

  • Air humidity 50-90%
  • By throwing water on the hot stones, the temperature and air humidity can be increased.
  • Sauna steam restores and cleanses cells and helps the body to eliminate waste products.
  • Has a positive effect on heart function and the circulatory system.

Island Fisherman's Sauna or Wood-Fired Outdoor Sauna with Whisking Option

up to 80-100°C

  • Air humidity 40-70%
  • The sauna stove is wood-fired and provides a gentle velvety steam, obtained from heating stones on the stove to over +350 degrees.
  • The first time, the body is allowed to get used to the heat without throwing water on the stones or whisking.
  • The sauna whisk is brought into the sauna and soaked in water.
  • The second session in the steam room is longer, lasting 10-15 minutes. During this time, the body sweats properly and the benefits of whisking can be felt.
  • The heat of the sauna enlarges and cleanses the pores of the entire body, removing dirt and dead skin cells.
  • After repeated sauna visits, the physiological properties of the skin improve and metabolism normalizes.

Bishop's Barrel Sauna

  • Water temperature 30°C
  • Helps to reduce stress, relaxes muscles, and promotes circulation.

Next to the outdoor saunas, there is a grilling area with an outdoor grill-house and a relaxation area, where sauna-goers can dine and relax in between sauna sessions.

As a visitor to authentic Saaremaa saunas, you can gain extra sauna wisdom in various workshops.

BIRCH WHISK MAKING WORKSHOP

  • Duration 1 hour

In the past, the best branches for a proper sauna whisk were considered to be from common birch, sometimes from bog birch, and in Saaremaa, also from juniper. Nowadays, people go to the sauna with whisks made from juniper, oak, linden, willow, aspen, and many other shrubs. Each has its own power and strength. In the workshop, you will learn the tricks of making whisks and gain folk wisdom about which plant helps and provides relief for what.

Bodyscrub workshop

  • Duration 1.5 hours

Special sauna products enhance the sauna pleasures, and you can learn to make them yourself in the workshop. Suitable for both adult and young sauna enthusiasts.