Sweating It Out in Finland

To say the sauna is central to Finnish culture might be an understatement.

Saunas are to be found everywhere in Finland. Lu Mikhaylova/Shutterstock

Markku pitched a couple scoops of water onto the stones atop an electric-powered stove. From my perch on the bench, I stared at the glowing red number on the thermostat: 65 degrees Celsius. That’s 149 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Sixty-five, eh?” I asked Markku, not exactly coolly.