Cities far from Scandinavia are opening public sauna houses as social and wellness gathering spots.Unlike a private spa visit, public saunas are designed around conversation and community, with communal benches encouraging strangers to chat. Operators outside the Nordic countries have had to adapt the format slightly, often adding reservation systems and clearer etiquette guides for newcomers unfamiliar with sauna culture. Regulars describe it as one of the few remaining phone-free public spaces left in most cities.
