Some of the most ancient saunas in the world were smoke saunas. It is an archaic method of building a sauna, in which a pile of stones is heated by a fire. In the very oldest saunas, there was no chimney, only a small window and a door through which billows of smoke produced by the fire found their way outside. When the stones were well-heated, the ashes and embers were removed, and the stones, walls and platforms were wiped down and left to freshen. Then it was possible to enter, and to bathe. The smoke sauna has its own distinctive aroma of smoke, which many sauna connoisseurs highly value. The only drawback is that one must know how to prepare such a sauna. There is a more intense heat in such a sauna, because the stones are openly exposed, so at the beginning of the sauna session the heat is more intense, but with each succeeding session the heat becomes milder, and the steam becomes softer. One must get used to such a sauna, but those who fall in love with it do so for their entire life. There is even a Lithuanian saying, which sounds in English something like “black, but washes white”. This sauna is for those who prefer simplicity and naturalness.
Our smoke sauna has a character of its own, and is more adapted for a contemporary person, because the host, Robertas, built the sauna according to his own vision. As our guests say, the feeling is like you’re at home, in an old countryside cottage like where your great-grandparents lived. The sauna is best enjoyed by a group of four; in that case, everyone can lie down comfortably. If guests sit, then up to 8 can use the sauna at one time. In the cosy anteroom, guests can sit or lie down, relaxing between sessions. We invite you to try out the time-tested smoke sauna. Perhaps it will be a discovery that leads to years of enjoyment.

Smoke sauna rituals

Smoke sauna gallery