Ein deutsches Sauna-Erlebnis (A German Sauna Experience)

I’m just back from a week spent in Bonn, Germany, and the highlight of the trip (outside of some very productive meetings) was sauna. The Marriott hotel I stayed at had a wellness area in the lower level that included multiple different saunas, a cold plunge, various showers and a relaxation area. There was also a pool, gym and cardio room with the usual machines for maintaining fitness routines.

I took advantage of the sauna most nights while I was there. It was my first experience with sauna in Germany and I have to say, the Germans do sauna right.

The Right Stuff

First up, the finnische sauna (Finnish sauna) was hot—90-95ºC—which is exactly what I’m looking for. There was a bio-sauna (cooler) and also an infrarot sauna (infrared) and dampfbad (steambath), but those aren’t my preference. That seemed to be a preference I shared with most of the people who were using the wellness area—almost everyone chose the finnische sauna.

Next, the kaltbad (cold bath) was quite cold. Not freezing like the one at Element Outdoor Sauna in Toronto, but cold enough to provide a more than adequate contrast between hot and cold. There were also a variety of showers and even a cold water bucket for those that preferred something other than immersion.

The relaxation area in the middle offered large lounge sofa-style seats and an electric fireplace to provide some visual interest while I sat between the sauna and cold plunges/showers.

A modern, spacious wellness and relaxation area at the Visiolife in Bonn, Germany. The room features neutral beige tones, soft recessed lighting, and a large, curved grey sectional sofa in the centre. In the background, there is a long vanity with multiple sinks and a horizontal piece of artwork on the wall. The space is finished with light-coloured stone flooring and includes a fireplace on the left and a staircase leading to another section on the right.

The relaxation area.

A modern Finnish sauna interior with light-coloured wooden tiered seating arranged in an L-shape. The walls feature a unique design of smooth white plaster interspersed with rough, natural stone sections that appear to break through the surface. Recessed lighting in the wooden slatted ceiling creates a warm, inviting glow, casting soft shadows across the benches.

The finnische sauna which was never empty and not nearly as bright as this.

Textilfrei

German saunas are strictly textilfrei (textile-free). This means no bathing suits is not just the custom, but the rule. Wearing a swimsuit is actually considered quite unhygienic because synthetic materials can off-gas in high heat, and trapped sweat against the skin is regarded as unclean.

While nudity is mandatory inside the saunas and steam rooms, most everyone wears a towel or a bathrobe and also most have flip-flops or sandals while going between rooms or lounging in the relaxation area. You will for sure see naked people and also be seen naked by everyone else in a German sauna, but it’s a level playing field. It very quickly becomes completely normal because it is.

One very important thing to know is that skin should never touch the wood of the sauna benches. That means everyone brings a large enough towel to sit or lie on so that every part of the body—including feet—is on the towel. This is a primary rule of etiquette; if you are sitting on the top tier of the sauna, for example, you drape your towel so your butt and your feet are never in direct contact with the wood. If you lean back, you’d drape your towel behind your back too.

Contrast Therapy

Generally the process is to have a quick shower before entering the sauna. When entering, it’s customary to say hallo as you enter. Most everyone already in the sauna will say hallo back. If there’s no space, then you wait outside or try one of the other sauna types. Otherwise, you find a spot, drape your towel and take a seat. Some people lounge, but most will just sit. The higher the tier, the hotter it is.

After about 15-20 minutes, you leave the sauna to go do the cooling sequence. Sometimes people will say tschüss when leaving the sauna which is something like cheers in English.

After leaving the very hot sauna, you first get a little fresh air and then you use a cold hose, cold plunge, shower or a bucket full of cold water to shock your system. This temperature contrast is what provides the health benefits, boosting circulation and the immune system.

German saunas are almost entirely quiet places. The saunas themselves and the relaxation rooms are strictly silent. It’s a time to meditate and unplug. You won’t see anyone on their phones since those are strictly prohibited and left behind in a locker in the changing rooms.

Once you’ve “enjoyed” a cold plunge or cold shower, it’s nice to sit for about 10-15 minutes to just relax and let your heart rate come down. You’ll know when it’s time to do it all over again, starting in the sauna and repeating the process once or twice more.

What About Co-Workers?

Given that I was there on a business trip and 20 of my work colleagues were staying at the same hotel, there was always the potential that one of them might have decided to enjoy some sauna at the same time as me. Was I afraid that I’d come face-to-face (and more) with someone I worked with?

In this context, it wasn’t a concern for me at all. It is understood that this is the local custom, and I assumed any of my colleagues who came down to the sauna would be just as comfortable with the environment as I was. When everyone follows the same cultural etiquette, the potential for social discomfort seems to evaporate.

Back Home in T.O.

Now that I’m back in Toronto, it’s back to life mostly without sauna. I will definitely make a point of getting to Element more regularly and one of the nice things is that it is private and so you can go textile-free if you choose. Other than that, I guess I’ll have to wait for my next trip to Europe to enjoy more sauna like I was able to experience this week.