A TRUE LAPLAND EXPERIENCE
Traditional Finnish Sauna
Warmth by the water.
All year round.
More Than a Sauna – A Way of Life
Few things feel more Finnish than the warmth of a traditional sauna. At Aava Riverside, our riverside sauna offers a peaceful place to slow down, warm up and enjoy one of Finland's most cherished traditions.
Located beside the Kemijoki River and surrounded by northern nature, the sauna is an experience in every season. In winter, step outside into the crisp Arctic air between the warmth of the sauna. In summer, enjoy the long evenings, the Midnight Sun and the peaceful atmosphere by the water.
Here, there is nowhere to hurry. Take your time, listen to the silence and simply enjoy the moment.
Traditional Finnish Sauna
An authentic Finnish sauna experience by the river.
Riverside Location
Peacefully located beside the Kemijoki River.
All Year Round
A different experience in every season.
Surrounded by Nature
Forest, water and the quiet of Finnish Lapland.
THE SAUNA EXPERIENCE
Relax. Refresh. Reconnect.
The sauna is available exclusively for our staying guests and can be reserved for private use during your stay.
After the warmth of the sauna, step outside for fresh northern air and take in the peaceful riverside surroundings. In winter, the contrast between the warmth inside and the Arctic air outside is an experience in itself. During the warmer months, long evenings by the river create an entirely different kind of atmosphere.
Simple, authentic and deeply Finnish – a sauna moment at Aava Riverside is an experience to remember.
Direct Booking BenefitBook your stay directly with us and enjoy one private sauna session during your stay – complimentary.A little more time to slow down, warm up and experience Lapland the Finnish way.
The Sauna and the Finnish Cycle of Life
For centuries, the sauna has been a central part of Finnish life – far more than just a place for washing. In ancient Finland, the sauna was seen as a threshold between the visible and the invisible, a sacred space where life's most significant transitions took place.
People were born in the sauna, and newborns were bathed there for the first time, often during naming ceremonies. Brides were prepared for marriage through special sauna rituals led by women, and in the final stage of life, the deceased were washed in the same sacred space – perhaps even the one in which they had been born. In this way, the sauna formed a quiet, spiritual arc from birth to death – a place through which one both entered and departed the world.