Smoke Sauna – here we come!

by guest bloggers Moe and Nick Savage

Sunday began later than the other days, with the group gathering in the hotel lobby at about 1pm. We boarded our bus and were brought to an area just outside town known as “Kangas” where there is an old paper mill. The mill has been closed since 2010, after 126 years of operation. The area is now owned by the city of Jyväskylä. This area is part of a large urban development project that seeks to merge some residential areas with some commercial areas to create a cityscape of the future. We heard a presentation that detailed the impressive ideological and technological plans for the project.

Subsequently, we were given a small walking tour around the outside of the old paper mill building. There was lots of street art and graffiti covering the exterior, which made for some great photos.

After that, we returned to the hotel for a brief rest before departing for the smoke sauna. The bus ride to the smoke sauna took us through some winding country roads and we arrived at a cluster of buildings near a lake. There was a cabin right next to the lake that housed the sauna and outdoor hot tub, and another cabin father from the lake that had a cozy fire and room to relax. The girls of the group went to the sauna first, while the guys enjoyed hanging out in the further building. Once they had their fill, it was time to switch, and the guys took to the sauna. The sauna was very hot, and smelled intensely like smoke. It was dark and tiered, with the highest levels being the hottest seats. The walls and ceiling were all charred black, and there was a pile of rocks in the corner. The rocks we’re heated, so pouring water onto them made the sauna steam up and made the air incredibly hot.

After remaining in the sauna for about ten minutes, we ran into the nearby lake, which was extremely cold and extremely refreshing. This cycle continued over the next 2 hours, and we all had a great time bonding over the amazing Finnish tradition. After everyone had enough sauna, we all trekked up to the main building even further from the lake where a delicious feast awaited us.

There were dozens of different dishes, and we were all absolutely amazed at the variety of food laid out on the buffet table. There were plenty of fish, potato-based dishes, meats, and various traditional Finnish foods. We all ate until we were stuffed, and then dessert was brought out and we enjoyed even more delicious food. Once we were all positively full, we made our way back to the hotel to get ready for the busy week ahead of university and mill visits.