A place of cleansing, relaxation, community, and peace - the sauna is a Finnish tradition that is kindling its fire in the Keweenaw. The customs of sauna were brought to the Copper Country by the Finnish immigrants who sought work in the booming copper mining industry. While the mines faded, the Finns and their customs of sauna in the home and community did not. These days, appreciation for local Finnish-American history and wellness are bringing Keweenaw sauna culture to the fore! Jim Kurtti, Honorary Consul for Republic of Finland, speaks on the strength of the Copper Country Sauna Belt.
Copper Country Löyly
Finding Sauna Magic
Many cultures across the globe celebrate wellness traditions centered around sweating in a small room, but the Finns have it honed to perfection. The Finnish sauna in America is traditionally a room or outbuilding made of cedar, with a wood-burning stove topped with round stones. Fires are built and tempered until the stable heat of the fire and embers fill the wood-lined room, ideally reaching temperatures between 160-200 degrees. Sauna acolytes take their place on the benches and splash the hot stones with ladlefuls of clean water, conjuring löyly.
Löyly is both the steam and the spirit of the sauna. This sauna spirit speaks to the connection to self and inner peace when alone, or to community and conversation when saunaing with friends and family. The sauna spirit also lives in the energy of a crackling fire, the kinetic roll of steam as it flows across the room, and the smell and creaks of the wooden benches and walls. To embrace sauna culture, as the Copper Country has—across both Finnish-Americans and all people—is to appreciate not just the sauna's functional uses but its inherent magic.
Takka Portage offers a communal sauna setting, perfect for gathering with your crew!
If you're new to the practice of sauna, or are looking to refine your sauna experience, we've got a few tips on making the sauna work for you:
Sweat, Stretch, Rest, Repeat: Have you spent a long day hiking or mountain biking? Workplace stresses following you on vacation? Head to the sauna to let the heat turn your muscles to taffy. Stretch and mindfully breathe for physical and mental wellness.
Warm Up from Winter's Chill: When winter sweeps over the Keweenaw, there are a thousand and one ways to adventure through the fresh, powdery snowfall! Hours whisking on your cross-country skis, snowshoe hikes, and snowmobile adventures all leave you with rosy cheeks and chilly fingers! Let the sauna bring you back up to temp with lasting core-deep heat. Bonus - bundle back up if you're ready to carry that heat back with you to the trails!
Hydrate and Refuel: The deep sweat from a sauna is a clarifying experience for your body, so make sure you're replenishing frequently during your sauna with cold water. Some enjoy an electrolyte mix during or after, but don't forget to refuel with good food after as well. The Finnish-Americans around here enjoy a coffee and cheese plate with their friends, but a good sit-down at a local restaurant will certainly do!
The Nordic Spa at Mount Bohemia host both traditional Finnish sauna and modern twists, like this Himalayan Salt Sauna!
Want to take your time in the Copper Country to the next level? Seek out Visit Keweenaw lodging partners with a sauna ready and waiting!
Share the Sauna Love
Responsible Recreation and Sauna
Love the Keweenaw, in all the different ways you seek out rest and relaxation in the Copper Country. To Love the Keweenaw means to respect the local businesses and their saunas, your fellow steam-seekers, and the communities surrounding. If cold dips in snowbanks and water sources (like Lake Superior or the Portage Canal) are made available to you, be sure to be mindful of conditions and the surrounding natural landscapes. Leave No Trace and be mindful of your safety and the safety of others while using a sauna.
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