Discover Kuusijärvi’s new smoke saunas

In future, Kuusijärvi’s smoke saunas will be able to seat more than twice as many customers at a time: the new, larger smoke sauna has room for 27 people, while the smaller, accessible smoke sauna can serve 17 visitors.

The accessible facilities are also wheelchair-friendly.

Harri Lehtola from Vantti, who heats the new saunas, welcomes customers to enjoy the moist and warm steam.

– The new sauna paradise is located along the beach walkway, behind the old smoke saunas. The complex also includes a new and comfortable washhouse, Lehtola describes.

Praise for the ramps in test – development of the area continues

Raija Väistö and Antti Kossila, an active smoke sauna enthusiast, also take a peek at the new facilities. The video tour of the new facilities was filmed with them in early August, when the saunas were still cold.

Väistö tested how accessible the facilities are for wheelchair users.

– It seems to work, at least with relatively good manual dexterity. Mobility has been taken into account quite well, there is space and beautiful scenery, Väistö says.

– You can get along the ramp easily, and the handrails are easy to grip, she continues.

According to Väistö, a personal assistant is currently needed to move from the parking lot to the smoke saunas. The existing route will be made accessible in 2026 at the same time as an accessible swimming pier is built at Kuusijärvi.

The accessible smoke sauna is located next to the accessible washroom. There are two wheelchair spaces in the corner of the accessible smoke sauna.

Väistö thinks she will try out the new smoke sauna when the saunas are opened to the public.

– I think I’ll try it out when the saunas are properly heated. It’s worth testing.

Veteran bather: “Fine and functional facilities”

Antti Kossila, a member of the Saunamafia sauna club, stops during the tour to admire the lake view from the porch of the larger smoke sauna.

– The view is so beautiful, he smiles.

Overall, he is pleased with the development of the Kuusijärvi sauna complex and the additional facilities for smoke saunas.

– Great and functional facilities, sauna ambassador Kossila sums up the whole tour.

While getting to know the saunas, he pays attention to the smoke vents of the smoke saunas. They are called lakeinen and räppänä in Finnish.

– It looked good, as there are sufficiently large hatches for the smoke to escape during the heating of the smoke sauna. This prevents the saunas from overheating.

“Now there is enough shower space”

In addition to the saunas, Kossila is delighted with the new wash building, which multiplies the number of shower facilities in the smoke saunas.

– In the old large smoke sauna, there is only one shower on both the men’s and women’s sides, but now there is enough shower space.

– There will certainly be plenty of visitors here. I will definitely be coming myself. After a smoke sauna, you feel really relaxed, and Kuusijärvi is the jewel of the capital region, Kossila continues.

The new smoke saunas are expected to increase the number of smoke sauna visitors to Kuusijärvi by 50,000 per year. Last year, there were 60,000 smoke sauna visitors, even though the saunas were closed in November 2024 due to renovation and construction work.

The new saunas will open to the public on August 28

The new washhouse at Kuusijärvi has separate changing rooms and shower facilities for women and men. There are seven showers and three toilets on each side, one of which is accessible on each side.

There are 36 lockers on each side. The lockers can be locked with a numerical code.

The washhouse and smoke saunas have green roofs, which help to cool the rooms in summer and retain heat in winter. At the same time, the green roofs bind harmful particles from the air.

The exterior cladding of the new wooden buildings has been treated with a charring technique that protects the wood and gives it a dark color.

The opening of the new smoke saunas will be celebrated on August 27, and the fastest advance bookers got a spot for the free opening sauna session. The saunas will be open for customers to use freely on August 28, after which they will be open daily from 14.00 to 20.30.

Sauna wristbands can be purchased on site at the café.

Kuusijärvi already has three smoke saunas. The old smoke saunas have a total of about 30 seats, but one of the small old smoke saunas is currently out of use due to a fire in June.

How to throw water on the stones in the new smoke saunas

The new smoke saunas have different stoves than the old ones. The new stoves have doors, and water is poured gently into the stove through the door.

Watch the video to see how to throw water on the stones in the new smoke saunas at Kuusijärvi. Change the subtitle language to English in the video settings.