Why Choose Our UNESCO Sauna Tradition?

Discover the Sacred Sauna Tradition!
Did you know the Finnish sauna culture has been recognized as UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage? At Kukkolaforsen you can immerse yourself in this ancient tradition amidst nature’s embrace. In Kukkolaforsen “Traditionally, the sauna has been considered as a sacred space – a “church of nature”. At the heart of the experience lies löyly, the spirit or steam released by casting water onto a stack of heated stones,” as the UN body said in a statement.

Our sauna world is now better than ever! Book an unforgettable sauna evening or combine a meeting with a relaxing sauna session.

At Kukkolaforsen, you can enjoy several different types of saunas in a natural environment.

Here you can see a video of heating the smoke sauna and then enjoying it.

VIP sauna
The relaxation room has a cosy fireplace and comfortable armchairs for you to sit and relax in between and after experiencing the sauna. The sauna itself is a dry pine sauna with an 18 kWh electric heater. The sauna room is an octagonal sauna with Russian dry pine on the walls. On the terrace, there are two wood-fired stainless steel baths. From the footbridge leading down to the river, you can take a dip in the lovely waters of Kukkolaforsen.

RÖK-bastu – Sweden’s largest smoke sauna
The smoke sauna, or “savusauna” as it is called in Finland, is one of the oldest forms of sauna. It has no chimney, which means that the smoke from the fire fills the room during heating. Once the desired temperature is reached, the smoke is vented, leaving behind a mild and aromatic atmosphere. This method provides a softer and more enveloping heat compared to traditional saunas.  In the large smoke sauna we have 5000kg of stone and we fire with aspen wood.

BYA Village sauna
In this hand-built log sauna, there is enough space for about 60 people to experience the soft sauna vapours at the same time. It is a wood-fired oven and it is the largest oven in Sweden and has over 2300kg of stone to store the heat of the fire. The experience of the steam is special because the volume of the sauna room causes the air to fill with oxygen mixed with sauna steam. Outside, on the terrace, there is a cosy wood-fired bath with room for 10 people and the whole facility has a view of Kukkolaforsen.

Wood-fired baths (Hot-tub)
Wood-fired hot tubs where you can experience total relaxation under the open sky and with the sound of the rapids in the background. Our baths can accommodate 10-12 people and are heated to about 40°C. We use fresh clean water for each bath. We have several baths and they are made of both wood and stainless steel.

Svantes Smoke sauna
This is the very origin of the sauna, but unlike today’s modern saunas, the smoke sauna has no chimney on the inside. Instead, there is an extra large amount of stones in the oven that accumulate the heat from the fire. As there is no chimney, the smoke fills the room when the sauna is fired, leaving a smell of smoke in the room and small particles in the air. All the smoke is vented out before the sauna and the fire is extinguished, but the energy is still stored in the stones. The steam in a smoke sauna is rounder and softer than in a normal wood-fired sauna. The smoke sauna is often called the Rolls-Royce of saunas. In our large smoke sauna, we have 800 kg of stones and we fire with aspen wood.

Pirtis greenhouse sauna
Pirtis comes from Latvia and offers a mild brew. In Latvia, Pirtis offers Aufguss and wellness treatments while you are on deck. At the Kukkola rapids, you can throw water or just relax by watching the amazing rapids in the mild heat. Pirtis is recommended as an additional sauna.

Virpilä family sauna
The name of this traditional sauna comes from the nearby village of Virpilä. The large wood stove offers a traditional sauna experience. Recommended for a group of about 10 people who want to book a wood headed sauna.

Relaxation area
All our facilities have a relaxation room adjacent to the sauna bath. Between baths, you can relax with cold drinks and savoury snacks and you can also enjoy our special sauna buffets. The sauna is suitable for 1 – 200 people, for conferences and private groups. The sauna fee includes towels, light drinks, cleaning, and access to the relaxation area.