So, I take the plunge, submerging myself into the 34-degree water long enough to feel the full-body electric tingle before hurrying back to the warm embrace of Sisu + Löyly Nordic Sauna (its Finnish name translates to “Grit +Steam”). With a red exterior and a dramatic perch on a jagged rock ledge above the lake, this experience makes me feel like I’ve been transported to a spa on the Baltic Sea.

Sisu and Löyly facilitates winter sauna excursions in downtown Grand Marais year-round and in Lutsen from November through April. Option A: Book a signature sauna sesh for you and your friends in Grand Marais, or join the community sauna on a Wednesday night. Option B: Hang at North Shore Winery and groove to live music while sipping locally produced vino, then bop over to the mobile sauna with up to five pals and rotate between the chill-out tent, bonfire, and super-steamy sauna. Grand Marais, Lutsen, sisuandloyly.com

In Minnesota, winter isn’t just a season—it’s a lifestyle. The Land of 10,000 Lakes is famed for its lakeside recreation; winter is no exception. Warming up in a sauna after hiking through the snowy woods or skating on a frozen lake is an invigorating and truly Minnesotan experience.

Named for the Finnish words for the uniquely Scandinavian toughness and the spirit released from the steam, Sisu+ Löyly is set on the shores of Lake Superior in Grand Marais, in the far northeast of the state. Visitors can watch the water from inside the saunas or relax outside by the bonfire.

“I’ve been thinking about the concept of a floating sauna since launching the flagship Sisu + Löyly sauna on the East Bay of Grand Marais in 2021,” said Katie Usem. “While saunas and floating saunas are very popular in Scandinavia - there are no public ones in the United States. I wanted to change that.” 

GRAND MARAIS, Minn. — Waves crashed against Lake Superior's rocky, snow-covered shoreline. Just a few feet away, we sweated in a sauna, watching the frigid winter scene from a large picture window.

"It's magical," my mom said. "You basically are sitting right on the lake."