Stylish Spy visits the sauna capital of the World

Public saunas make it easy for everyone to enjoy the experience, with dozens to choose from. We took a 20-minute boat ride from the city harbour to Viikinsaari Island, a picturesque spot on a lake with nature trails and beaches. There’s also a restaurant in an attractive clapboard villa serving lunch and beers – head here for your sauna ticket and towel - as well as a hut for summer ice creams and a kiosk for renting Stand Up Paddleboards. The sauna itself sits in between the male and female changing rooms; these are basic but spacious with pegs for your clothes. Public sauna-ing isn’t a naked affair, so remember your cossie - and your flip-flops for that hot floor. The sauna itself is large with plenty of seating in layers. Not hot enough? Help yourself to the ladle and pour water over the rocks. Too hot? Head through the door to the garden, walk along the wooden plank and jump straight into the cool, clear lake.

We loved: the simplicity of the whole island – this is nature at its best.

One of the central elements of traditional sauna whisking is the use of birch whisks known as ‘vihta’ which whip the dry air around to create a relaxing, cleansing experience. We tried this on the River Kuokkalankoski in Lempäälä with its colourful clapboard houses – some with their own little boats; most with verandas for river views. The sauna itself sits inside a little house which has a kitchen, lounge and shower. Before sauna-ing, we sat outside to watch river life and enjoy a light lunch of rye bread topped with cream cheese, ham and smoked salmon, along with salty crisps and juice. After a shower, the experience began – our sauna whisker asking us to hold the Vihta over our faces as she whipped the air around to create more heat. Too hot at one point, we headed out for a shower before returning for more. Our whisker, Siiri Koski, then took it in turns to use the Vihta on our bodies, slapping it on our backs and moving it across our feet.

We loved: how invigorated and refreshed we felt afterwards.

Kuuma is a Nordic-style restaurant-cum-bar-cum-sauna-cum-social-space on the city waterfront. You’ll find two mixed saunas to the left of the bar – a traditional wood-heated version and a modern smoke sauna. Guests can relax on chairs or wooden swing seats on the deck afterwards or walk down a set of steps straight into the water to cool down. The restaurant itself has a terrace with incredible bridge views, as well as festoon lights and blankets to snuggle under when the sun goes down. There’s also an open fire inside to cosy beside, too. We ordered a glass of wine from the bar and headed out onto the terrace to sip it while watching the sun set over the bridge. For dinner, we tried the highly recommended salmon soup, a rich, creamy dish of white wine, cream and dill topped with a piece of perfectly-cooked salmon. Once chilly, we headed inside to warm up by the fire and munch on succulent burgers stuffed into brioche buns.

We loved: watching sauna goers wander around the restaurant and bar in towels, testament to how relaxed the vibe is.

When designing the bedrooms at Lapland Hotels Arena, space was bagged for a sauna in each of the hotel bathrooms. With 273 rooms in this distinctly Nordic-style hotel – think pale wood panels, huge amounts of fur and reindeer on the menu, even at breakfast – this is no easy feat. Wearing our costumes, we stepped into the bathroom, turned the temperature up, watched the dial rise and stepped into the glass cube. When the temperature dropped, we used the ladle to grab water out of the wooden bucket and pour it over the coals in the corner. If this wasn’t enough, the hotel also has a rooftop terrace and sauna (Laawu) where – after warming up in one of two saunas – hotel guests can relax on wooden swing seats or sofas with huge cushions, order a drink from the central bar and take in the views of Tampere. Chilly? Go for another round or snuggle under a blanket.

We loved: the privacy that having a sauna in your hotel bathroom affords - perfect for couples or shy sauna-goers.

FLOU isn’t just new, it’s floating – a feat of engineering on the waterfront near the Tammerkoski Rapids, with two mixed sauna rooms, stylish changing facilities and a wooden deck with a dipping pool for cooling off afterwards. Once back to body temperature, settle into a beanbag or head up the stairs to the cocktail deck with its central bar and set-up for summer DJ's. The restaurant and bar dominate the ground floor, with floor-to-ceiling glass offering panoramic watery views. This is the only restaurant in Tampere to serve cocktails on draft, too. The menu is perfect for the setting with eggy brunches, crunchy salads and meaty New York sandwiches. Our deconstructed Caesar salad was noteworthy. Sadly, as our visit to Flou was also the day of our departure, we didn’t get to try the sauna here - but we will be back.

We loved: hearing that you can ice-skate on the lake outside during the winter before coming into Flou to sauna and drink mulled wine. Fairy tales aren't just for New York, it seems.