I’m in the eastern reaches of Finland, in the Lakeland region that includes scenic Lake Saimaa, which has 14,000 islands and more shoreline than all of France. As the sun sinks slowly into the ...

“How does that feel?” asks Siiri, as the spikes of the juniper branches relieve the itch on my back and the spicy scent surrounds my body. “Peaceful,” I respond, so relaxed that one-word answers are ...

This trip was not one of those. It could never be. What do you expect from a country with more saunas than cars? The sauna I experienced was in the middle of the Finnish forest. Imagine breathing in ...

There’s a word in Finnish which evades translation: löyly. It’s commonly used to describe the steam that rises when water is poured onto hot stones in a sauna. But it also signifies spirit or life ...

BORLÄNGE, Sweden — Deep underground in a disused iron mine and under the bluish glow of a flashlight, a small crowd emerges from a sauna, steam rising off their bodies as they plunge into a crystal ...

Finland is the kind of place that feels like it shouldn’t be real — lakes outnumber people, the air smells like peace and quiet, and sauna is considered a nudist national sport. Oh, and it just so ...

It is so hot that my lungs feel like burst bubblegum. A stranger is whipping my naked back with a branch. I am 12. It is so humid that my nostrils burn like mustard. Two humming wizards are whacking ...

“Simply relax on wooden benches to absorb the healing qualities of heat with varying amounts of steam – known as löyly – that ...

Finland, known as the happiest country in the world, has a secret that the rest of the globe has neglected to discover and eagerly pursue. It's a staple of Finnish culture — a way of being — and it's ...

If you get too hot n this sauna, you can rest assured you're never too far from a cooling dip. A group of friends in Finland have come up with an ingenious floating sauna, complete with relaxing ...

Also wife carrying, naked racing and other unusual competitions enthusiastically, if comically, hosted by the Finns. What do throwing electronics, sweating profusely and carrying a woman all have in ...