Emerging from the intense heat of the smoke sauna, I dash across the wooden deck and plunge into the notoriously brisk Baltic Sea before I can second-guess myself. The cold water hits my heated skin like ice water blanching a steamed vegetable from root to stem, shocking me awake.
When I resurface, my travel companions are bobbing around, laughing so hard they can barely stay afloat. After flying thousands of miles and juggling different time zones, our weary group of journalists has been revitalized with pure, visceral energy.
Back in Los Angeles, where I live, the sauna-cold plunge combo has recently become a trendy wellness ritual, with influencers setting up backyard saunas and posting on TikTok from their tubs. But in Estonia, this practice has been a way of life for centuries and even earned a spot on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list.
Iglupark, in the Noblessner district of Tallinn, Estonia’s capital, offers a modern twist on this age-old tradition. Groups can book private sessions in sleek, black saunas with buckets of beer on ice or relax in Adirondack chairs beneath glowing string lights. While the scene may seem tailored for the social media age — every piece of wood meticulously arranged — the practice’s intention remains the same. “There is no wrong way to go to the sauna,” says Elin Priks, project manager behind The Year of the Sauna initiative, which aims to share this ancient Estonian cultural tradition with the world. Most Estonian homes have saunas, even many urban apartments, with one sauna for every 10 people in the country. Estonians head to the sauna seeking stress relief and mental wellbeing, Priks explains, calling it an “impressive natural pharmacy.”
Although Estonia’s sauna culture earned UNESCO status in 2014, a new documentary, “Smoke Sauna Sisterhood,” has brought renewed attention to its significance, especially among Estonian women. The film made the 2023 festival circuit and earned award nominations from Sundance to Hong Kong. This year was also big for Estonian fine dining. Minutes from Iglupark, 180° by Matthias Diether in Noblessner became the country’s first Michelin two-starred restaurant. The 2023 Michelin Guide praises it as stylish, futuristic, and ambitious. Noblessner, once an industrial shipyard, is now a trendy neighborhood with upscale apartments, waterfront bars, and buzzing restaurants. Its defunct submarine factories are now home to art galleries and museums.
Another industrial area turned hotspot is Telliskivi Creative City, known for its hipster vibe with startup offices, striking street art, artisan coffee shops, and vintage stores. The art scene is anchored by Fotografiska, the world-renowned contemporary photography museum, but smaller galleries like the Vaal Gallery and the Juhan Kuus Documentary Photo Center offer endless surprises. According to Visit Estonia, more than 800 cultural events are hosted in this part of the city every year.
First-time visitors to Tallinn should start in Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated as an “exceptionally complete and well-preserved” medieval city. This is an impressive feat for a country that has been conquered by numerous nations throughout its history. On my first morning, still bleary-eyed, I found myself mesmerized by the colorful flower vendors and the Viru Gate, the most iconic entrance into the real-life fairy tale that is Old Town.
