A guide to banya wellness spaces

Temperature range: 70 – 110°C

Percentage Humidity: 40 – 70%

What is a banja/banya?

A Banya, or Banja, is the Cyrillic term for a traditional public bath in Russia and traditionally incorporates a wood burning heater. Water is generously ladled onto hot stones, or even thrown at the walls, to increase the humidity in the room.

Russian Banjas are actually very similar to Finnish saunas, except that the temperature is usually slightly lower whilst the humidity level is higher.

To stimulate blood circulation, bathers whip themselves lightly with boughs of fresh silver birch. The massage carried out using a fragrant bundle of thin leafy twigs bound together is called a Venik, or Vihta. It is also said to release toxins through the skin and ease muscle tension.

To protect the head from overheating in the high temperatures, bathers often wear sauna hats which can first be dipped in water to aid the cooling process.

Benefits of a banja/banya

Similar to a Traditional Sauna. Find out more about how this affects your body

Talk to the design team at Dröm UK about your wellness project.