Oslo has become the Floating Sauna capital of the world!
Floating sauna use in Oslo has been steadily increasing over the past 5 years. All around the central city waterfront, floating saunas have been popping up left, right and centre. Our saunas have even been written about in the New York Times! – it looks like Oslo is quickly becoming known as the “floating sauna capital of the world!”
The districts you can find floating saunas in Oslo: Tjuvholmen, Aker Brygge, Bjørvika, Kongen Marina, Lysaker, and OsloBukta. This means, whenever you are, you are not far from a steamy and refreshing sauna experience. A big reason sauna life is so popular in Oslo, is because the winters are cold and dark like you can’t imagine. This can be pretty depressing, and getting into a hot sauna can sometimes be the only solution. The combination of socialising with happy sauna people, and then freezing your troubles away in the ice-cold waters of Oslo Fjord, is really the only thing saving you from insanity. And is probably better than any anti-depressant pill on the market!
Sauna use and ice bathing are linked to many health benefits
The health benefits of hot and cold are profound and the science is finally catching up to why this ancient human practice is so good for you. As they say in Finland “if you can’t kill it with vodka and sauna, you’re fucked”. Well, thankfully modern medicine has improved somewhat since this saying was first coined, but you get the point!
If you are interested in learning about the health benefits of sauna use, I’ll throw out a few keywords to look into: heat shock proteins, cold shock proteins, thermogenesis, hormesis and brown fat – now put Google to work! The science is compelling and comprehensive but I can’t do it justice, so instead I’ll eave links to some the leading figures in the field, and some links to studies. Fun fact, they found out that if you use the sauna 4 times per week you have 50% reduction in all cause mortality. Yes, that is a 50% reduction in dying from all causes – apart from an asteroid strike of course!
- Siimland (Famous Estonian writer and sauna enthusiast)
- Dr Rhonda Patrick (health and longevity scientist)
- Study Harvard (based on the 10 year sauna study out of Finland)
- David Sinclair (Longevity scientist based out of Harvard)
- Andrew Huberman (world renowned neuroscientist and science communicator)
- Wim Hof (awesome Dutch guy breaking world records and inspiring millions!)
The best saunas in Oslo – in a very biased Goats opinion
It seems that people like to use the sauna in different ways than others. For some it is about having a quick sauna early in the morning before work. Others like to relax and spend a few hours after work with there friend – maybe drinking a few cold beers. Companies like to book the saunas out for team building and / or kickoff events. Bachelor party and birthday groups book the sauna for a jolly good time, partying and celebrating life – but remember, 3 drinks max team!
The point is is that sauna life is for everyone and all walks of life. It is a way to meet new people in a friendly and relaxed environment and take a quick break from fast-paced modern city life. Not to mention detoxing from the modern day pollutants – yes, sauna is one of the only way you can detox certain heavy metals and environmental toxins.
Moving on, here are our two favourite saunas on Oslo Fjord because together they offer the real drop in sauna (no booking required), private bookings for events, are very central, and are open 7 days a week!
Mad Goats Sauna in Tjuvholmen
Mad Goats Sauna in Tjuvholmen is a beautiful wooden sauna designed in the a Nordic minimalist style. It has a huge glass window pointing out onto Oslo Fjord and a massive sauna oven that makes sure sauna is hot – nothing worse than cold sauna! Mad Goats Sauna offers both private and public sauna sessions. They also offer a 25% discount to Fjord CleanUP members and students! Get goaty and catch you in the sauna soon! Mad Goats also known for it’s famous Akerselva kayak tour, Oslo Fjord kayak tours and våttkort kayaking courses. More info here.
You can follow Mad Goats here for fun sauna and ice bathing content on Oslo Fjord.
Oslo Fjord Sauna in Bjørvika
Oslo Fjord Sauna is run by the incredible environmental organisation the Fjord CleanUP. Fjord CleanUP is known to clean rubbish out of Oslo Fjord all year around, even in the depths of winterThey also work towards restoration the Oslo Fjord to life with sugar kelp (seaweed) and placing artificial reefs for marine life to find sanctuary. By using Oslo Fjord Sauna you are supporting the Fjord cleanUP in their mission to clean the entire Inner Oslo Fjord. After all, as a sauna user and ice bathing you generally prefer to swim in clean water, it is a win win! If you want to support Fjord CleanUPs work you can become a member and help them clean. Alternatively, you can become a sponsor and /or bring your team out on a cleaning activity.
What does Oslo Fjord Sauna offer?
Oslo Fjord Sauna does not offer private sessions, as they are all about creating community and having a place people can socialise and meet new people. They offer the real drop in, meaning you do not have to pre-book your spot. You just turn up and pay when you are there. Oslo Fjord Sauna is also self service, so there is no staff member there. Once you pay you will get the access codes to the door and you will be responsible for lighting the fire and keeping the sauna clean. It is a trust based system and it works really well. After all, if you give trust you usually get it back in return! Enjoy your sauna and ice bathing at Oslo Fjord Sauna!
Oslo Fjord Saunas Instagram – follow for fun ice bathing content and back flips into Oslo Fjord.
Hey, so thanks for reading team. I hope you learnt something new and that you are fired up for sauna life on Oslo Fjord. I hope to catch you in the sauna soon! Maeeeeeeehhh!!
Written by Tomas Hansson, CEO and founder of Mad Goats