Archive for the 'Wellness' Category

Russian sauna (‘banya’), Chelyabinsk

Chelyabinsk is surrounded by several lakes. One of them – Smolino lake – is a favorite vacation spot of townpeople at any time of year.

In the middle of the lake  there is a floating sauna which is used from early spring to late autumn. You can go out of the sauna and immediately start swimming in the lake.

In winter time sauna is pulled closer to the beach and next to it the big ice-holes are cut. In the Russian sauna (‘banya’) it is normal first to use birch twigs and then jump into the cold water. When the pictures were took, the temperature was -28C, so instead of jumping into the ice-hole we prefered to take cold bucket shower. Wonderful!

Thermal bath in Siberia

Thermal bath with mineral water is situated not far from Tyumen city in Siberia. It is a nice place called Verhnii Bor. Everybody can swim there during all-the-year-round. In cold winter visitors can enjoy by the warm water up to +30C from hot mineral springs. The pictures had been made in January with outdoors temperature -15C degrees. Striking contrast and real pleasure!