If you want to take the initiative yourself, almost all hotels have good saunas, though mostly heated by electricity. I once took three American journalists to a sauna in a big hotel. In the middle of a good l yly, the door swung open and a large old Finnish woman entered the room. I had forgotten to tell them about the washing-lady. This article was first published in the Financial Times.
H ave a shower before entering the hot room.
P lace a small towel on the bench to sit on, both for hygienic reasons and because the bench may feel rather hot. T he temperature in the hot room is a matter of preference but the Finnish Sauna Society recommends from 80 to 100 degrees Celsius. Some people, however, are quite happy in 70 degree heat. What is universally agreed by responsible sauna bathers is that competing to see who can stand the most heat is both silly and unhealthy. I ncrease the humidity by throwing water on the stones and after a few minutes of perspiring refresh yourself in the shower or with other clean water.