Mansen Sauna opens in Eteläpuisto with four wood-fired tent saunas by Pyhäjärvi

Tamperelainen reports that entrepreneur Turkka Mäkinen jokes "The only place I queue is the grocery store," explaining why he built his own sauna. He will open Mansen Sauna in Eteläpuisto on the shore of Pyhäjärvi on Saturday, 7 November.

The pop-up combines shipping-container facilities with four wood-fired tent saunas by the lakeside. One container is electrically heated and has four showers, and there are separate container dressing rooms for men and women plus a customer service container. Each tent holds 6–9 bathers; the container sauna fits slightly more, so up to 40–50 people can use the facilities when all rocks are hot. Tent themes are Chat (social), Harmony (quiet), Aroma (scented) and Sauna Boss, named after Mäkinen. The tents are small but cosy. He recommends sauna-appropriate footwear because the tent floors sit on the ground despite wooden slats.

A short walk of a few dozen metres leads from the saunas to the pier for winter swimming. An ice-hole pump will arrive in the coming weeks and the plunge will be kept open through the winter. Single tickets cost €10.90; reduced prices apply for students, conscripts and pensioners (€8.90) and under-18s (€5.90). Mansen Sauna plans events such as bubble-ball matches and regular pizza Fridays, and can host small parties in a yard tent.

Mäkinen says he is excited but a little apprehensive about the sizeable investment. The pop-up will operate in Eteläpuisto at least until the end of March and may move to Rosendahl shore in spring. Tampere city has set aside space in the local zoning plan for a permanent 330 m² sauna building at the park and shore.

The pop-up follows other recent public-sauna initiatives in Tampere, including the city's reservation of a site for a year-round public sauna at Härmälänranta the Härmälänranta project and the approved Saunaravintola Laine at Naistenlahti the Laine project.