Oslo Badstuforening -Floating Sauna-Oslo, NO
When we were visiting Oslo we visited the floating saunas at Oslo Badstuforening. Saunas and cold plunging are a big part of Scandinavian culture. They swear by the health benefits of it. Floating saunas consist of a sauna floating in a body of water where you can take a dip periodically. There are many floating saunas available of various shapes and sizes floating in the Oslofjord. Oslofjord is akin to a bay in the states. The specific sauna we used Rådhuset. It appeared to be an old blue fishing boat that was converted into a sauna. There is a changing area, a sauna, and an area to swim in the water.
Quality
An individual entry to the public sauna cost about $20. The sauna room at Oslo Badstuforening was very nice, clean and new looking. However, I found the boat was pretty warn and had some rust around the edges. Additionally, you had to walk carefully on the rubber mats that were out because the ship surface was quite slippery. The boat was definitely charming and unique though. Some of the other saunas looked a lot newer and had less slipping hazards, so they would be nicer but less unique.
Service
The attendant was very friendly. He was nice enough to offer extra advice and translate into English for use when we told him we were Americans.
Who Goes Here?
Floating saunas are very popular in Norway. You do not see as many tourists in them in the winter, because the cold water can be a little intimidating. Consequently, you will see a lot of locals there. When we went there were mostly young adults.
What to Bring
Swimwear
1 or 2 Towels
Bottle of Water
Sandals (optional)
How To
Step 1
There is an attendant at the entrance to the pod of saunas at Oslo Badstuforening. You show the attendant your reservation or buy your entry there.
Step 2
You enter the boat on a small staircase that leads into a public changing area. Here you can change clothes and leave any items you brought. You should shower before you come, but there is an outdoor shower available. There is not an area to lock up items, so I wouldn’t recommend bringing valuables with you. Though we did not have any trouble with this and everyone was very nice there. Also, this is a sauna with men and women. We did not reserve the whole sauna, because that is much more expensive. Therefore, there were various other groups of strangers we did not know. If you are worried about any of those factors you can reserve an entire sauna for quite a bit more. You should wear a swim suit into the sauna and sit on a towel. You can also bring a second towel to dry off with after taking a dip.
Step 3
You exit the changing area outside, enter the sauna, and pick a place to sit. I didn’t get any pictures inside the sauna, because I did not want to be rude. However, it looked similar to this image. It was all wood with large windows that overlooked the Oslofjord. The view was very pretty and relaxing. There were several levels of wooden benches. This made it possible to customize your sauna experience. The higher up the bench the hotter because heat rises. Also, the closer to the stove the hotter.
Step 4
Once it is time to begin the attendant will enter and tell you it is time to get started. One of the customers will likely take up the sauna master role and tend to the stones and periodically poor water on the hot stones creating steam. Ours also had some herbs and eucalyptus essential oils to add to the experience. You can bring your own essential oils and ask everyone if it is okay to use them. I would recommend adding them at least half way through the sauna experience, so that they do not become overwhelming.
Step 5
Time to hop in! At your own discretion you can exit the sauna and go outside to take a cold plunge. They recommend every 15 min. There is a double door so that you do not let the heat out. It is important to not have both doors open at any point letting the heat out! You walk around the outside of the sauna to reach the ladder down to the water. We went in in the end of winter so there was still about 3 inches of ice over the fjord. They had an area around the ladder cleared of ice for customers to swim in. You can climb down the ladder or jump in. In the summer I imagine it is a lot less intimidating. It was very cold when we went so you don’t stay in long, but it feels better than you might think after being so hot.
Step 6
Then you continue to alternate between the sauna and the cold water. The whole sauna experience lasts 2 hours. It sounds like a long time, but the time goes quickly.
Step 7
In the last 15 min the attendant will come in and warn you that time is almost up. Then you will wrap up your sauna experience and exit to the changing area. You did it! Change and head out.
Location
Oslo Badstuforening is right downtown in Oslo, Norway. It is in the water near the opera house. There is public transportation nearby but not any convenient parking. I would recommend walking and taking public transportation.
Visiting Norway? Here are several restaurants and activities:
Summary
Oslo Badstuforening was a unique experience. I would recommend trying a floating sauna if you visit Norway. It is a great way to experience Norwegian culture, have some fun, and relax. We visited at the end of winter so it was an intense cold plunge into the fjord. We had a blast though and I would go again.
