When I moved to Sweden I was looking forward to going to the sauna regularly. There are several places in Linköping where you can go to the sauna, but somehow I have not been to one since I arrived in August last year. Students who live in dorms can book time slots for saunas in the student areas, but since I live in an apartment, this option is not available to me. Going to the gym would only be an option for me if they had a sauna, and as I haven’t found that here yet, I don’t go to the gym or the sauna. At least until a few weeks ago, when I discovered that there is a beautiful sauna in the woods near Norrköping. You can book three-hour slots online for 150 SEK, and there is room for four to six people. Even with six people, it gets really cosy.
The sauna is called Övre Glottern, after the lake by which it is situated. It is about 62 km from Linköping, but only about 18 km from Norrköping. The easiest way to get there is by car, and it may be the only way. When you arrive, you have to walk about 2 km to the sauna. Just follow the orange hiking trail and the signs to “bastu” (the Swedish word for sauna). On the way, right at the beginning, you have to get some firewood from the fibre boxes and carry it to the sauna. Today we found some firewood at the sauna, but to be on the safe side it is always better to take some with you. Then you have to light the fire yourself in the sauna and let it heat up inside. This can take up to an hour, so it is a good idea to dress warmly and bring some hot drinks and snacks. In the summer (and even in the winter) you can have a barbecue right next to the sauna, which is very nice.
One of the highlights is the opportunity to swim in the lake between sauna sessions. As it is still quite cold at the moment, we had to use a branch to poke a whole into the frozen lake. There is also a robe you can grab for safety. A Finnish friend told us to take woollen socks, a hat and gloves with us and wear them in the water to make it a bit easier. It is also a good idea to bring a pair of slippers for the walk from the sauna to the lake. Unfortunately, as it was our first time today, it took too long to heat up the sauna to actually go into the ice bath. I’m definitely going to go again in the next few weeks. In the middle of our adventure today there was a small snow storm, which made the area even more beautiful. Sitting in the sauna while it is snowing outside is a wonderful experience.
It’s been one of the best experiences I’ve had here in Sweden so far and I hope I’ve been able to give you some useful tips if you want to go on this trip. It is also absolutely worth going to the nature reserve for a real big hike that ends at the sauna.
Have fun and see you soon,
Jule
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