If You’re Looking to Have Fun Naked, It Doesn’t Get Any Better Than These 7 Spas

Whether you find yourself at an urban reimagining such as Osaka’s SpaWorld, or an authentic countryside volcanic hot spring, the one thing that unites all onsen is they’re downright blissful. Your earthly worries will melt away in the hot pools and steam rooms. Any public onsen (not to be confused with its private guesthouse sister, the ryokan) is split into separate men’s and women’s areas, where locals go in groups of friends or families to make a day out of it, much like a trip to the mall. Japan has zen, chill, and hyper cleanliness on lock and this extends to the onsen, making it the ideal place to relax and recuperate after a busy day of sightseeing. Our hero, SpaWorld ups the ante with their internationally-themed zones, so you can travel around a whole continent (Europe Zone or Asia Zone each spread across a whole floor of this spa-tropolis) with a rotating array of pools of different designs and temperatures.

This mid-century sauna is a true gem in a city of steam havens. Tucked away in the foundations of a large housing block in Helsinki’s hip neighborhood of Kallio, Arla Sauna invites you to relive the community spirit of this retro, rescued hot spot, where workers would come to hang out, clean, and revive themselves after a hard day at the mill. Hosting two sex-segregated saunas across two floors, the original interior decor is as charming as the devoted staff. Finns, being sauna diehards by birthright, will spoon water on the sauna stove to dizzying temperatures, so do speak up if it gets too hot! When you’ve had enough heat, grab your towels and head outside to the courtyard where the locals happily chat to you as you cool down on the courtyard bench over a drink of iced water.

Who knew the one thing missing from your life was a bath full of jasmine. With medicinal roots and contemporary wellness, sweating your cares away in a jjimjilbang (loosely translated as “heat room”) is a Seoul highlight. Once inside, these mega spas include the best of all your faves, a sequence of hot pools, steam rooms, scrub treatments, and igloo-shaped salt saunas, but you’ve got a few hurdles to cross first. Phase one, ditch your shoes at the footwear lockers at the entrance. You won’t be allowed to the ticket desk wearing them. Once in the entrance hall find the ticket desk where you’ll be given towels, a robe, and your wristband, complete with electronic key. This super useful bit of tech means you can pay for any refreshments, treatments, and extras without needing your wallet. Which is just as well, as you will be butt naked under those robes and have no place to store them! The pools, steam rooms, and scrub treatments are sex-segregated but refreshment areas and salt saunas (where you wear your robes) are communal.

Halfway between Finland and Russia, Tallinn was geographically bound to have the crème de la crème of banya-esque “saun.” Kalma Saun, located in the arty, bohemian district of Kalma, is a pristine old girl dating back to the ‘30s. This beautifully kept sauna can rise to an impressive temperature and should you follow the locals’ example of smacking your skin with birch leaves (available to buy at the entrance), you’ll find after a few rotations between the heat and the banya style cold pool to dip in, you’ll reach peak saun nirvana. It’s a humble, no-frills place, but done right an incredibly Kalma-ing one.