I moved from Germany to Copenhagen in 2017, for love. Back in Germany, I had always been a regular in the sauna. The ritual of an infusion with essential oils is a common feature there, usually in large wellness centres that also have swimming pools, restaurants, and generous relaxation areas with loungers and open fireplaces. What you rarely find, however, is direct access to the sea or a lake. Instead, there are usually only cold showers or plunge pools. And of course, you go in without swimwear, which some of you may have found rather surprising on a visit to a German sauna.

Here in Copenhagen, I missed that kind of sauna a great deal in my first years. But during the Covid pandemic, things changed. Saunas began popping up everywhere, but in a very different style from the ones I knew back home. Many are wood-fired, set up in old railway carriages, boats, ships or timber cabins built right on the water. Most are located directly by the sea. Instead of restaurants and large quiet rooms, there is a much simpler setting, often with striking views. I found that absolutely inspiring, as it creates a much stronger bond with nature.

That was when I trained as a sauna master with „Just Sauna“. Later I also did a further training course in Germany, which was culturally quite different, far more bureaucratic, but technically very thorough. Since then, I have been running infusions for groups in various places, for instance at sauna clubs in Sluseholmen and in Vallensbæk.

What I love most is a sauna in nature, right by the water. It almost seemed inevitable that, on our short trips in Denmark or over to Sweden, we started looking specifically for accommodation with a sauna and booking those places. After that discovery, my world quite literally exploded: there are so many wonderful houses, saunas and spots by lakes, by the sea, and sometimes even along rivers. I share a selection of my favourites with you here. 

On this blog I write about the sauna culture in Copenhagen, introduce sauna masters and venues, share my journeys, and give tips on where in Scandinavia you can find wonderful sauna experiences within surprisingly short reach.