Valamo Sauna Day Saturday 13.6.2026
Finnish Sauna Day is celebrated on the second Saturday of June, celebrating the importance of the sauna in Finnish culture and lifestyle. The Valamo Monastery Sauna Day offers a great opportunity to experience sauna traditions in the sacred area of Papinniemi.
In Christianity, water is a symbol of purification and new life, which takes on its deepest meaning in baptism. The Orthodox tradition also includes water consecrations and baptisms in consecrated waters.
During the sauna day, prepare your own sauna and hear a story about the Finnish sauna tradition. Enjoy a relaxing sauna session in an idyllic lakeside sauna and refresh yourself with a dip in the sacred Lake Juojärvi.
Explore the fascinating monastery environment, churches and diverse cultural offerings. The day will be crowned by a Valamo tea party, which offers delicious taste experiences.
Come and spend a relaxing sauna day in the beautiful and prayerful environment of Valamo!
Program:
at 10:00 Welcome moment in front of the monastery reception building
Making of vows led by obedience brother Mattias
at 12:00 Moleben, opportunity to participate in a prayer service in the Old Church /
Monastery buffet lunch (own expense 18 €/person)
13.00-15.00 Beach sauna, men's turn
* Piia Martikainen will give women an overview of the Finnish sauna tradition and how we can take care of ourselves in the sauna.
* Women have the opportunity to get to know the monastery environment, churches and the monastery's cultural offerings, as well as a guided tour of the library with librarianVirva Suvitienkera.
Opportunity to get to know the monastery exhibitions:
Rudolf Koivu - Fairytale Illustrator - art exhibition at the Cultural Centre
Admission fee 12 € / adult. Free for under 18s. The same ticket also includes admission to the monastery museum.
https://valamo.fi/a/21-10-2025/rudolf-koivu-nayttely-valamossa-v2026
Silk and gold embroidery exhibition at Valamo College
https://valamo.fi/a/04-02-2026/silkki--ja-kultakirjontatyo--nayttely-valamon-opistossa
15.00-17.00 Rantasauna, women's turn
* Piia Martikainen will give an overview of Finnish sauna tradition for men and how we can take care of ourselves in the sauna.
* Men have the opportunity to explore the monastery environment, churches and the monastery's cultural offerings, as well as the library with a guided tour by librarian Virva Suvitiekera.
at 5:00 PM Valamo tea table, Trapesa restaurant's Keisarin kabinetti
The tea table includes: tea and raspberry jam, pickles with sour cream and honey, salmon pie, cabbage pie, dry cake, cookies, sweets and fruit.
18.00 Opportunity to participate in the vigil service in the monastery's main church
Daily program 40 €/person (includes the program as well as the reception, sauna session, soft drink and Valamo tea table)
Registrations by 7.6.2026
Valamo sales service, tel. 017 570 1810, myyntipalvelu@valamo.fi
Ask about accommodation too!
More information: virva.suvitie@valamo.fi
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A delegation from the Finnish Sauna Society's Communications Committee visited the Valamo Sauna Day last summer. Read the article about the visit in Sauna magazine 2025/3 on page 60: www.issuu.com/sauna-lehti/docs/sauna-lehti_3_2025
A representative from SaunaAtlas also visited Valamo saunas and they were added to their map service: https://saunaatlas.com/
