Posts Tagged “steam”
Posted on November 6th, 2010 by Chris in Guides, tags: Banya, Russian, steam, steam sauna
The Basics: The Banya is the Russian version of the heat bath. The Russian Banya is at least as old as the Finnish Sauna, and shares a few key features, like a stove with hot rocks. The sauna which is a dry heat, with typically less than 15% humidity, the banya is usually maintained at 60-70% humidity. Banya fans claim that this creates much less stress on your system than the sauna.
The banya stove is the key to this. It is much more massive than a typical sauna stove, with tons of rock inside of a closed masonry construction. The rocks inside are heated to 600-800°C (1100-1475ºF). Water is thrown onto the stones through a small door, typically 100ml (about ½ cup) at a time. This creates a fine transparent steam that fills the top of the banya chamber. To hold this steam, the banya has a higher roof than a sauna, and it typically has minimal venting.
 Diagram of a banya stove. From rusbanya.com To bring the steam down to the bathers, they are given a platza, which is a form of massage with a venik, a whisk broom usually made from green oak or birch branches. The giver of the platza uses the broom to bring the steam from above down to the bather who is reclining on a bench. The heat, humidity and the oils from the branches are transferred the skin of the bather. Russian-bath.com has a nice page detailing the venik, techniques and benefits of the platza.
One of the challenges in the banya is keeping the temperature in the room at a level that is safe for the bathers. The high-heat required in the stove and the steam given off both raise the temperature if not carefully controlled. Many banyas have a supply of cold water in the bathing chamber for dunking over yourself to allow you to prolong your time in the heat. A banya fan would refer to a room like this as a schvitz – not always a compliment.
When you exit the banya, the Russian way is to cool rapidly in a cold plunge pool or shower. These are usually located right outside of the exit of the hot room.
Most banya facilities have restaurants, and other saunas, steam rooms and pools.
What to Bring: Russian Banyas, depending on the facility, can be either single-gendered or mixed gender. The mixed-gender facilities usually require swimsuits. Single-gender facilities are usually enjoyed nude.
Towels and other toiletries may or may not be provided. Check with your facility before going. If not provided, you’ll want to bring two or three towels: One to lie on in the banya, one for toweling off between rounds, and one for drying off after your final shower. A robe may be desirable for lounging while resting between rounds.
Footwear, like a slide sandal is usually worn outside of the baths. If the facility does not supply them, you may need to bring your own.
The intense heat of the banya can damage your hair, so most experienced banya afficianados bring a wool hat to wear in the heat for protection. If you don’t have one, you can always drape a hand towel over your head.
Veniks are usually available for purchase at a Russian bath. If you’ve got access to trees in the early summer, you can make your own and store them in the freezer for a substantial savings over what the house charges.
Enjoying the Banya:
The banya is about the bath. When you arrive, you’ll want to take a shower to rinse any dirt, perfumes or other cosmetics off of your skin and change into your swimsuit (if needed).
Begin with a session in a dry sauna to get your body sweating and cool down. Now it’s time to venture into the heat and humidity of the banya. Before going in, cool yourself down as much as possible with the shower or cold pool. A platza is a good way to enjoy this session. Stay in the hot room as long as is comfortable, and cool down your preferred way when you leave.
Russian lore says that you shouldn’t take more than three rounds in the banya, lest you anger the Bannik, the spirit of the Russian bath.
After your bathing rounds are complete, you can relax and cool down in the Banya facility, and enjoy a meal at the restaurant before donning your clothes and heading back out in the world.
If you’re looking for a place to enjoy a banya, you can consult our database for a full list of places we know. Here are a few to get you started.
6 Paragon Way West Freehold, NJ
2200 Dundas St. East Mississauga, ON
E 116th St & Luke Ave Cleveland, OH
1310 Dundas St. East, Unit #14 Missisaugua, ON
9688 Leslie Street Richmond Hill, ON
1842 S. Parker Rd. #21 Denver, CO
1027 Finch Avenue West, Unit 7 Toronto, ON
Am Bühl 3 Eibenstock 
Langgasse 38 - 40 Wiessbaden
1441 York Street Denver, CO
Hans-Bredow-Strasse 17 Bremen
8295 Oakland St Detroit, MI
3815 Northern Blvd. Astoria, NY
5921 Calloway Street Queens, NY
275 Park Avenue Brooklyn, NY
The Basics: The Banya is the Russian version of the heat bath. The Russian Banya is at least as old as the Finnish Sauna, and shares a few key features, like a stove with hot rocks. The sauna which is a dry heat, with typically less than 15% humidity, the banya is usually maintained at 60-70% humidity. Banya fans claim that this creates much less stress on your system than the sauna.
The banya stove is the key to this. It is much more massive than a typical sauna stove, with tons of rock inside of a closed masonry construction. The rocks inside are heated to 600-800°C (1100-1475ºF). Water is thrown onto the stones through a small door, typically 100ml (about ½ cup) at a time. This creates a fine transparent steam that fills the top of the banya chamber. To hold this steam, the banya has a higher roof than a sauna, and it typically has minimal venting.
[caption id="attachment_558" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Diagram of a banya stove. From rusbanya.com"][/caption]
To bring the steam down to the bathers, they are given a platza, which is a form of massage with a venik, a whisk broom usually made from green oak or birch branches. The giver of the platza uses the broom to bring the steam from above down to the bather who is reclining on a bench. The heat, humidity and the oils from the branches are transferred the skin of the bather. Russian-bath.com has a nice page detailing the venik, techniques and benefits of the platza.
One of the challenges in the banya is keeping the temperature in the room at a level that is safe for the bathers. The high-heat required in the stove and the steam given off both raise the temperature if not carefully controlled. Many banyas have a supply of cold water in the bathing chamber for dunking over yourself to allow you to prolong your time in the heat. A banya fan would refer to a room like this as a schvitz – not always a compliment.
When you exit the banya, the Russian way is to cool rapidly in a cold plunge pool or shower. These are usually located right outside of the exit of the hot room.
Most banya facilities have restaurants, and other saunas, steam rooms and pools.
What to Bring: Russian Banyas, depending on the facility, can be either single-gendered or mixed gender. The mixed-gender facilities usually require swimsuits. Single-gender facilities are usually enjoyed nude.
Towels and other toiletries may or may not be provided. Check with your facility before going. If not provided, you'll want to bring two or three towels: One to lie on in the banya, one for toweling off between rounds, and one for drying off after your final shower. A robe may be desirable for lounging while resting between rounds.
Footwear, like a slide sandal is usually worn outside of the baths. If the facility does not supply them, you may need to bring your own.
The intense heat of the banya can damage your hair, so most experienced banya afficianados bring a wool hat to wear in the heat for protection. If you don't have one, you can always drape a hand towel over your head.
Veniks are usually available for purchase at a Russian bath. If you've got access to trees in the early summer, you can make your own and store them in the freezer for a substantial savings over what the house charges.
Enjoying the Banya:
The banya is about the bath. When you arrive, you'll want to take a shower to rinse any dirt, perfumes or other cosmetics off of your skin and change into your swimsuit (if needed).
Begin with a session in a dry sauna to get your body sweating and cool down. Now it's time to venture into the heat and humidity of the banya. Before going in, cool yourself down as much as possible with the shower or cold pool. A platza is a good way to enjoy this session. Stay in the hot room as long as is comfortable, and cool down your preferred way when you leave.
Russian lore says that you shouldn't take more than three rounds in the banya, lest you anger the Bannik, the spirit of the Russian bath.
After your bathing rounds are complete, you can relax and cool down in the Banya facility, and enjoy a meal at the restaurant before donning your clothes and heading back out in the world.
If you're looking for a place to enjoy a banya, you can consult our database for a full list of places we know. Here are a few to get you started.
[pods name="sauna_baths" order="t.id DESC" limit="15" where="style.id=6" template="sauna_list_div"]
5 Comments »
Posted on February 19th, 2009 by Chris in Guides, How to, tags: Germany, guide, steam
When you visit a German sauna, don’t forget to plan your time there around their aufguss schedule.
What is an aufguss? Well, simply it’s the German translation of the Finnish löyly. Most online translators can’t deal with these words. However the forums at LEO.org suggest it is the ritual of sprinking the hot rocks on the sauna stove with water to make steam. Sometimes the water is scented with herbs or other essences. It takes 26 words in english to express what the Germans and Finns can in one!
In the other parts of the world where water is thrown on the rocks, it’s a self-service procedure. The sauna at my YMCA has a bucket in the sauna for that purpose. If you want steam, you fill the bucket, and you sprinkle the rocks with water. In Germany, especially at the large saunas, it is a procedure administered only by a trained Aufgiesser.
Most large saunas post their aufguss schedules near the information desk in their saunaland. It shows what times, which saunas, and what special features will be featured in each aufguss for the day. When you see one that you would like to try, go to the appropriate sauna a few minutes before the aufguss is scheduled to start and take a seat. On busy days, you may need to be in the sauna 15 minutes before, as they fill up quickly. Consider the temperature of the sauna when you do this, because if you thought it was hot normally, it will seem much hotter during the aufguss.
 When the appointed time arrives, the Aufgiesser arrives. He or she works for the facility. The aufguss begins with the hanging of a sign on the door: “Aufguss  in progress: Please do not enter.” If the sign is up and you go in anyway, you will raise the ire of all the others in the sauna. However, if you are inside and the heat becomes too much for you, it is (grudginly) tolerated if you leave quickly.
The aufguss begins with the door being propped open, and the Aufgiesser uses his towel as a fan. This does two things: It brings fresh air into the sauna, and it gets the sauna stove firing at full power. When he closes the door, he will introduce himself, and give a short description of how long the aufguss will last, and what to expect.
Now comes the water on the rocks.
Your Aufgiesser will have entered the sauna with some buckets in hand. These can be filled with plain water, but usually will have some essential oils or other fragrances mixed in. Some facilities rate their aufguss experiences. Mild ones have a small amount of water sprinkled on the rocks. Intensive ones will have whole buckets thrown on the rocks at once, sometimes followed by buckets of ice, which vaporizes more slowly and prolongs the aufguss. As the water steams off of the rocks, you will feel the heat of the sauna become more intense as the air becomes more humid.
Now the Aufgiesser earns her pay: She begins by taking her towel and twirling it around over her head to circulate the hottest air throughout the sauna chamber. You will feel a greater sensation of heat after this. Next she will start at one side of the room, and fan a group of people with her towel to wash hot air over them. She will walk around the room and make sure everyone gets a dose of this heat. Sometimes she’ll then work her way back to the starting point.
When it is your turn, sit up straight, and spread your arms slightly away from your body. Close your eyes and exhale as you hear the snap of the towel. Enjoy the wave of heat that rushes over your body. If you feel like the heat will be too much, raise your legs in front of your body, and hide your face behind your knees, letting your legs shield your body core from the extra heat.
When your Aufgiesser is done, give her a round of applause before she leaves, and takes down the sign. Stay in as long as you can, and enjoy the heat. Then cool down, replenish your fluids, and find the next scheduled aufguss.
If you’re looking to find a German style sauna to experience an aufguss, here are a few. Use our Find a Sauna feature to find more.
Brandschenkestrasse 150 Zurich 
Badstrasse 25 Bad Zurzach
Am Leuzebad 2 Stuttgart
Sportpark - Im Gelände 26 Bruneck - Reischach 
Goebelstrasse 75 Lilienthal
888 Sparkling Place Vernon, BC
29, Helgesvej Frederiksberg 
v/ Barónsstíg Reykjavik 
Römer Platz 1 Baden Baden
240 Grindavík
Hermann-Veit-Str. 5 Karlsruhe
Römerplatz 1 Baden Baden
Vana-Kalamaja 9a. Talinn 
Tuibrug 2 LC, Houten 
Thermenallee 4 Erding
 [caption id="attachment_42" align="alignright" width="320" caption="NSFW Video of an Aufguss at Saré Sauna & Beauty in Oldenzaal NL (in Dutch)"][/caption]
When you visit a German sauna, don't forget to plan your time there around their aufguss schedule.
What is an aufguss? Well, simply it's the German translation of the Finnish löyly. Most online translators can't deal with these words. However the forums at LEO.org suggest it is the ritual of sprinking the hot rocks on the sauna stove with water to make steam. Sometimes the water is scented with herbs or other essences. It takes 26 words in english to express what the Germans and Finns can in one!
In the other parts of the world where water is thrown on the rocks, it's a self-service procedure. The sauna at my YMCA has a bucket in the sauna for that purpose. If you want steam, you fill the bucket, and you sprinkle the rocks with water. In Germany, especially at the large saunas, it is a procedure administered only by a trained Aufgiesser.
Most large saunas post their aufguss schedules near the information desk in their saunaland. It shows what times, which saunas, and what special features will be featured in each aufguss for the day. When you see one that you would like to try, go to the appropriate sauna a few minutes before the aufguss is scheduled to start and take a seat. On busy days, you may need to be in the sauna 15 minutes before, as they fill up quickly. Consider the temperature of the sauna when you do this, because if you thought it was hot normally, it will seem much hotter during the aufguss.
When the appointed time arrives, the Aufgiesser arrives. He or she works for the facility. The aufguss begins with the hanging of a sign on the door: "Aufguss in progress: Please do not enter." If the sign is up and you go in anyway, you will raise the ire of all the others in the sauna. However, if you are inside and the heat becomes too much for you, it is (grudginly) tolerated if you leave quickly.
The aufguss begins with the door being propped open, and the Aufgiesser uses his towel as a fan. This does two things: It brings fresh air into the sauna, and it gets the sauna stove firing at full power. When he closes the door, he will introduce himself, and give a short description of how long the aufguss will last, and what to expect.
Now comes the water on the rocks.
Your Aufgiesser will have entered the sauna with some buckets in hand. These can be filled with plain water, but usually will have some essential oils or other fragrances mixed in. Some facilities rate their aufguss experiences. Mild ones have a small amount of water sprinkled on the rocks. Intensive ones will have whole buckets thrown on the rocks at once, sometimes followed by buckets of ice, which vaporizes more slowly and prolongs the aufguss. As the water steams off of the rocks, you will feel the heat of the sauna become more intense as the air becomes more humid.
Now the Aufgiesser earns her pay: She begins by taking her towel and twirling it around over her head to circulate the hottest air throughout the sauna chamber. You will feel a greater sensation of heat after this. Next she will start at one side of the room, and fan a group of people with her towel to wash hot air over them. She will walk around the room and make sure everyone gets a dose of this heat. Sometimes she'll then work her way back to the starting point.
When it is your turn, sit up straight, and spread your arms slightly away from your body. Close your eyes and exhale as you hear the snap of the towel. Enjoy the wave of heat that rushes over your body. If you feel like the heat will be too much, raise your legs in front of your body, and hide your face behind your knees, letting your legs shield your body core from the extra heat.
When your Aufgiesser is done, give her a round of applause before she leaves, and takes down the sign. Stay in as long as you can, and enjoy the heat. Then cool down, replenish your fluids, and find the next scheduled aufguss.
If you're looking to find a German style sauna to experience an aufguss, here are a few. Use our Find a Sauna feature to find more.
[pods name="sauna_baths" order="RAND()" where="style.id=1" template="sauna_list_div"]
4 Comments »
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