Sweating like in Finland Sauna water marathon comes to Bonn
Bonn · From Tampere to Stuttgart for the International Sauna Congress: with the Sauna Water Marathon, the German-Finnish Society and the Finnish Institute want to pass this culture through the Republic. A bucket of sauna water is also coming to Bonn.
"Sauna on köyhän apteekki" is the Finnish saying. Translated: "The sauna is the poor man's pharmacy." The sweat bath strengthens the immune system, tones the skin and is perhaps the Finns' biggest export hit - and today it is so international that an International Sauna Congress is held every four years.
The 18th edition is taking place in Stuttgart, but the whole of Germany should benefit from it. Because in June, a bucket of sauna water from the Finnish city of Tempere is on its way, which will also stop by in Bonn.
It's a crazy idea that the German-Finnish Society (DFG) came up with together with the Finnish Institute to celebrate its 70th anniversary. With the four-year rhythm of the congress, explained Institute Director Mikka Fitze at the online press conference, they had thought of the Olympics, whose fire is carried around the world as a torch until the opening ceremony. This can also be done with water, they thought, and the Sauna Water Marathon was born.
You can imagine it like this: The water is taken from a certain lake in the sauna city of Tampere and on 11 June, the day of the Finnish sauna, it is brought to the Rajaportti sauna, the oldest functioning public sauna in Finland, during a sauna peace proclamation. The water will spend a night there before embarking on the almost 3,000-kilometre journey, first to Helsinki, then by ship to Travemünde and from there by car, bicycle, boats and even planes criss-crossing Germany, which has been divided into five time zones for this purpose.
An infusion bucket for Bonn
NRW, together with Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, is in the fourth zone, where the bucket with the infusion water, transported by many of the approximately 8000 DFG members, will arrive on 29 August, according to the plan. "We rely on people's help and creativity," said Tanja Prüss from the DFG. People can register events, then the bucket will come to them.
In Bonn, a Rapujuhla, a crayfish dinner, has already been registered for 2 September. At the same time, the Bonn DFG group will be celebrating its 45th anniversary. At other stations, the bucket and its bearers will experience, for example, a midsummer garden party, barbecue evenings, night hikes and mobile sauna visits. You can get to know the traditional Finnish rubber boot throwing and the game Mölkky, taste cheese and beer from Finland, even a song is to be written to the bucket. There is still room for more in the calendar.
On 27 October, the water will be poured by the Finnish ambassador at the opening of the congress in Stuttgart and the löyly, the sauna steam, will inspire the congress participants. With the marathon, the aim is to "reach Finland once through the whole of Germany", Fitze explained. They want to bring this type of special Finnish culture closer to the people, for example, to show that for the Finns a visit to the sauna not only has health aspects, but is a "rather social act". People exchange ideas, they cultivate togetherness. And you sweat. Moreover, it will definitely show that the Finns are a people with a great sense of humour.
More information, an overview map and event registration at www.saunawassermarathon.de.
Original text: Stefan Knopp
Translation: Mareike Graepel
