As dreary weather sets in, the Chicago Tribune heads to Minnesota to experience its Nordic sauna culture

Excerpt from the Chicago Tribune Travel As dreary weather sets in, head to Minnesota to experience its Nordic sauna culture by Caroline Eubanks which was originally published on November 6, 2024

Sisu + Löyly Nordic Sauna | View out of the sauna of Artist Point on the Easy Bay of Grand Marais, MN on Lake Superior

“Long before saunas became an essential part of those hotel gyms, fitness clubs and day spas, the original versions in Minnesota were built by the thousands of Scandinavian people who settled there in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The wooden structures were erected on farmland and became a part of the community, a gathering place for socializing and a connection to the culture and traditions of the homeland.

Many farmers established saunas as part of their property and the facilities are also part of Finnish mythology. They were included in rituals such as a pre-marriage cleansing of the bride and groom and a part of childbirth. Their health benefits have long been touted. Sauna users would be slapped with birch branches to exfoliate the skin and increase respiratory and cardiovascular functions.”