In the UK you wear swimwear in hotel and leisure club saunas. In Germany and Austria, hotel saunas are usually textile-free, and in the Netherlands many wellness areas are too. In Finland, public saunas are often split by gender and usually textile-free. Always sit on a towel, and check the house rules at your hotel.
Country by country
| Country | What to expect |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | In most UK hotel and leisure club saunas you wear swimwear. Private saunas in holiday lets are up to you. |
| Germany and Austria | Hotel saunas in Germany and Austria are usually textile-free. You sit on a towel, and swimwear is often not allowed. Check the house rules at your hotel. |
| Netherlands | Many Dutch wellness areas are textile-free, but hotel saunas vary. Check the house rules before you go. |
| Finland | In Finland the sauna is part of everyday life. Public saunas are often split by gender and usually textile-free; hotel saunas vary, so check the house rules. |
Towels and quiet
Wherever you are, sit or lie on a towel that covers the whole bench under you. Talk quietly or not at all. Leave phones outside: they overheat, and cameras are not welcome in textile-free areas.
Aufguss sessions
An aufguss is a guided sauna session where a sauna master pours water, often scented, onto the stones and wafts the heat around with a towel. Sessions run to a timetable. Arrive before it starts and stay until the end if you can; leaving halfway lets the heat out for everyone.
If you are unsure
Watch what regulars do, read the sign at the entrance and ask at reception. In textile-free saunas, a robe for walking between rooms is normal. We are adding hotels in Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris and Dublin as we check their saunas.