The German Sauna Survival Guide

Germans take their relaxation seriously, and the sauna is an important part of their culture. The sauna is more than sitting in the heat for 15 minutes and calling it a day; it’s an event that can take hours.

I confess I’m a total convert to the German sauna experience. I wish travelers would put this at the top of their list when visiting Germany, because I think it’s a way to gain insight into Germany’s culture as well as one’s own. If you open yourself to the experience, you may just find you learn about your own relationship to your body and what your culture says about your body. Plus, it’s a refreshing way to kick the jet lag after a long flight.

I have received so many reactions, questions, and stories about the German saunas from friends, family, or Americans I meet. Some whisper and giggle, “everyone is…naked, right?” Or maybe they want to try it, but just don’t know how it’s done and what the rules are. Some relate negative experiences because maybe they didn’t know the etiquette or the expectations. I thought I would provide some tips and cultural notes to help you navigate through this very German experience.

Nudity in the sauna?

First, let’s just clear the air and talk about nudity. Germans prefer to be nude in the sauna. For them, it’s no big deal. It’s just a body. German culture as a whole has no problem with nudity. Nudity in the sauna is not about sex, but about relaxing and health. If you enter a normal, typical sauna, you will see there is not much about it that is sexy. You will find people just minding their own business and relaxing. The only one who will be staring is you.

There are all body types and ages in the sauna – young, old, and all shapes and sizes. There are just normal people.

Many saunas are mixed, which means men and women are nude together. For women who may be uncomfortable with this, there are often days or designated hours for women only, or there may be a private area/sauna cabin for women only (damensauna).

Now here’s a rule that may cause misunderstanding for non-Germans: most saunas require that everyone be nude. This means no swimsuits. The German word for this is Texteilfrei. That said, it is common practice to walk around the building in a bathrobe and to disrobe when entering one of the saunas (more on this later). But why is nudity a requirement?

One reason is out of fairness. After all, if there is going to be nudity, then everyone must be nude. It discourages people from just coming to have a look. You will attract far more attention wearing a bathing suit or towel than if you are nude, and you will likely be told by the saunameister in no uncertain terms that your bathing suit is verboten.

Another reason is that Germans believe it’s healthy to not block the skin. The idea is to allow the toxins to release and sweat from your body. Clothes or towels block the toxins, trap bacteria, and make you overheat.

Lastly, it is considered very impolite to outright stare. I know this is hard, especially at first. Observe the locals for how they glance or place their eyes.

How much does it cost, and who goes?

The sauna is for everyone to enjoy, and is priced accordingly and reasonably. Typically, saunas sell blocks of time such as two hours, four hours, or a day pass. A typical price at a normal (not fancy) sauna can be around 10-12 Euros for two hours, 15-17 Euros for four hours, and 18-20 Euros for a day pass. The price may be more or less than this, depending on the individual sauna.

Germans will go to the sauna with spouses/partners, family members, friends, and even work colleagues. Sometimes children will be present, but it seems many Germans frown upon this because they want to relax. Many saunas have an age limit of 16 years old. Saunas are where Germans can find common ground and everyone is on the same level. Without clothes on, you can’t tell who’s rich or poor or even guess at one’s profession.

What to bring

Bring a bag with you and pack it with:

• Soap and shampoo
• Waterproof shower sandals
• Two towels – These should also be available to rent, plus a refundable deposit. Use one towel for drying off and one to keep dry and sit on while in the sauna.
• Robe – This should also be available to rent, plus a refundable deposit.
• Bottle of water

How to start

When you pay, most saunas should give you a waterproof watchband with a locker number, a locker key, and an electronic disc thing where the “watch” normally is for entering and exiting the sauna area. Place the disc to the reader to enter and exit through the turnstiles.

Depending on the sauna, there may be a common changing room where both sexes change, or there may be separate changing rooms for women (Damen) and men (Herren). There may be private changing cabins. Change into your robe and sandals, and lock your stuff in your locker.

Next, take a shower to clean yourself (both before and after the sauna). This is pretty much a requirement, and if someone notices that you haven’t, you may get a stern reproach.

What is the sauna like?

Saunas are typically inside a building that has individual, wooden sauna cabins. There should be rows of lounge chairs, and in the middle there may be a warm water pool. The sauna cabins may have relaxing music and ambient lights that change color.

The sauna is a process that can take hours, but just have fun with it and do what you like. The idea is to start with lower heats and work your way up to hotter heats, with periods of cooling down in between. We personally don’t follow a regimented plan; we just go into the saunas we feel like.

There are typically a variety of dry saunas and steam saunas. For additional fees, you can get massages, and there may also be special steam rooms where you and your partner can lather each other in honey and salt, or mud. They charge these to your watchband and you pay for these at the end of the day when you turn it in.

Other than that, relax on lounge chairs, read, snack at the snack bar, and nap in the quiet room. Have fun with it; it’s your day!

In the sauna

It’s typical for most people to walk around in their robes and shower shoes and then disrobe outside the individual sauna cabins. Outside the sauna door, hang your robe on a hook and take off your sandals. Sandals or shoes are not allowed inside the sauna because it’s bad for the wood.

Enter the sauna quickly and don’t keep the door open for long. Spread your towel on the bench. It’s important to not touch your skin to the wood when you are sitting, because your skin oils are bad for the wood. So if you are sitting, sit on the top part of the towel and keep your feet on the bottom part of the towel on the bench below you. In the steam saunas, you don’t take your towel inside. You either sit on mats or you wash off the tile benches before and after with a hose.

Most people sit inside for about 15-20 minutes. When you are about as hot and sweaty as you can handle, it’s time to cool down. There are various methods for this torture:

• Cold showers
• Hoses with cold water (start at your feet and hands and work your way into your body)
• A cold outdoor swimming pool to jump into
• Ice to rub onto your body
• A cold room that you walk into
• A bucket with a rope that you pull so you can get it all over with at once

Choose your method and scream out all you want! I hate the cooling down part, but after it’s over I feel refreshed and I never get headaches in the sauna. Then, chill out in the warm water pool, relax, and repeat!

Aufguss

Ah, the aufguss, or infusion. The aufguss means that special scented oils are used in the saunas. This seems to be the Holy Grail for the German sauna experience, but one I’m personally not convinced about. The saunameister will likely have a board with sauna locations, times, and aroma descriptions for the scheduled infusions (even relaxation is scheduled in Germany!). At the scheduled time, the saunameister may ring a bong and then you can witness the stampeding Germans as they rush to the designated sauna. When everyone is crammed in, the saunameister pours buckets of scented water over the coals and waves a towel to distribute the heat. People may applaud…and then start sweating.

If you wish to avoid the scorn of the aufgussing Germans, whatever you do, don’t enter a sauna when an aufguss is in progress (there is a sign at the door), and if you are in the sauna, don’t leave too soon, unless absolutely necessary. Make sure you can take the heat!

Just…relax

Above all, have fun with it, and relax! Your skin will feel great afterwards and you’ll feel refreshed and renewed.