Unusual baths

There are Russian baths, there are Turkish, there are Japanese, and there are unusual baths, those that are used in narrow circles, not so common, and some may not even know about their existence and that such a bath can bring any benefit. Next, we will consider in more detail the popular non-traditional unusual baths.

Sand bath

The bathhouse is unusual - the sand bath is quite common, river and sea sand have their own healing properties, which our ancestors knew about. Sand in direct sunlight heats up and releases heat and chemical elements. During the unusual sand procedure, the sand heats up and retains heat, and thanks to its crushed particles, sweat is absorbed quickly when sweating is continuous. Sweat is absorbed evenly, and in one such procedure you can lose about 600 grams of weight. With this procedure, the body avoids sudden changes in temperature, and therefore the load on the body is minimized. Taking a sand bath goes something like this: it forms a hole with a small depression, the length is the height of a person, the body is covered with sand, preferably up to the neck, and do not forget to cover your head or put up an umbrella, your head should remain in the shade. The procedure lasts about 10 minutes, and then take a swim in river or sea water. This unusual sand bath is useful for people with a weakened body, for diseases such as arthritis, nephritis, and women's diseases. Contraindicated for neoplasms, anemia, tuberculosis and depletion of the body.

Bath in a bag with birch leaves

A sauna in a bag with leaves is simple and unusual; a person is placed in a bag filled with birch leaves. The peculiarity of this procedure is that a special microclimate is formed inside the bag, and birch leaves have excellent healing properties. With profuse sweating, all toxins are simultaneously released from the body and at the same time healing microelements of the leaves enter. The same thing can be done not with birch leaves, but with flower hay, the effect will also be beneficial, and the aroma will be divine!

Bathhouse in a dung heap

A bathhouse in a dung heap, an even more exotic and unusual bathhouse probably cannot be imagined, but such a thing exists. This bath is useful for people with radiculitis and painful joints. A person is buried in manure for a couple of hours, the rotting process has a beneficial effect on the body, and visiting it about 20 times will show incredible results. Therefore, if you overcome yourself and place yourself in an unusual bathhouse - a bath with a smell, the healing effect will not be long in coming.

The nature of the steam - wet or dry, as well as other components of a sauna relaxation - vary depending on the region. Baths and saunas are most popular in the northern, cold regions of our planet. I bring to your attention the most popular and interesting baths in the world.

1. Rauhaniemi, Finland

As you know, Finns are experts in saunas. The most popular and oldest sauna in Finland is Rauhaniemi in Tampere, built back in 1906. It is located right on the shore of the large lake Näsijärvi. This is the best place for walruses in winter. Heated paths lead from the sauna directly into the lake, in which a spacious wormwood is cut down; the water temperature is 2-4 degrees Celsius. The extensive Rahaniemi steam room can accommodate about 70 people, and there is also a second, smaller steam room. For a good healing effect, it is recommended to warm up well in the steam room and cool off in the wormwood several times. In summer, a resort area is set up here with all the conditions for a beach holiday.

2. Flying sauna gondola, Finland

It is worth mentioning another Finnish sauna in the ski resort of Ylläs, Finland. Its unusual feature is that the sauna is located in... a cable car cabin! The cable car cabin is lined with wood outside and inside. A session in the steam room lasts about 20 minutes - that’s how long it takes to climb to a height of 718 meters. Four people can fit in the sauna at the same time. If you wish, at the upper station of the cable car you can get out and plunge into the purest snow. The cabin is equipped with transparent windows from the inside, from where you can admire the impressive mountain landscapes. By the way, at the top station of the lift there is a stationary sauna that can accommodate 17 people, and the cable car cabin is like its “branch”.

3. Gellert, Hungary

There are about 120 thermal springs located in the capital of Hungary, Budapest. The healing power of hot mineral water was noted by the ancient Romans living in these territories. The most famous of the resort complexes is located at the foot of Gellért Hill in the center of Budapest, right on the banks of the Danube River. The complex was opened back in 1918 and is one of the most beautiful architectural sights of the capital. Immersing yourself in the fables of the Gellert complex feels like taking a bath in at least a cathedral - marble columns supporting high arches, multi-colored stained glass windows and colorful mosaics. There are baths and saunas, baths and swimming pools, thermal baths, massage services and other wellness treatments.

4. Friedrichsbad, Germany

During antiquity, on the territory of Baden-Baden, Germany, there were ancient Roman baths - public baths. Duke Frederick I dreamed of reviving the culture of health and recreation there. And in 1869, he ordered the construction of a majestic building for public baths in Baden-Baden. There are men's and women's wings connected by a large swimming pool, and the interior of the baths contains marble colonnades and statues of ancient gods. A tourist coming here for the first time will be recommended to go through the entire bathing ritual of Friedrichsbad, consisting of 17 procedures, following one after another. This ritual combines dry steam rooms, soapy massage, wet steam rooms, hydromassage pools, and the final part is a relaxation room where you can get plenty of sleep.

5. Liquidrom, Germany

In Germany, as you know, they know a lot about good music. That is why a hybrid of a bathhouse and... a nightclub was created here. The interior of the complex is decorated with natural stone, and the steam rooms are traditionally made of wood. There are dry and wet steam rooms, a salt cave and a sauna with a panoramic glass wall, massage rooms and an outdoor terrace with sun loungers for relaxation. The highlight of the Liquidrom complex is the vast seawater swimming pool, where twilight and sparkling disco lights always reign. In the evenings you can hear sets from local DJs, and concerts are held on weekends. Moreover, the speakers are installed even underwater, so when you dive, you can hear the music even better.

6. Sauna Deco, Holland

A small sauna in the heart of Amsterdam, Holland, is known primarily for its unusual design for a sauna in the Art Deco style of the early 20th century. The exquisite details of the interior by the recognized master Boileau - a staircase with a bronze balustrade, a glass elevator shaft, gilded stained glass windows - were inherited from the sauna after the renovation of the interior in a large Parisian department store. There are no male or female sections; moreover, it is prohibited to wear swimsuits in the sauna. There are two saunas with different temperatures, as well as a Turkish hammam with eucalyptus steam, a hydromassage pool and an internal garden terrace. It is in the Deko sauna that the best massage therapists in Amsterdam work, and the queue for them is written far ahead.

7. Sandunovskie Bani, Russia

The public baths, built by theater actor Sandunov in 1818, are considered the most popular in Moscow. According to legend, the enterprising actor founded his own business with money raised from the sale of a diamond necklace given to his wife by Empress Catherine II as a wedding gift. At the end of the 19th century, a pompous building was erected on the site of the dilapidated baths, striking in its luxury and mixture of styles. The clients of the baths at that time were different - from ordinary people to rich merchants. The women's and men's sections are located separately, but the main architectural beauties are available only to men. An interesting fact is that bathhouse attendants and steamers work here in dynasties, each with their own day and their own clientele.

8. Gedyk Pasha, Türkiye

Authentic Turkish baths - Gedik Pasha Hammam - are the oldest in Istanbul, Türkiye. They were built back in the 15th century, and most guidebooks write that only local residents go here. However, this is not so, and a tourist who finds himself in the Gedik Pasha hammam will be pleasantly surprised. At the entrance you are given peshtemal towels and sheets. It is not too hot in the main hall of the Hararet, because it is customary to stay here for a long time, as if languishing and occasionally cooling off in the pool. For those who like something “hot,” there is a classic high-temperature sauna. In the center of the room there is a hot “belly stone”, on which clients receive a peeling massage using a hard mitt. Foam soap massage is also in favor here, which allows you to perfectly cleanse the skin. The men's and women's sections are located separately here.

9. Daikoku-Yu, Japan

Baths are also loved and appreciated in Japan, however, the heating technology here is slightly different. Instead of steam rooms, public baths called “sento” have hot water baths in which people actually sit, sweat and relax. Since 1927, the Daikoku-Yu bathhouse has been operating in Tokyo, which is called the “King of Sento”. From the outside, the bathhouse looks the same as it did in the distant 20s, resembling a Buddhist temple in appearance. But inside, extensive renovations and improvements were made in the late 90s. There are hot baths with temperatures up to 45 degrees, as well as cold and massage ones, there is even an outdoor bath. Tourists are amazed by the calm and leisurely atmosphere that reigns inside the bathhouse, both among clients and staff. But it is the complete relaxation of body and soul that gives its healing effect.

10. Dragon Hill Spa, Korea

Dragon Hill Spa in Seoul, Korea is a real Disneyland bathhouse! Entire families come here, and tickets are sold not for an hour or two, but for 12 hours. There really is something to do here. The seven floors of the complex are occupied not only by baths and swimming pools, but also by spa salons, massage rooms, a fitness club, a cafe and restaurant, and even a golf course. The main feature of the complex is the original dry steam rooms. In one, the floor is covered with layers of salt, the other is decorated with jade, the surface of the third is covered with cypress, and the fourth is heated with pine wood. There are also wet steam rooms and baths, as well as an ice room with a real snowman, where you can undergo a cryotherapy session. Men's and women's areas are located separately, there are relaxation rooms and a beautiful hall in a medieval style.

The bathhouse has long and firmly entered into our lives, not only as a place where you can relieve stress and improve your health. For modern people, a bathhouse with a steam room near the water has already become the same attribute as a car or a country house or apartment. And in most cases, authors and customers try not to limit themselves to a boring box or extension in the apartment in order to put their whole soul into it and please their friends and family with the originality of the design.

How to design a bathhouse

The most original and unusual baths are always built from wood. Firstly, this is the tradition and vast centuries-old experience of building a bathhouse on the ground, next to nature and water. Secondly, wood is rightly considered the most convenient material for any building, especially since it is impossible to make a real steam room from materials other than wood.

What types of wooden baths are there? There are good and bad, there are much fewer ugly buildings in nature, because even when building the simplest hewn bathhouse from timber or round logs, the craftsmen put so much imagination and soul into it that it would be hard to call it ugly.

The structures can be roughly divided into main groups of baths:

In addition to those listed, there are many buildings that are difficult to attribute to any of the groups; they are interesting and unusual, sometimes they look like a joke, but for the most part these are real baths in which you can have a great steam bath and relax by the water, despite their unusual appearance.

Wooden baths

The possibilities of using wood in the design and construction of steam rooms are almost unlimited, even in an apartment. At the same time, it is often difficult at first glance to even understand that in front of you is a bathhouse made of timber or a residential building.

Saunas made of timber and logs

Most often, these types of baths are either simplified to a log house, reminiscent of an old hut from a Russian fairy tale, or built on a grand scale in the most bizarre forms. The simplest would be a bathhouse made of timber, specially treated and profiled material with a cross-section of at least 150x150 mm. From such material you can build as complex and beautiful structures as you like, even for an apartment; they will all be strong and durable.

Buildings in the form of barrels, various figures or unusual piles look interesting.

Unusual design solutions of the structure force the paired rooms to be designed accordingly in the same unusual shapes and bends.

A bathhouse made from debarked and rounded logs, especially near the water, looks somehow more exotic and brighter. But in construction it is much more difficult, since it is formed using old techniques for connecting log houses. If you wish, you can always build something unusual with pronounced antique features. Against their background, a bathhouse made of timber looks somehow too ordinary and boring.

Unlike timber, a log vault requires a lot of additional protective and thermal insulation measures. But in design and expressiveness, the log version looks more picturesque, especially if it stands somewhere near the water, on the edge of a pine forest.

Designs for recreation on the water

A water bath is more unusual for our perception. Most often, the purpose of installing a building in close proximity to the shore is the so-called contrast swimming in cold water. According to the old Russian method, you need to run from the hot steam room and plunge into soft lake or river water. After such stress in cold water, the body seems to acquire new reserves of strength and energy. Not everyone can run to free water and not get killed on a slippery clay or muddy bank. Therefore, a water bath is taken as far into the water as possible or special wooden paths are built for access to clean water.

For example, in Finland there is a dugout bathhouse with an exit directly into the water of the lake. In terms of popularity, such a bathhouse is not inferior to modern saunas, and, interestingly, it has been smoking near the water since 1906, for more than a hundred years.

Such buildings near the water can be modular, in the form of mobile houses, containers or even barrels. They are easy to bring and install near the water, at the beginning of the season, in your favorite place in the river or bay.

The desire to go as far from the shore as possible has grown into a new form of water bath. In fact, this is no longer a self-propelled craft, on which a wooden house with a stove and a pipe is installed. This approach makes it possible to be closer to clean water, away from mosquitoes and coastal vegetation. It is clear that there are a great many options for building for water recreation, with cauldron-shaped baths and antique Japanese water barrels.

Relaxing on the water in such an unusual bathhouse requires extremely stringent fire safety measures, because a fire, especially at a distance from the shore, can lead to fatal consequences within a few minutes.

Bathhouse in the apartment

In trying to adapt a bathhouse for an apartment, a city dweller turned out to be no less inventive than those who like to relax in a steam room in nature. But, unlike in rural areas, where there is a supply of water and a place to jump out in case of fire, a ignited steam room in an apartment can destroy not only the owner’s home, but also the neighbors’ apartments.

The advantages of such pairs are obvious:

1. You can steam your bones and muscles in your apartment at any time of the day or night; it’s much more convenient than wasting a lot of time traveling out of town to a dacha or a public steam room;
2. The apartment option is an ideal means for preventing rheumatism and combating autumn colds;
3. Having your own steam room in the apartment is a guarantee of hygiene and cleanliness.

Modern bathhouses for apartments are almost always made to order by specialized companies or purchased as ready-made kits. Branded designs are much safer and more reliable for an apartment, given the fact that heating air and steam using electric heaters in such a bath always requires very reliable wiring and protection against electric shock in water.

Most often these are box-shaped structures made of wood, some of them resemble an old telephone booth, but the external appearance and design of such options do not spoil the decor of the apartment. Most often, for reasons of convenience, baths are placed as close as possible to the water source - near the bathtub or shower in the apartment.

It’s rare, but you can still find interesting bathhouse designs - homemade ones for an apartment, designed for a couple of people. Despite all the inconveniences, their creators are happy to use the steam room in their own apartment. Some of them can even be placed in the living room of an apartment.

The design looks interesting. You can stay in such a bathhouse for an apartment for a long time without experiencing problems with breathing or overheating from hot water.

Without hesitation, you can call the design for an apartment shown in the photo the simplest and smallest sauna. This bathhouse design can, if desired, even be stored on the mezzanine or in any other place in the apartment.

Unusual shapes of baths

The shape and design can be the most unusual or even unexpected in its decision. So you can find a design in the form of a cable car cabin or in the shape of a pyramid. But such design options are not always aimed at getting full-fledged steam and relaxation by the water; rather, it is a way of self-expression.

Separately, we can recall the category of designs in the style of “wild nature by the water”. This can be a building in the form of a pile of stones or hidden in the crown of trees, on branches.

Baths in the form of unusual extensions in the apartment look exotic.

Bathhouse from a gun carriage

Among the many types of baths, this one is especially popular among novice builders. As a rule, installing a sauna box from a log with your own hands is beyond the capabilities of a DIYer. It is necessary to use an unusual material - a carriage, or a carriage block. Essentially, this is a debarked log, 35-40 cm in diameter, whose side “cheeks” are cut off, and the lower and upper supporting surfaces are profiled with an arc.

One of the options for a bathhouse made from a gun carriage is shown in the photo; at first glance, there is nothing unusual about it. The box resembles one of the types of timber construction, but this is only at first glance.

In practice, the use of such an unusual material provides considerable advantages:

• The corner lock pattern is significantly simplified;
• Good sealing at inter-crown joints, no need to caulk the carriage every year;
• After completion of the shrinkage processes, the walls of the bathhouse made of unusual material are much stronger than traditional log ones;
• The smooth flat surface of the walls simplifies finishing; you can easily hang furniture, a shelf, a picture, or cover it with clapboard with virtually no loss of useful space in the bathhouse.

For your information! Craftsmen say that 300 years ago ships and fortresses were built from gun carriages, so you can easily imagine how durable bathhouses made from unusual material can be.

The most important thing is that building a bathhouse from a gun carriage has a completely different look than a timber or log structure. It cannot be called cheap, since you have to cut the log on a sawmill, but in many respects the unusual material turns out to be more preferable, especially if this type of bathhouse is built in a warm climate.

Bathhouse underground

Building a steam room underground today looks like an outlandish or unusual solution, but half a century ago, most types of “black” baths were made in the form of a dugout.

This steam room looks like a village cellar; it was unusual to see a chimney and ventilation hood above the dugout.

The main advantage of these types of baths is the unusually low price of construction. For the walls of the steam room, slabs or dead wood trunks are used; dried moss, branches of fruit trees and shrubs are used for insulation. One thing can be said - such an unusual sauna is not inferior in quality to an expensive log sauna, and its construction will cost a couple of thousand plus a stove and waterproofing material.

Bathhouse from a barn

The first thing that all summer residents try to do before building a full-fledged bathhouse is to turn the existing barn into something like a simple steam room. In the summer, as a rule, for such an unusual transformation of a utility block into a sauna, it is enough to cover the walls with a tarpaulin and foil polyethylene foam using a stapler.

The heater is made from a potbelly stove, with the pipe leading out into the barn window. In fact, this type of bathhouse is considered the most numerous, since all temporary steam rooms on construction sites and summer cottages are built on a similar principle.

Polycarbonate bath

Assembling a steam room made of transparent plastic is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance. Moreover, cellular polycarbonate retains heat perfectly. An unusual bathhouse can be made in a mini factor, as in the photo, or you can make a full-fledged steam room in the form of an extension to a barn or house.

In the latter case, you will need to first assemble the wooden frame of the unusual bathhouse, and secure the polycarbonate itself with an overlap and gluing the joints with tape or polyethylene.

According to reviews, the process of steaming in a transparent bath in the middle of snow and frost gives a very unusual sensation.

Kung sauna

Making a steam room from an aluminum car booth will require a lot of effort in order to find a suitable sample. After being written off, good-quality, insulated cabins or shift shelters are sold out like hot cakes.

No special modifications are required to equip such an unusual bathhouse. The change house is installed on a columnar foundation and the interior is lined with clapboard.

In the side niches of the kung there is always enough space to install a stove, a supply of firewood and even a small gasoline generator, if the place for an unusual bathhouse is chosen somewhere in the forest or on the shore of a lake.

Of all the listed types of baths, this one is best suited for fishermen, hunters and simply those who like to relax in nature.

We build a cellar with our own hands

Bani Gellert (Budapest, Hungary)

Where: H-1118 Budapest, Kelenhegyi út 4

There are 118 thermal springs in Budapest. The ancient Romans took steam in them, and in the 16th century, together with the Turks, the first hammams appeared here. But the glory of the European capital of steam was brought to the city by the majestic bath complexes built at the beginning of the 20th century. And the most famous of them is Gellert, a masterpiece of Budapest Art Nouveau, which opened in 1918 at the foot of the hill of the same name on the banks of the Danube.

A doorman at the entrance, marble columns, tall arched vaults, stained glass windows in the lobby, mosaics in the baths and steam rooms - all the signs of great style are evident here: it is not without reason that they say about Gellert that when you swim in its pool, it seems like you are taking a bath in a cathedral. On the lower level there is a hammam with eucalyptus steam, a sauna with an antique clock and three baths - with cold, warm and hot water. Here, for a fee, you can order massages, mud baths and other therapeutic procedures.

On the floor above is the same “cathedral” pool with a retractable roof, the appearance of which is reminiscent of Roman baths: a two-tiered colonnade with a gallery at the top encircles its perimeter. In the 1930s, during the reign of Admiral Horthy, the best balls in the city were thrown here: the pool was covered with a glass floor, and an orchestra was located in the gallery. Now there are only palm trees in tubs and a cafe where you can drink a cup of coffee with Unicum balsam or just a glass of Tokaji. Or you can go out into the courtyard, where there is another swimming pool - with an artificial wave, stone cascading terraces and a pavilion decorated with majolica, worthy of the best palace parks in Europe.

Cost of visit: from 3600 (weekdays) to 3900 (weekends) forints (€13-15)

Rauhaniemi (Tampere, Finland)

Where: Rauhaniementie 24

Tampere is home to Finland's oldest sauna, Rajaportin, built in 1906. But the younger Rahaniemi sauna (it appeared in 1929) is much more popular - and not only among the locals: this place is called the best sauna for walruses in Finland.

Rauhaniemi stands on the shore of the large beautiful lake Näsijärvi, and in winter heated paths lead from the sauna to its shore, ending in a spacious ice hole into which a staircase with railings descends. In the polynya (water temperature from two to four degrees) pot-bellied Finns and portly Finns, as well as rare and timid foreigners of various sizes, snort and grunt. Then, all together, they sedately head out to warm up, and for these purposes, there are actually two saunas in Rauhaniemi (the largest - which is also the hottest - can accommodate 70 people).

Having thoroughly steamed, the red-bodied people slowly return to the ice hole - and so on three or four times. Before leaving the sauna, it is considered good form to ask: “Heitankyo löulüya?” — shouldn’t we add a couple, that is? And if everyone says “Heyta vaan” or simply “Kyullya”, then you need to splash some water on the hot stones. By the way, in summer the quality of steam is no worse, you can even sunbathe on the beach, and next to the stairs leading to the former wormwood, you will see a two-meter diving tower.

Cost of visit: €4,5

Daikoku-Yu (Tokyo, Japan)

Where: 32-6 Senju Kotobuki-cho, Adachi-ku

In traditional Japanese public baths, instead of steam rooms, sento are hot water baths where you sit, sweat and relax. And the Tokyo bathhouse Daikoku-Yu, which has been operating since 1927, is called the king of sento. In the nineties, it underwent a large-scale reconstruction, which affected mostly the internal structure: from the outside, the bathhouse still looks exactly the same as it did eighty years ago, and is more reminiscent of a Buddhist temple.

Daikoku-Yu is open from three in the afternoon until midnight, and inside there is sterile cleanliness and a snail's calm and leisurely pace. Behind the locker room with small lockers for clothes, scales and massage chairs is a room with a full-wall view of Fuji, water taps and three baths, including massage ones. In the hot ones the water temperature is 42 degrees, but there is also a cold one, 15 degrees.

In the courtyard, under the roof, there is a roten buro - this is the name for an open-air bath. It has the same 42 degrees, and around there is a small garden with a traditional stone lamp: contemplation also helps you relax and forget about the vain. Usually people with tattoos are not allowed into the sento, but in Daikoku-Yu it is quite possible to sit in the bath next to a yakuza covered in designs from head to toe. In the bathhouse, however, they are very good-natured.

Cost of visit:¥430 (approximately $5.4)

Sauna Deco (Amsterdam, Holland)

Where: Herengracht 115, 1015 BE

Surprisingly, an old Parisian department store played a major role in the fate of a small sauna in the center of Amsterdam. When in the 1970s the owners of the famous Le Bon Marche store decided to update the interior, decorated in the 1920s according to the sketches of the recognized master of Art Deco, architect Louis-Hippolyte Boileau, a huge number of decorative details were simply dismantled. The efficient Dutch acquired them, giving their bathhouse the appropriate name.

The wooden staircase with a bronze cast balustrade, along which Parisian women hurried to do their shopping, now leads to the second floor of the sauna in the relaxation room, a glass elevator shaft separates the swimming pool from the rest of the premises, and the gilded stained glass windows in the lounge and swimming pool used to be lanterns on the roof of the department store. Now people of both sexes wander around these luxurious Parisian interiors completely naked and wrapped in towels: like most Dutch baths, Sauna Deco is mixed, and swimsuits are not allowed here.

After visiting two saunas with different temperatures and a hammam with eucalyptus steam, you can go to the pool with hydromassage, relax in the tiny garden in the courtyard, and then head to the lounge to look at photographs of that same department store: it turns out to be a pyramidal glowing object on the floor, which is crowned with a vase of flowers , used to be a chandelier in the sales area. Another reason to visit Sauna Deco is the best massage therapists in Amsterdam, with whom you need to make an appointment in advance. In addition, the local beauty salon offers wraps and facial treatments with seaweed, which is specially brought from Brittany.

Cost of visit: €21

Gedyk Pasha (Istanbul, Türkiye)

Where: Hamam Cad. No. 65 - 67 Gedikpaşa, Beyazit

Gedyk Pasha Hammam, which is located next to the Beyazit Mosque and the Grand Bazaar, is one of the oldest in Istanbul: it was built under Mehmed the Conqueror, in 1475. Most guidebooks write that only local residents go there, however, it may happen that the locals will be in the minority in the bathhouse, but there will be many tourists who have read the guidebooks. Tourists, as a rule, leave here not too satisfied and disappointed in their expectations: the bathhouse attendants are lazy, and the massage is weak.

But in fact, this is one of the best hammams in the city, and tipping will greatly improve your experience. In the hall with a marble fountain they give out peshtemals - either towels or sheets, without which it is not customary to be in the hammam. In the center of the main hall, which is called hararet, there is a large marble elevation, gebektashi, that is, “belly stone.” This stone is hot, and the bath attendants lay the clients on it and perform a peeling massage using a hard mitten (it rids the skin of a layer of dead cells), and also wrap it in foam from head to toe and properly knead the body (in the women’s section, the bath attendants still and sing long songs). In Hararet, by the way, it is not too hot, because here it is customary not to steam, but rather to languish, from time to time diving into the cool pool. However, the hammam also has a small sauna.

Cost of visit: 50 Turkish lira, or approximately $30 (massage included in price)

Sandunovskie Bani (Moscow, Russia)

Where: st. Neglinnaya, 14, pp. 3-7

The most famous Moscow baths were founded, oddly enough, by an actor: Sila Nikolaevich Sandunov served as a comedian at the Imperial Theater, but took his business project seriously. Having sold, as legend has it, a diamond necklace given by Catherine II to his wife for her wedding, he bought up plots on the banks of the Neglinka River, which had not yet been hidden in a pipe, and in 1808 opened stone baths. Subsequently, Sanduny changed owners many times, and by the end of the century it had become very dilapidated, so the next owners - millionaire Vera Firsanova and her husband, guards lieutenant Alexei Ganetsky - decided to build a new bathhouse in the same place.

The complex of buildings, built according to the design of the architect Freudenberg, is a masterpiece of eclecticism: through the pompous neo-baroque arch of the main facade, a “Moorish” arch in the courtyard is visible, and in the interiors with marble columns, stucco and gilding, you can find everything from Gothic to Art Nouveau. The clientele of Sanduny, which reopened in 1896, was as diverse as the interiors: ordinary people washed for 5 and 10 kopecks, and serious merchants rested in a luxurious department for fifty dollars per person: with a hairdresser, fireplace and separate offices for 5 and 10 rubles.

The system of “ranks” has been preserved to this day: in modern Sanduny there are five departments - three men’s and two women’s, but all the main beauties are the “Gothic” hall with wooden carvings, the “Turkish” one with ceiling paintings and stucco moldings, and the swimming pool with the Ionic colonnade, where Eisenstein filmed episode of “Battleship Potemkin”, are open only to visitors of the highest male category. However, the famous Sandunovo steam, about which Chaliapin said that it “frees” the voice, is still available to everyone - as well as the services of bathhouse attendants who work here in dynasties.

Cost of visit: 1500-1800 rubles

Kotiharju (Helsinki, Finland)

Where: Harjutorinkatu 1, 00500

Just half a century ago there were about one hundred and twenty public saunas in Helsinki, but now there are only a few left (Finns now prefer to arrange private saunas in the basements of high-rise buildings or even in apartments). And there’s only one that runs on wood: Kotiharju, located in the working-class district of Kallio, which, in Finnish style, is slowly going through the process of gentrification.

This sauna (a family enterprise, by the way, which belongs to the couple Risto and Merja Holopainen) was built in 1928, and in 1999 it was thoroughly reconstructed - with the help of the Helsinki Culture Capital Foundation: in commemoration of the fact that the year 2000 of Helsinki became the cultural capital of Europe.

There are one and a half tons of stones in the heater there, and to heat up the sauna, you need a cubic meter of firewood and five to six hours of time. Whether to add a couple or not, according to tradition, is decided by those who sit on the top, hottest benches. Regulars from neighboring neighborhoods, students, creative intelligentsia - and, of course, tourists come here. To cool down, hot visitors, wrapped in towels, go straight out into the street - drink beer and sing songs in chorus in front of passers-by, who, if not sing along, then listen attentively. They also offer excellent massages.

Cost of visit:€10, subscription for 10 visits – €90; birch broom – €5

Dragon Hill Spa (Seoul, Korea)

Where: Yongsan Gu, Hangang-ro Dong 40-713

Korean couples do not tolerate fuss, and whole families come to the local bathhouses - jimjilbans - not only to steam, but also to eat, take a nap and chat. At Dragon Hill Spa in Seoul, entrance tickets are sold immediately for 12 hours - this is a real Disney bathhouse, on seven floors of which, in addition to steam rooms and swimming pools, there are restaurants, cafes, a fitness club, a cinema and even a golf course. At the entrance, visitors are given a uniform (shorts and T-shirts), which will be needed when visiting mixed zones, and special electronic bracelets, which contain information about all purchases made - from drinks to massages.

In separate men's and women's areas there are wet steam baths and a variety of baths: with sea water, with ginseng, with aromatic herbs, as well as mud, hydromassage and cold baths. After water procedures, it is worth going for the famous Korean peeling: with the help of a special viscose glove, a layer of dead skin cells is scraped off from visitors, and the skin becomes soft, like a baby’s. The mixed area has a huge tatami lounge, where you can even stay overnight if you wish (many jimjilbans are open 24 hours a day and are a cheap alternative to hotels).

Nearby are several rooms decorated like medieval palace halls: tourists love to take pictures in them. But the main feature of Dragon Hill Spa is the original dry steam rooms: one is heated with pine wood, another is decorated with cypress, the third is jade, the fourth has a floor covered with heated salt crystals, there is also a steam room with yellow clay and an ice room with a real snowman.

Cost of visit: 10,000-12,000 won (about €8)

Orbeliani (Tbilisi, Georgia)

Where: Abanotubani, st. Joseph Grishashvili

Tbilisi owes its appearance and its name to sulfur springs. According to legend, King Vakhtang Gorgasali shot a deer in the Kura Valley, but it fell to a hot spring, was healed and was like that - and Vakhtang ordered to found a city in that very place, called Tbilisi (from the word “tbili” - “warm”).

Later, a whole area of ​​sulfur baths appeared on the springs - Abanotubani, which still exists: the baths themselves are underground, but on the surface only their large domes with turrets on top are visible. The most famous institution is the Orbeliani bathhouse (named after the former owner), also known as the Blue or Motley, similar to a mosque - with a pointed facade, two small minarets and decorated with blue-blue tiles.

It is believed (and this legend is diligently maintained) that Pushkin visited its third room during a trip to Arzrum, and on the wall of the bathhouse hangs a sign with his quote: “I have never seen anything more luxurious than the Tiflis baths.” The noseless bathhouse attendant Hassan then worked on Alexander Sergeevich: he broke his limbs, pulled out his joints and beat him hard with his fist, and the poet felt not pain, but amazing relief.

Nowadays you won’t meet noseless mekise (that’s what bath attendants are called), but they still give an excellent massage on a marble trestle bed, then, like Pushkin, they rub with a kisa - a rough woolen mitten, removing the unnecessary layer of dead skin, and then lather with weightless foam - and wash it off already from a completely different, new person.

Cost of visit: from 5 GEL (approximately €2)

Thermal baths Friedrichsbad (Baden-Baden, Germany)

Where: Römerplatz 1, D-76530

The majestic building in the spirit of a Renaissance palazzo was built in Baden-Baden in 1869-1877 by the architect Karl Dernfeld - on the personal orders of the Grand Duke of Baden, Frederick I, who dreamed of reviving the culture of the ancient Roman baths that existed on this site 2000 years ago. The facade of Friedrichsbad is decorated with statues of Asclepius and Hygieia, and the interior partly follows the layout of the Roman baths, with a men's and women's wing of steam rooms and baths and a round pool in the central rotunda with a marble colonnade. There is a gallery with healing drinking waters, but the main thing, of course, is the baths themselves, in which, in full accordance with the ancient dress code, swimsuits are prohibited. On Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, women and men steam separately and meet only in the thermal pool; on other days, all Friedrichsbad premises are open to both sexes. The local baths are often called Roman-Irish: the exotic hybrid owes its birth to the Irish doctor Richard Barter, an active promoter of hydrotherapy, who supplemented the Roman dry steam with wet Turkish steam and insisted on the combination of steam rooms and baths of different temperatures in one chain. The bath ritual now existing in Friedrichsbad is based on his method and consists of 17 stages. It all starts with dry steam rooms (54 and 68 degrees), followed by a soapy massage, then wet steam rooms, which are no longer so hot, and finally, thermal hydromassage pools, each of which is a little colder than the previous one. After water treatments, guests enter the rest room: attendants carefully wrap them in sheets and blankets, lay them on beds and ask when to wake them up. When falling asleep, many remember the words of Mark Twain, who, having visited Friedrichsbad, said: “After ten minutes here you forget about time, and after twenty you forget about everything in the world.”

Cost of visit:€21 (for 3 hours), with soapy massage – €31 (3.5 hours)

Xiao Nan Guo Tang He Yuan (Shanghai, China)

Where: F2, Xiao Nan Guo Restaurant, No.3337, Hongmei Road

Built in 2002, the five-story building next to the famous Shanghai restaurant Xiao Nan Guo is a stunning hybrid of a spa center and an entertainment complex with an area of ​​12,000 square meters: a thousand people can relax here at the same time.

Guests are greeted by a lobby worthy of a five-star hotel: a marble reception desk, luxurious chandeliers and music played by a mechanical piano, the keys of which move on their own. Women guests are given blue Hawaiian muumuu dresses instead of bath sheets, men are given green short pajamas with shorts, and children, accordingly, are given mini versions of one or the other: whole families come here.

The most helpful people from Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand work here, who provide dozens of massages, rejuvenating body scrubs (every square centimeter of skin is treated with hard mittens - except, of course, the most delicate places) and all kinds of facial masks, as well as fifty other spas. procedures.

Among the actual bath options, there are, for example, a variety of baths (including milk and Japanese ofuro), steam and low-temperature saunas (in the women's section - with a large TV showing local soap operas), as well as swimming pools. And after the procedures - or even during a break between them - you can play mahjong or ping-pong, sing karaoke or have a snack: there are several cafes with good dim sum, noodles and more refined offerings.

Cost of visit: 58 yuan, massages - from 48 yuan (about $7.5-9)

Liquidrom (Berlin, Germany)

Where: Möckernstrasse 10, 10963

Opened in 2005 in the German capital, the Liquidrom is a real bathhouse of the 21st century and, perhaps, the only place on earth where, while soaking in the pool after a steam room, you can listen to a DJ set. Minimalist interiors are dominated by natural gray-green stone and concrete; the only exceptions are the steam rooms decorated with wood, of which there are four: a wet sauna, a Finnish sauna, a salt cave and a panoramic sauna with a glass wall, trimmed with dead Karelian pine.

Once an hour in the Finnish sauna they do one of the signature treatments for free: light salt, honey or aromatic massage. For those who want a serious massage - such as Balinese herbal bags or Thai hot stones - there is a spa nearby. After the steam room and treatments, guests go to the outdoor terrace, decorated with wood, to take a nap on the sun loungers or lie in a small warm bath, also lined with wood in the Japanese style.

But the main attraction of Liquidrome is located inside, under a concrete dome - it is a large round pool with sea water. There is always twilight, colored lighting and music, and the speakers are installed underwater, so when you dive, it seems as if you are wearing headphones with loud music playing. DJs perform here in the evenings, and on Fridays candles are placed around the perimeter of the pool and live concerts are held in a variety of genres - from string classical to jazz and electronics.

Cost of visit: 2 hours – €19.5; 4 hours – €24.5

Rzhev Baths (Moscow, Russia)

Where: Banny pr., 3, building 1

The Rzhev baths have been operating uninterruptedly in the capital for more than 120 years - in 1888 they were opened in Korzunovsky Lane (now Banny Proezd) by the merchant of the second guild Ivan Malyshev. Later, from Malyshevsky they turned into Krestovsky, and the current name was assigned to the bathhouse during the war - military units going to the front from the nearby Rzhevsky (now Rizhsky) station washed themselves there.

The morals here have always been democratic - the main contingent, even before the revolution, consisted of people of ordinary rank, small merchants and students. The interiors, accordingly, are not outstanding, although recently there was a major renovation, after which VIP rooms and a sauna appeared.

But that’s not why people go to the Rzhev Baths - lovers and connoisseurs of a real Russian bath come to Banny Proezd from all over the city for the traditional steam room - here it’s a real ritual. Steam is prepared every half hour: they pour water into the stove-heater in gangs, sprinkle the walls of the steam room with infusions of chamomile and wormwood, and only then let people inside.

According to the old Moscow tradition, they lie in the steam room right on the floor (the steam is so hot that many people enter on all fours), the steamer (there are several of them, each has its own day and its own audience, which comes exactly on this day) stands in the center, asks for silence and begins to perform sacred rituals: “scooping up” the steam from above with a broom or towel, he “douses” it in turn on all the people lying on the floor. Having plunged into a cold bath in the soap compartment after such steam, you feel absolute bliss - in the most precise meaning of the word.

Cost of visit: 800 rubles (on weekends - 850 rubles)

Onsen Funaoka (Kyoto, Japan)

Where: 82-1 Murasakino Minamifunaoka-cho, Kita-ku

Onsen means hot spring in Japanese; the same word is also used for baths using warm mineral water. Funaoka is a historical bathhouse: it opened in Kyoto back in 1923, and the original interiors are still perfectly preserved. True, unlike Sandun or Istanbul hammams, the bath area here, as in most traditional Japanese sento baths, is decorated modestly, but the changing room is a real museum. The walls here are decorated with painted tiles and carved bas-reliefs made of Japanese cedar, representing battle scenes from the Taisho period (1912-1926), and the wood-paneled ceiling is decorated with a colored high relief depicting the Tengu: this mythological monster with wings and a huge nose not only scares travelers in the mountains with thunderous laughter , but also loves cleanliness.

From here you can cross a wooden bridge to the bath area, where the usual taps, basins and showers are located, as well as several ofuro - baths with hot water (45-50 degrees), where it is customary to soak, having first washed thoroughly. In Funaoka, in addition to ofuro with mineral water and medicinal Chinese herbs, there is also an “electric bath” denkiburo: a weak electric current passes between two metal electrode plates built into its walls - the Japanese believe that this procedure strengthens muscles and stimulates blood circulation. Nearby there is also a sauna with a TV, and next to it there is a cold bath with a faucet in the shape of a lion's mouth. But the most meditative ofuro is in the courtyard, where you can take a hot bath overlooking a koi pond and rock garden.

Cost of visit:¥410 (approximately $5.2)

Let's start with the most interesting thing - what is a beautiful bathhouse made of timber, by what criteria and who evaluates it, on the basis of which a bathhouse can be assigned this “status”. By what criteria will we determine the beauty of a bath?

The beauty of a bath does not depend on its size, as some owners think. There may be a small bathhouse that is perfect in all respects. Or maybe a huge building, reminiscent of an ordinary barracks and indicating a complete lack of sense of reality of its owner. It also happens the other way around, of course.

Price. In this case, it is not worth saving; beautiful buildings are not created from low-quality cheap materials. But in everything you need to observe moderation - a “golden toilet” in a bathhouse is also not a sign of beauty. Each item or element of the bath should be made taking into account generally accepted standards.

Beauty concept. This is a very conditional definition, some like tall and thin women, while others prefer short and plump ones. Who can give an objective assessment of beauty? Objectively, no one, and rightly so. Hence, a beautiful bathhouse made of timber should, first of all, please its owner, and not those around him. It’s very nice when your ideas about beauty coincide with the opinions of others; if they don’t coincide, listen to your voice. In the end, you are building a beautiful bathhouse to please yourself, and not to provide food for empty speculation to various “experts and critics.”

VIP – sauna made of laminated timber
Project of a one-story Finnish bathhouse

Interior of a one-story Finnish bathhouse with a veranda
Interior of a Finnish steam bath

Layout of a one-story Finnish bath

Taking into account the above, we will present to you, in our opinion, several beautiful bathhouses made of timber. We don’t hope that absolutely everyone will like them; everyone will have their own opinion. And this is very good, otherwise architects would be left without work, and all baths would be “twin brothers”.

Bathhouse 6x4 with veranda
Bathhouse appearance

Bathhouse, rear view Bathhouse layout 6x4 plus veranda

The dimensions of the building are 7.65×7.65 m. The roof is a gable sloped insulated roof, the slopes are of various lengths. The roof covering is made of high-quality flexible tiles. The bathhouse fits perfectly into the existing design of the suburban area. The presence of autonomous heating allows you to use the bathhouse all year round, and not just during the warm season.

A spacious beautiful terrace makes it possible to relax on it not only after taking water treatments. Inside there is a steam room and a washing room, a toilet and a rest room, and there is a separate technical room for maintenance.

Architectural features of the bathhouse	Description	Illustration
Foundation.	Shallow reinforced belt on a sand bed. The base and chimney are lined with natural stone. All ventilation openings are covered with decorative grilles.
Log house	The material of manufacture is laminated veneer lumber, the outer side is sanded. The final coating of the facade walls of the bathhouse is made of three layers of durable transparent varnish.
Internal lining.	The premises are lined with natural lining, the surfaces are varnished. Vapor and waterproofing are used. For insulation, rolled mineral wool 100 mm thick was chosen. The ceiling and walls of the washing and steam room are insulated with aluminum foil.
Ceilings.	There are ceilings only in the steam room and washing room; in other rooms the ceiling is the cladding of the rafter system. The roof is insulated with mineral wool. All visible wooden elements are varnished. This roof arrangement allows you to significantly increase the volume of the premises and give them an original, exclusive look. Lighting fixtures are mounted on the structural elements of the rafter system.
Floors.	In all rooms, except the washing room, the floors are made of natural boards. The washing room has heated floors on a concrete base, and foam concrete is used to reduce unproductive heat losses. The floor heating system in the washing room is connected to the heating system of the bathhouse.
Roof.	The coating material is high-quality flexible tiles, the top coating of the tiles is mineral chips. The base of bitumen shingles is non-woven fiber with increased physical strength indicators; the service life of the tiles exceeds fifty years.
Windows and doors.	Made from natural wood, they have an original geometric shape. The interior doors are paneled using stained glass. The entrance doors are carved oak with additional decorative elements.
Network engineering.	The sewage system is autonomous, there is a complete cleaning and accumulation system. A single-phase electrical network is connected to the bathhouse, there is a grounding loop, and internal wiring is carried out with a three-core cable. The stove for the steam room is solid fuel on wood, the firebox opens into the technical room. To heat the interior and floor of the washing room, an electric boiler with fully automated control is installed. It is possible to connect all electrical devices to the smart home system.

The bathhouse is used all year round; if desired, the interior premises can be used as an additional reception area. The presence of a kitchen in the recreation room significantly expands the functionality of the room.

The next project has more impressive dimensions, which makes it possible to improve the status of the bathhouse and create excellent conditions in it not only for taking water procedures, but also for proper rest on ordinary days.

Overall dimensions are 9x9 meters, which allows you to increase the area of ​​the interior to the optimal level. There is a steam room (8.41 m2), shower room (6.87 m2), relaxation room (2.89 m2), separate storage room (7.91 m2), sanitary unit (1.56 m2) and vestibule (3.25 m2 ). The impressive size terrace (16.86 m2) can accommodate a large number of guests at any time of the year. The floors on the terrace are made of special boards made using plastics - they do not rot, are not afraid of freezing/freezing, and have high wear resistance.

Architectural features of the bathhouse

The bathhouse is built from profiled timber, in the corners there is a connection with the rest, the roofing material is high-quality ondulin.

The veranda looks very original; the use of timber as fencing not only increases the reliability of the structure, but also significantly improves the appearance of the structure, gives it solidity and increases reliability.

The foundation is shallow reinforced strip foundation, there are ventilation ducts and technical openings for drainage.

Prices for ondulin

Video - Do-it-yourself shallow strip foundation

The holes are “masked” with decorative grilles. The base is finished with natural stone, around the building there is a blind area made of concrete and natural stone.

The frame is made of profiled timber 150×150 mm, the external walls are covered with durable paints in several layers. All architectural wooden elements are impregnated with antiseptics.

The doors and windows have a darker color - the bathhouse is artificially aged. The last three crowns of the log house gradually increase in length in the corners, the bathhouse takes on the appearance of an ancient “merchant’s house”. All visible connections of wooden structures are made without the use of nails and screws; complex wood notches are widely used. The steps are concrete, finished with natural stone.

The interior spaces are insulated with 100 mm thick pressed mineral wool. Modern materials are used for steam and water protection; the steam room and washing room are insulated with aluminum coatings - the penetration of moisture into wooden structures is completely eliminated. The upholstery of the interior walls is natural lining; the interiors have a lot of carved wooden decor. Ceiling and floor skirting boards are distinguished by a unique profile and increased cleanliness of processing.

Inside the premises there are many hand-carved wooden objects; the use of furniture and finishing materials of artificial origin is kept to a minimum. The bathhouse should be attractive not only from the outside; the interiors of the premises are very important for a comprehensive assessment of the beauty of the building.

Prices for wooden plinths

wooden baseboard

Video – Carved decor for a wooden bath

Now let's move on to an even more original and beautiful project for a bathhouse with a swimming pool.

The perimeter dimensions are 14.1x9.9 meters, the bathhouse has an indoor pool with an area of ​​47.35 m2. The premises have a relaxation room with a fireplace, a shower, a steam room, a storage room, two warm vestibules and a porch. The windows and doors are made of natural wood, the walls are insulated from the inside. It should be noted that all beautiful and expensive baths do not have additional finishing of the facade walls, they only have a natural look.

The premises are heated - the bathhouse is used all year round. There is a water supply system, sewerage and autonomous heating. The heating boiler is electric with an electronic control system; it is possible to automatically turn on the heating system to preheat the interior. If the sauna premises are not used for a long time, the boiler can only maintain the “standby” temperature. Eliminates the appearance of unpleasant odors and mold.

The material of the external walls is rounded timber, the internal partitions are insulated frame, clapboard cladding with imitation logs. Carved decorative elements were used to decorate the rest room; the room is divided into several separate zones. The floors in all rooms (except the shower) are wooden. The shower floor is made of ceramic tiles and is heated; the coolant is taken from a common boiler. The shower room has separate temperature control. Water for the shower is taken from the second circuit of the heating boiler.

The roof is a complex broken one, the slope angle is 30°, which gives the bathhouse a resemblance to ancient buildings. The attic spaces are not used, but the roof is insulated. This was done specifically with the expectation that, if necessary, they can be easily used. The main entrance to the attic is from the storage room, the spare one is from the rest room. If desired, the bathhouse owner can install a wooden spiral staircase to the attic in a minimal amount of time.

The roof covering is made of high-quality ondulin with increased thickness. The top layers of the material have increased resistance to hard ultraviolet radiation. The color of the coating is selected taking into account the design of existing buildings on the site.

The swimming pool is the pride of the bathhouse owners. A complex of sophisticated equipment for cleaning, disinfecting and heating water has been installed. The walls of the pool are made of special durable concrete, the surfaces are treated with high-quality materials with waterproof properties - leaks are completely eliminated. The room with the pool is heated, a forced supply and exhaust ventilation system is installed, the units have a heat recovery function. To create a comfortable temperature regime, additional electric heaters are installed; warm air is supplied through channels mounted around the perimeter of the room.

A swimming pool in a bathhouse is one of the options


Swimming pool in a bathhouse - example

Video – Pool construction technology

The windows and doors have expensive, durable fittings in the Baroque style; all carpentry is made from natural hard and valuable wood. Glazing with double-glazed windows with innovative heat-saving means.

Such baths can be found not only on private plots, but also in elite hunting grounds. Two-story baths are used both for water procedures and for short or long-term stays. These baths are both beautiful and multifunctional.

Architectural features of a two-story bathhouse

The material of manufacture is rounded timber, the roof is covered with flexible tiles.

The second floor is attic. On the ground floor there is a shower room (6.34 m2), a steam room (6.34 m2) and a large relaxation room (18.87 m2).

Recreation room interior - example

At the entrance there is a covered terrace (21.85 m2). The terrace is well insulated, which allows it to be used all year round. An electric fireplace is installed to heat the terrace.

A wooden rotary staircase leads to the second floor.

The layout of the second floor is more like a small country house. It has a kitchen (9.12 m2), a bedroom (9.93 m2) and a sanitary unit (2.94 m2). From the kitchen there is access to a spacious balcony (21.85 m2). In a word, a two-story bathhouse has everything you need not only for a temporary comfortable stay, but also for a long-term stay.

Prices for timber

Foundation

Blind area - example

Tape reinforced, depth below the maximum level of soil freezing in winter. The basement part is finished with natural stone, a concrete blind area is made to protect the foundation from rain and melt water, and the top decorative covering is stone paving stones. The foundation has ventilation openings and technological outlets for utility networks.

Log house

For construction, rounded timber Ø 150 mm was used, with jute inter-crown insulation.

The corners are collected into half a tree with the remainder.

Chamber-dried timber is impregnated against rotting and fungal diseases. This impregnation allows the material to retain its original appearance for a long time.

Interior decoration

The internal walls are covered with several layers of transparent and safe for residents varnish. The steam room and shower are insulated with mineral wool and lined with natural lining. Aluminum foil is used to provide vapor protection for these rooms.

Floors and ceilings

Made from natural boards 35 mm thick, the floors are insulated with mineral wool, waterproofing is made from modern materials. To increase the durability of flooring, the most modern construction technologies are used. The ceilings are insulated with a layer of rolled mineral wool, the lining is made of lining. On the second (attic) floor, the ceilings can be hemmed with sheets of high-quality plywood, followed by varnishing the front surface.

Windows and doors

Made according to individual projects, the material of manufacture is natural wood. They have an original shape that emphasizes the overall design and design features of the bathhouse. Fittings from well-known manufacturers are selected taking into account the type of interior. In terms of decoration, the interior of the bathhouse resembles country style, but respecting folk characteristics.

Network engineering

For ease of use, the bathhouse has running water and a sewerage system. The sewer system has a full set of special equipment for cleaning and temporary storage of wastewater.

Video - Example of installing a septic tank for a bathhouse

Video - Installation of water supply in a bathhouse

For heating, a separate electric heating boiler is installed; control and monitoring of operating modes is carried out by an electronic unit. Water is supplied by a deep pump from a well or an ordinary float pump from a well. There is no storage tank; the pump has its own rubber accumulator.

It is immediately clear that experienced architects worked on the project; they managed to successfully combine the beauty and functionality of the bathhouse. Moreover, this type of structure takes up quite a bit of space, which makes it possible to erect a structure in small free areas.

Project No. 5

Gradually we came to consider the most original, complex and beautiful project. This bathhouse has everything that the “soul, body and eye” desire; the presence of such a bathhouse is evidence of the high social status of its owner.

Let's list what the owner of this bathhouse can boast of. Steam room, Turkish bath, shower room, dressing room, relaxation room, sanitary unit, swimming pool, wardrobe, covered area for barbecue, porch and terrace. What else do you need for complete comfort and good rest?

The bathhouse is made of profiled timber, the roof covering is high-quality tiles made of modified bitumen and artificial rubber, the top layer of tiles is covered with natural stone chips. There are no ceilings, except for the steam room and shower. The roof is insulated, the rafter system is covered with natural lining. Swimming pool with heated water. The basement part, the supporting structures of the barbecue compartment and the visible part of the chimneys are made of stone.

Photo of a swimming pool - one of the possible options for a bathhouse

The water in the pool is heated, cleaned and disinfected automatically. All rooms of the bathhouse have water heating, a double-circuit electric boiler with an electronic control unit, and can be connected to the “smart home” system. Windows and doors are made of natural boards, paneled; decorative glass is inserted into the interior doors.

The grill is used for preparing original snacks, the oven is wood-burning, the floor is paved with paving stones. All external extensions have lighting, sensors are installed to respond to movement and changes in natural light. Opening skylights are installed on the roof - it is possible to quickly ventilate large interior spaces. In addition, skylights serve as an additional source of natural light.

The bathhouse has completely autonomous engineering communications; the power of the heating system allows you to maintain favorable microclimate indicators in winter. If the owner wishes, additional electric heating devices can be installed.

The interiors have a lot of decor, with natural hardwood floors. The walls, floor and roof are insulated with 150 mm thick mineral wool; during cladding, steam and water protection will be installed.

Prices for roof windows

skylights

Results

In the article, we specifically selected several completely different designs for beautiful baths, going from simple to complex. In this way they tried to give general directions to modern designers and architects. A beautiful bathhouse is the fruit of the labor of many professional specialists; not only architects, but also engineers, technologists and, of course, designers work on the project. The highest quality materials and advanced technologies are selected, and solutions are selected for each individual case. Most of the projects are exclusive, designed for individual orders. Of course, each developer can make his own changes, but this must be done carefully and competently. Unprofessional changes in complex projects can negatively affect the strength of the load-bearing elements of the bathhouse. If you want to make your own edits, then it is better to change only design solutions and not touch engineering and architectural developments.

And one last thing. Everyone dreams of a beautiful bathhouse, but as surprising as it may seem, most “dreamers” can make it a reality. This will require persistence and the ability to choose the best solution for yourself. In this case, as many different factors as possible should be taken into account.

Video - Construction of a bathhouse from timber