SaunaScape

Photo of some brave souls swimming in the ice by Lauri Väin on Flickr

Here in the Northeast US, spring is here and this year spring temperatures along with it, but in Finland, the weather is still decidedly winter.  The Helsinki Times recently published an article on ice swimming in Vantaa, a 30-minute bus ride from downtown Helsinki.

Kuusijärvi provides all you might expect from a swim-and-sauna combination. Electric saunas at different temperature levels and a traditional smoke sauna nicely complement the chilly plunges, although roughly one-third of the swimmers choose to skip the hot room altogether and simply resort to the heated or even cold locker-rooms available. To work up a sweat beforehand, you can also opt for a snowshoe hike in the surrounding woods or a walk on the beaten trail network criss-crossing them, depending on the season. Swimsuit or trunks and towel can be rented.

The Kuusijärvi outdoor centre has electric saunas available for € 6 and a smoke sauna available for € 12. Basic information is available on their website.

[Helsinki Times]

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="400" caption="Photo of some brave souls swimming in the ice by Lauri Väin on Flickr"][/caption] Here in the Northeast US, spring is here and this year spring temperatures along with it, but in Finland, the weather is still decidedly winter.  The Helsinki Times recently published an article on ice swimming in Vantaa, a 30-minute bus ride from downtown Helsinki. Kuusijärvi provides all you might expect from a swim-and-sauna combination. Electric saunas at different temperature levels and a traditional smoke sauna nicely complement the chilly plunges, although roughly one-third of the swimmers choose to skip the hot room altogether and simply resort to the heated or even cold locker-rooms available. To work up a sweat beforehand, you can also opt for a snowshoe hike in the surrounding woods or a walk on the beaten trail network criss-crossing them, depending on the season. Swimsuit or trunks and towel can be rented. The Kuusijärvi outdoor centre has electric saunas available for € 6 and a smoke sauna available for € 12. Basic information is available on their website. [Helsinki Times]