German Sauna Etiquette: What Americans Should Know

In a German sauna, the swimsuit is what gets you funny looks. Saunas there are textile free, mostly mixed and very quiet, and the rules follow a clear logic once you know it. Here is what Americans should know before the first visit, from the shower to the cold plunge to the hat on the top bench.

Key takeaways

1. Textile free means no swimsuit.
2. Shower first, then dry off.
3. A towel under your whole body.
4. Keep it quiet.
5. Plan your visit around the Aufguss times.
6. Cool down: fresh air first, then cold water.
7. Rest, drink, and wear the hat.

1. Textile free means no swimsuit

German sauna cabins are nude zones, and swimsuits are not allowed inside. Olaf Wimmer, a trainer for the German Sauna Association (Deutscher Sauna-Bund), told the health magazine Apotheken Umschau that swimwear is taboo for hygiene reasons, except in special textile saunas. The Local, an English language news site in Germany, links the relaxed attitude to FKK, short for Freikörperkultur, the German free body culture. Nobody stares, and nobody cares. If you feel exposed, wrapping your towel around you is fine, as long as no skin touches the bench. Outside the cabins, people walk around in a bathrobe or towel and flip flops. Most saunas are shared by men and women. Some facilities set aside times or areas for women only, so check the website if that matters to you.

2. Shower first, then dry off

Before the first round, take a shower. Wimmer recommends it, and shower gel and washing your hair are fine. Skipping it is considered unhygienic, The Local notes, since everyone shares the same benches. Then dry off thoroughly, so you are not bringing water onto the wood. Take off jewelry and your watch, because metal gets very hot. Leave your flip flops outside the cabin door, a detail that Stars and Stripes, the US military newspaper, points out for American visitors. Karl-Ludwig Resch, another expert quoted by Apotheken Umschau, adds that the shower should be neither very hot nor very cold. After each round you rinse off again before you step into a plunge pool. You will shower more in a German sauna than almost anywhere else.

3. A towel under your whole body

The German rule of thumb is Kein Schweiß aufs Holz: no sweat on the wood. Bring a towel big enough that your whole body fits on it, including your feet, whether you sit or lie down. Lonely Planet recommends at least two towels, one to sit on and one to dry off, and a third comes in handy for the rest area. Spread the towel before you sit, not after. The same rule applies to loungers in the rest rooms. If you forget yours, many facilities lend or rent towels for a small fee, and some rent bathrobes too, according to The Local. Stars and Stripes gives American readers the same advice: bring a big towel and keep your feet on it as well.

4. Keep it quiet

Saunas are quiet zones. Wimmer's advice in Apotheken Umschau: greet people in a friendly voice when you come in, then stay silent, not even a whisper with your partner. Phones, music, newspapers and books stay outside, and so do food and drinks. Do not ask people to move over, since that creates unrest. Look for another spot or wait for the next round instead. If others are chatting loudly, it is fine to ask politely for quiet. Lonely Planet goes a step further and says talking at any volume is strongly discouraged. Americans used to chatting in a gym sauna may find this strange at first. Think of it like a library that happens to be 190°F (about 90°C). The quiet is a big part of why people go.

5. Plan your visit around the Aufguss times

The big moments of the day are the Aufguss sessions. A sauna master pours water, often scented with essential oils, on the hot stones and fans the heat through the room with a towel. Times are posted on the Aufgussplan, and a bell may announce the start, according to The Local. Lonely Planet advises arriving a few minutes early, because the doors close promptly and the lower benches fill up first. Do not walk in once it has begun. If you miss it, wait for the next one. Unlike in Finland, guests do not pour water on the stones themselves, the Goethe-Institut notes. That job belongs to the sauna master. You can leave any time if it gets too hot. For the full ritual, read what is Aufguss.

6. Cool down: fresh air first, then cold water

After the heat comes the cold, and there is an order to it. Resch recommends walking in a cool area, ideally outdoors, until the strain of the heat has passed. Then comes cold water. He also says the shower does not need to be ice cold, slightly cool is enough. Many people use a cold hose or shower, starting at the feet and working up toward the chest. Larger facilities have plunge pools, outdoor pools or even buckets of ice, and The Local mentions ice baths at some spas. Rinse off sweat before you step into a shared plunge pool. Take the cold at your own pace. Nobody expects you to stay in for minutes, and a few seconds is perfectly normal. Then dry off, wrap up warm and head for the rest area.

7. Rest, drink, and wear the hat

Rest is part of the routine, not a break from it. Resch suggests resting 30 to 45 minutes before the next round, drinking water in between and skipping alcohol during breaks. Two to three rounds per visit are common. Rest areas have loungers, and the quiet rules apply there as well. Finally, the hat. In German saunas, a wool or felt sauna hat is a normal accessory that nobody comments on. People wear one in the cabin and during the Aufguss, then hang it up to air out between rounds. If you bring a wool sauna hat in Navy or any other color from home, you will blend right in. It covers your ears too, which many people appreciate when the towel waving starts.

FAQ

Do you have to be naked in a German sauna?

In the sauna cabins, yes, swimsuits are not allowed. You can wrap your towel around you if you prefer, as long as no skin touches the wood. Outside the cabins, a bathrobe or towel is normal.

Are German saunas mixed?

Mostly, yes. Saunas are usually shared by everyone on a first come, first served basis. Some facilities offer times or areas for women only, so check the website of the place you plan to visit.

What should I bring to a German sauna?

Two or three large towels, flip flops, a bathrobe and something to drink for the rest area. A wool sauna hat is optional and a very common sight on the benches.

Want to arrive prepared? Browse all hats and colors, and learn how to keep yours fresh in how to wash a wool sauna hat.