Särkijärven Majat is a small collection of villages in Särkijärvi, unsurprisingly by the lake Särkijärvi :-) We stayed there on our way to the Käsivarsi wilderness high up north.
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August 2023, Särkijärven Majat, Muonio, Finland
Sauna (Normal)
You have to agree that the name is weird, but regardless of that, Hotel Hospitz is a nice boutique hotel in Savonlinna's city center. It is small, just few rooms in two floors. But it has a bookable sauna in the basement, with direct access to the beach in front. Such a nice swim!
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August 2023, Hotelli Hospitz, Savonlinna, Finland
Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Outdoor, Water, Waterbody-Lake, Beach)
How about some iron lung therapy to go with your sauna visit?
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July 2023, Aparthotel Vila Minka, Ljubljana, Slovenia
Sauna (Infrared)
No, HOT is not a new low-cost airline. It is literally the hottest airport lounge anywhere, ever. True statement! Finnair's Platinum lounge at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport sports a sauna. A dark colored, nice proper sauna. Respect!
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July 2023, Helsinki-Vantaa, Vantaa, Finland
Sauna (Normal); Flying
Hotel Borkovac is a nice, small spa hotel with a pool, saunas, etc.
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June 2023, Hotel Borkovac, Ruma, Serbia
Sauna (Normal, Infrared); Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool)
I've lived in and around(*) Espoo for 35 years. And I often go to the swimming halls. How is it then that I've never visited Olari's swimming hall? I think I've heard about it, but had forgotten about its existence until looking for pools that I have not visited in the Helsinki region the other day.
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June 2023, Olarin uimahalli, Olari, Espoo, Finland
Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool, Water); Sauna (Normal)
Another day, another new swimming hall to visit: Hakunilan uimahalli. Not a bad place! Very nice, modern saunas (incl. steam saunas) and many pools: cold plunge, main 25 m metallic pool, therapy pool with two sides, two kiddie pools. Congrats to Hakunila!
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June 2023, Hakunilan uimahalli, Vantaa, Finland
Swimming (Water, Indoor, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal, Steam)
I was looking for a visit in the Tampere swimming halls on the way to my summer cottage. It turned out that just on that day most of the halls closed for the summer. Bummer, I thought, and grudgingly decided to go for the remaining one. Little did I know that the Kalevala swimming hall - or Tampereen Uintikeskus as it is officially called - would be a truly magnificent place. Perhaps one of Finland's greatest swimming halls?
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June 2023, Tampereen uintikeskus, Tampere, Finland
Swimming (Indoor, Outdoor, Waterbody-Pool, Water); Sauna (Normal)
"The sauna is only open until 10pm". But I was coming in later, so I wanted to know if I could use it in any case. They said I could, if I was quiet. However... I couldn't turn the sauna on.
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May 2023, Schloss Dagstuhl, Dagstuhl, Wadern, Germany
Sauna (None)
In Finnish there is an expression "heittää talviturkki" or "throw one's winter fur coat". It means the first time swimming in outdoor waters that year. For me it was as late as mid-May in 2023. Oh, and then there were some needles in my bath whisk...
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May 2023, Arkko summer cottage, Teisko, Finland
Swimming (Water, Outdoor, Waterbody-Lake); Sauna (Normal)
Radisson Blu in Split has a nice spa area.
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April 2023, Radisson Blu Split, Split, Croatia
Sauna (Normal, Steam); Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool)
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March 2023, North Pole, International; Helsinki-Vantaa, Vantaa, Finland
Flying; Sauna (Normal)
I had an idea to for once visit a swimming pool somewhere yesterday. Pre-pandemic, I might have gone swimming several times a week. The pandemic interrupted that, but even after the pandemic issues are mostly gone, I don't find myself going too often. I've only been to Finnish swimming pools couple of times a year recently. Maybe being too busy, or trying to use the time for walking. Anyway, missing a lot. But what a nice treat the visit to the Matinkylä swimming pools were!
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January 2023, Matinkylän uimahalli, Espoo, Finland
Swimming (Water, Indoor, Waterbody-Pool); Sauna (Normal)
My train trip through Europe also involved one boat ride, from Turku to Stockholm. A day boat... arriving just in time in Stockholm for the night train. But, more importantly, the boat had three nice things going for it: (1) a cabin included in the ridiculously low 30€ price, nice for conference calls and naps, (2) decent restaurants to eat at, and (3) a spa with several saunas and pools, all with views of the archipelago as we were sailing towards Marienhamn.
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November 2022, Maarianhaminan satama, Maarianhamina, Finland
Sauna (Normal, Steam); Swimming (Indoor, Waterbody-Pool)
Only in Finland, and only in Helsinki, and only with Finnair. Nowhere else can you enjoy a lounge sauna and a reindeer burger in the airline lounge. Not too shitty. But then I had to squeeze myself into a small metal tube for travel.
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July 2022, Helsinki-Vantaa, Vantaa, Finland
Flying; Travel; Sauna (Normal)
A fun day, starting with emergency skiing 🎿 the quickly disappearing snow on my local hill at 6am, continued with sailing ⛵️to Suomenlinna on Markus’ boat - thanks! From then on the company picnic day was just starting 🙂 Lot more fun followed, e.g., a sauna 🧖♂️ and swim 🏊♂️ in the Suomenlinna boat harbor.
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(TGR version)
June 2022, Kauniainen ski hill, Kauniainen, Finland; Suomenlinnan vierasvenesatama, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland; Cafe Bar Valimo, Suomenlinna, Helsinki, Finland
Skiing (Outdoor, Snow, Lifts); Sailing; Sauna (Normal); Swimming (Water, Outdoor, Waterbody-Sea)