The first time I visited a community sauna in my hometown of London, I wasn’t expecting to end up chatting with a stranger. In my experience, saunas have been solitary, silent wellness spaces—the kind of experience where you avoided eye contact as you sweated it out.
But at Community Sauna Baths’ Ruskin Park site in the south London neighborhood of Camberwell, it was easy to strike up a conversation. Within moments of entering one of the three steamy huts on offer, I found myself quietly talking to a fellow saunagoer about the benefits of high heat. Later, as I lowered myself into a large cold-water plunge barrel, I giggled with other wide-eyed plungers as we attempted to sink our shoulders beneath the waterline.
Community Sauna Baths, which runs five sites across London, is part of a recent wave of sauna openings across Europe that have built socialization into their wellness offering. Unlike traditional hotel spas, these establishments allow you to book sessions by the hour at affordable prices and, in a benefit for locals and travelers alike, provide a space where friends and strangers can mingle.
The 6,200-square-foot Lore Bathing Club in New York is equipped with a sauna, cold plunge, and infrared lounge.
Photo by Sean Davidson (L); photo by Aly Kula (R)
In London, they’re specifically angled as alcohol-free alternatives to Londoners’ other favorite hangout, the pub. “Where else could you go?” says Charlie Duckworth, director and cofounder of Community Sauna Baths. “Instead of suggesting going for a couple of pints, we’re now seeing people say ‘Let’s meet at the sauna’.”
I’ve been watching as similar communal spaces, or “third spaces,” have opened up in Amsterdam, Berlin, Vilnius (inside a former prison), and in U.S. cities like San Francisco. New York City is an epicenter for this trend: Othership, which has sauna sites in the Williamsburg and Flatiron neighborhoods, encourages guests to enjoy softly spoken interactions during music-guided sweat sessions; Lore Bathing Club, a 6,200-square-foot space furnished with a sauna, cold plunge, and infrared lounge, will open in Noho this month as a wellness members’ club; Saint, a private sauna and ice bath studio, is set to open in Chelsea later in 2026, with both membership payment plans and one-off sessions for visitors.
By the time I left my sauna experience, rosy-faced and feeling refreshed, I’d gained a new perspective on wellness. It’s not just about chilling out: Socialization, however big or small, plays as much a role in supporting our well-being as dry heat and cold water therapy. Various studies have even suggested a link between socialization and longer life. Pairing both together provides a much needed boost of dopamine—particularly on drizzly London days.
“When you go and talk to a stranger, invariably you’re going to have a nice interaction and realize most people are pretty friendly and interesting to talk to,” Duckworth reminded me.
Experience some feel-good fraternization at one of these social sauna spots. Some are favorites that I’ve already been to, and some are ones I haven’t visited yet but will be making plans to do so in future. Maybe I’ll meet you there.
Community Sauna Baths
Community Sauna Baths’ five sites host LGBTQ+-only and women-only sessions.
Photo by Liz Seabrook
Located in neighborhoods including Camberwell, Hackney Wick, and Walthamstow, these not-for-profit saunas are where everyday residents of London head to chill out. The nearest site to my apartment is between allotment gardens and towering oak trees in Camberwell’s leafy Ruskin Park, a 30-minute bus ride, or short train journey, from central London. While you’re in the area, I’d recommend taking time to explore some of the neighborhood’s best restaurants, too. My favourite is Theo’s, a Neapolitan-style pizza spot that serves a killer hazelnut affogato with frangelico. My roommate prefers the Kurdish joint, Nandine.
The other Community sauna sites vary in size, but all locations have at least one sauna and a few cold plunge tubs and offer free herbal tea. There are also regular LGBTQ+-only and women-only sessions.
Badhaus Soleil
Next time I’m in the Dutch capital, I’ll be heading directly to Amsterdam-Noord. The former industrial area (accessed by a five-minute ferry across the IJ river from just outside Centraal Station) feels much more modern and less touristed than the historic heart of the city. It’s buzzing not only with some of Amsterdam’s most exciting restaurants and bars (try taqueria Coba and the city’s first winemaker, Chateau Amsterdam), an independent cinema, and a climbing wall, but also two riverside saunas, both run by wellness company Badhaus.
Badhaus Soleil is the larger of the two sites and has two saunas, including a floating one, as well as ice baths, an indoor hang-out space and a ladder-equipped jetty for easy access to the river when you want a post-sweat dip. You can book both 90-minute and 2-hour slots or join a SaunaGus session, where a “sauna master” will guide you through a meditative experience, swirling essential-oil infused steam through the sauna using rhythmic towel movements. The other Badhaus site is beside eco-restaurant Café de Ceuvel, also in Amsterdam-Noord; it can only be booked out privately.
Related: The 9 p.m. Museum Trick and Other Hacks to See Amsterdam Without the Crowds
Sauna Social Club
On Fridays and Saturdays, DJs play ambient music sets at London’s Sauna Social Club.
Photo by Ben Farber (L); photo by Sophie Milligan (R)
Socialization and wellness go hand in hand at this kaleidoscopically lit space within a railway arch in the south London neighborhood of Peckham. Alongside two saunas and four outdoor ice baths, you’ll find cushioned seating areas and a bar serving soft and low-alcohol drinks. The smaller, upstairs sauna, which is a little cooler and has essential oil-infused steam, is the “chatty sauna” where visitors are welcome to strike up conversations. The larger, custom-built sauna on the first floor is the “listening sauna” and has an integrated hi-fi system. On Fridays and Saturdays, DJs play ambient music. Co-owner Nikki Tesla told me she wanted to create a dry alternative to a classic London pub: a buzzy social space that encouraged connection between friends and strangers. And it’s working: The last couple of times I have visited, I’ve had a good natter.
Wyld Sauna
I travel from London to Liverpool regularly, and a visit to this floating sauna is high on my list for my next trip You can book by-the-hour sessions at the pine-clad wellness space, which is located in one of Liverpool’s historic docks and features four ice baths, cold and heated waterfall showers, and a Finnish-style sauna with a Merseyside twist: Once you’ve sweated it out, take a jump into the Baltic (Scouse slang for freezing cold) dock waters to cool off. A soon-to-be-started expansion will add a second sauna, upgraded bathrooms, and an on-site café.
Liverpool’s shipping docks lined with brick buildings are experiencing something of a renaissance, making 2026 a great time to visit. Everton Football Club’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock is hosting its first season of soccer matches. In 2027, the new-look Tate Liverpool gallery will reopen at Royal Albert Dock. I normally stay at the modish Hope Street Hotel in the city’s elegant Georgian quarter when visiting, but for a waterside alternative, I’d like to try the Titanic. The renovated warehouse has high industrial ceilings and exposed brickwork in suites.
