Saunaguz

The train from Copenhagen dropped me in Farum on a crisp Tuesday afternoon. I walked through quiet streets lined with low houses and patches of green, heading toward Hørmarken 1. The air carried a hint of pine, and I could see why folks here escape the city for spots like this.

Saunaguz sat tucked away, simple and unassuming, with a sign that promised warmth inside. I paid the 160 DKK at the door and joined a small group for the 75-minute session. We started by changing into towels, the room already humming with quiet chatter.

We filed into the sauna, the wood benches warm underfoot. The leader poured water over hot stones, and steam rose with a sharp hiss. The heat wrapped around me slowly at first, then built into something deep and steady.

Sweat beaded on my skin as we sat in rounds, breathing through the rising temperature. Someone fanned the air with a towel, sending waves of hot vapor our way. It felt primal, this shared ritual, pulling the tension from my muscles.

By the second round, my heart pounded a little faster. We stepped out for a quick break, gulping cool water before heading back in.

After the heat peaked, we moved to the isbad outside. The tub waited, filled with icy water that shimmered under the fading light. I hesitated for a second, then lowered myself in.

The cold shocked my system, every inch of skin tingling sharply. I stayed submerged up to my neck for as long as I could bear, counting breaths to steady myself. When I climbed out, my body buzzed with that alive feeling, blood rushing back warm.

We repeated the cycle once more, heat followed by cold, each plunge making the contrast sharper. The group shared nods and quiet laughs, bonded by the experience.

The session wrapped up after the full 75 minutes, leaving me relaxed and clear-headed. I dressed and stepped back into the evening air, cooler now with the sun dipping low.

Farum felt even quieter on the way to the station, streets empty save for a few cyclists. I thought about coming back on a Wednesday or Sunday, when they run these aufguss sessions too. The ritual lingered in my mind, a solid escape from the everyday.