The gentle sister of the Finnish sauna
The bio sauna — often run under the trademark sanarium — is the mild answer to the Finnish sauna: 50 to 60 °C at a moderate humidity of around 40 to 55 per cent, frequently complemented by coloured light and discreet herbal aromas. The time spent inside lengthens accordingly to 15 to 30 minutes — you sweat more slowly, more thoroughly and without the heat drama of the hot chamber.
Whom the mild warmth is meant for
The bio sauna is the entry and everyday form of sauna-going: ideal for sauna newcomers, for everyone to whom 90 °C is simply too much, and as a circulation-friendly variant for older guests. Practised sauna-goers use it strategically too — as a first round to warm up or as a last one to wind down, once the Finnish sauna has done its work.
Effect
The milder temperature achieves the same basic effect — warming through, sweating, muscle relaxation — over a longer stretch and with less strain on the circulation. Many find the higher humidity more pleasant for the airways and the skin; coloured light and aromas make the bio sauna the most contemplative station of the sauna landscape.
The bio sauna in a spa hotel
Good sauna landscapes grade their temperatures — and the bio sauna is the most important middle station between the steam bath and the Finnish sauna. The Residence von Dapper in Bad Kissingen runs its sanarium alongside a Finnish sauna and a steam sauna; the Vitalhotel Dosses stages its bio and hay sauna as a “mountain farmhouse” in Val Gardena building tradition. Whoever judges a sauna landscape looks at exactly this grading.
