What Is Aufguss? The German Sauna Ritual Explained

There is a world championship for waving towels in a sauna, and Team USA competes in it. The ritual behind it is called Aufguss, German for infusion: a sauna master pours water on hot stones and fans the steam through the room with a towel. Here is what actually happens in a session, where the competitions take place and why so many people wear a hat for it.

Key takeaways

1. What Aufguss means.
2. The sauna master and the towel.
3. How a session runs.
4. From sauna ritual to world championship.
5. Aufguss in America: the Nationals in Brooklyn.
6. Why a hat helps during an Aufguss.

1. What Aufguss means

Aufguss (say it roughly like OWF gooss) is the German word for infusion. In a sauna it means pouring water onto the hot stones of the heater. Often essential oils go into the water, or ice balls with oils are placed on the rocks, so the room fills with scented steam. A 2018 review in Mayo Clinic Proceedings by Laukkanen and colleagues notes that throwing water on the rocks temporarily raises both temperature and humidity. The baseline is already hot: 176 to 212°F (80 to 100°C) at head level, with 10 to 20 percent relative humidity. That is the whole point of an Aufguss: a short, intense wave of heat, delivered on schedule. Unlike in Finland, guests in German public saunas do not ladle water themselves, as the Goethe-Institut explains. A staff member does it at set times.

2. The sauna master and the towel

The person in charge is the Saunameister, the sauna master, also called Aufgussmeister. The German Sauna Association (Deutscher Sauna-Bund) trains sauna masters in courses that cover bathing basics, the Aufguss itself, towel waving techniques, physiology, hygiene and emergency management. The towel is the main tool. After pouring, the sauna master swings it, circles it overhead and fans it toward the benches, pushing the hot, scented air through the room in bursts so everyone feels it. Time Out New York described one performer's towel helicopter spirals. A classic Aufguss is calm and focused on heat and scent. A show Aufguss adds music, lighting, costumes and a story. Both rely on the same basic sequence: pour, wait, wave, repeat.

3. How a session runs

German sauna facilities post a daily schedule, the Aufgussplan, and some ring a bell before a session starts. The usual flow:

• Arrive a few minutes early. Lonely Planet notes that the doors close promptly and the lower benches fill up first.
• Spread your towel so no skin touches the wood.
• The sauna master introduces the scent, pours and waves the heat around.
• This repeats, usually in two to three rounds totaling about 15 minutes, according to Lonely Planet.
• Afterwards everyone heads for fresh air and a cold shower.

Do not walk in once it has started. If you miss the start, wait for the next one. You can leave at any time if the heat gets too much, and first timers do well on a lower bench near the door.

4. From sauna ritual to world championship

Germans take this seriously enough to compete. The Aufguss WM (WM is German shorthand for world championship) is run by Aufguss WM e.V., an association based in Bielefeld, Germany. Performers are scored on steam and temperature control, towel technique and how well they hold the audience with a story. The 2025 finals took place in September at Aquardens in Verona, Italy. The 2026 finals ran from September 14 to 20 at Satama Sauna Resort and Spa in Wendisch Rietz, a lakeside town on Lake Scharmützel in the German state of Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin. According to Bathhouse, the New York operator that hosts the US qualifier, twenty countries competed for places at the 2026 finals. A separate Modern Classic Cup for classic Aufguss was held in Larvik, Norway, that fall.

5. Aufguss in America: the Nationals in Brooklyn

The US joined the circuit only recently. The first US national Aufguss competition took place on June 23 and 24, 2025, at Bathhouse Williamsburg in Brooklyn, organized with Aufguss WM, as the trade publication Leisure Opportunities reported. The winners represented Team USA at the finals in Verona. According to Bathhouse, Joli and Alexi Irvine became the first team champions and Alonzo Solorzano the first solo champion. The 2026 Nationals ran from May 19 to 21: two days of show Aufguss at Bathhouse on Atlantic Avenue in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, and a Modern Classic day at Bathhouse Flatiron in Manhattan. For the first time, the top two solo performers and the top two teams advanced. Time Out New York sat in the audience and counted more than 70 people sweating through a single show.

6. Why a hat helps during an Aufguss

An Aufguss is designed to push heat up and toward you, and your head already sits in the hottest layer of the room. The idea behind a wool hat is simple: wool traps still air between its crimped fibers, and still air insulates. Diana Tuulik, a materials scientist at Tallinn University of Applied Sciences, told the Estonian public broadcaster ERR that wool can absorb roughly 30 to 40 percent of its weight in moisture without feeling wet. In a room full of steam, that matters. Many people find the towel rounds more comfortable with their head and ears covered. The Original covers the ears with a single layer of boiled wool. For very hot rounds on the top bench, the Pro adds a second layer, extended ear protection and a sewn brim.

FAQ

How long does an Aufguss last?

Usually 10 to 15 minutes, split into two or three rounds of pouring and waving. Plan time to cool down and rest afterwards, since most people count an Aufguss as one full sauna round.

Can you leave during an Aufguss?

Yes. If you feel unwell, leave right away, nobody will mind. What is frowned upon is walking in after it has started, because every opened door lets heat out. If you are new, sit low and near the door.

What should I bring to an Aufguss?

A towel large enough to sit or lie on, water for afterwards and, if you like, a wool sauna hat. Leave your phone, jewelry and watch outside, since metal gets hot fast.

Planning a trip to a German sauna? Pick a hat from all hats and colors and read up on German sauna etiquette before your first visit.