Cold bath houses in Stockholm
Updated 16 October 2026 · All facts from each sauna’s own website
Stockholm has one real cold bath house left: Saltsjöbadens Friluftsbad in Saltsjöbaden, with two wooden bath houses from 1913 and 1925. But the idea of a cold bath house – a hot sauna, then a dip in cold water – lives on at 26 public saunas by a lake or the sea, 11 of them inside the City of Stockholm. 14 are open in winter.
What is a cold bath house?
A cold bath house (Swedish: kallbadhus) is a bath house on or by the water where you swim in water that is not heated. Most have a sauna, and many have separate parts for women and men. They are common on the west coast of Sweden and in Skåne.
Stockholm had several cold bath houses in the 1800s, for example on Riddarholmen and Skeppsholmen. They have all been torn down. Today there is an initiative to build a new one, Kallbadaren, at Riddarfjärden.
Saltsjöbadens Friluftsbad: Stockholm’s cold bath house
The bath has two cold bath houses with a sand beach between them. The women’s bath is from 1913 and is still only for women. The men’s bath is from 1925: in the morning it is for men, and later in the day it is open to everyone. Both buildings are protected as historic buildings. A non-profit club runs the bath.
- Summer: open every day from mid-May to the end of August, and at weekends in September.
- Price: entry with sauna 90 kr for adults, 70 kr for students and pensioners, 50 kr for ages 7–17. Children under 7 are free.
- Swimwear: you wear swimwear everywhere, except in the women’s bath and during the men’s morning hours, where it is your choice.
- Winter: you can book a place in the sauna on Fridays (women, men or mixed groups, 8 places per hour, coffee and a snack included), or book the whole sauna for your group.
- Getting there: about 30 minutes from Slussen by bus (25M while the Saltsjöbanan train is being rebuilt).
Saunas where you swim in a lake or the sea
These saunas work like a cold bath house: you pay per person, warm up in the sauna and go straight into the water. Half cost 149 kr or less per person. See also all saunas with cold bathing.
In the City of Stockholm
| Sauna | Area | Water | Winter | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tanto Bastu | Södermalm, Stockholm | lake | Yes | 60 kr |
| STHLM Sauna Vinterviken | Hägersten, Stockholm | lake | Yes | 105 kr |
| Isbjörnarnas Bastuförening | Bromma, Stockholm | lake, ice hole | Yes | 125 kr |
| Saunify Hässelby (Riddersvik) | Hässelby, Stockholm | lake | Yes | 149 kr |
| Hornstullsbastun | Södermalm, Stockholm | lake | Yes | 150 kr |
| Basto Stora Essingen | Kungsholmen, Stockholm | lake | Yes | 175 kr |
| Basto Hagaparken Albano | Norra Djurgården, Stockholm | lake | Yes | 219 kr |
| Djurgårdsbastun | Djurgården, Stockholm | sea | Yes | 325 kr |
| Sätrabastun | Skärholmen, Stockholm | lake | – | 40 kr |
| Folkbastu – Castor & Pollux | Södermalm, Stockholm | lake | – | 154 kr |
| Sauna Wellness Alviks Strand | Bromma, Stockholm | lake | – | 195 kr |
Around Stockholm
| Sauna | Area | Water | Winter | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellasgården Bastu | Nacka | lake | Yes | 110 kr |
| Saunify Ekerö (Kaggeholm) | Ekerö | lake | Yes | 149 kr |
| Saunify Åkersberga (Skåvsjöholm) | Österåker | sea | Yes | 149 kr |
| Nicksta Bastuförening | Nynäshamn | sea | Yes | 175 kr |
| Basto Lidingö Gåshaga | Lidingö | sea | Yes | 219 kr |
| Vår Gård kallbad & bastu | Saltsjöbaden, Nacka | sea | Yes | 295 kr |
| Flatenbastun | Älta, Nacka | lake | – | 50 kr |
| Skärgårdsstiftelsens bastu, Nämdö | Nämdö, Värmdö | sea | – | 50 kr |
| Skärgårdsstiftelsens bastu, Ostholmen (Möja) | Möja, Värmdö | sea | – | 50 kr |
| Skärgårdsstiftelsens bastu, Österviken (Möja) | Möja, Värmdö | sea | – | 50 kr |
| Skärgårdsstiftelsens bastur, Träskö-Storö | Svartsö, Värmdö | sea | – | 50 kr |
| Blidö Badhusförenings bastu | Norrtälje | sea | – | 75 kr |
| Smådalarö Gård bastur | Dalarö, Haninge | sea | – | 150 kr |
| Finnhamns bastu | Finnhamn, Österåker | sea | – | – |
| Skärgårdens Kanotcenter bastu | Vaxholm | sea | – | – |
Cold bathing in winter
14 of these saunas are open all year, and one keeps a hole in the ice open: Isbjörnarnas Bastuförening. Read how to do it safely in Winter swimming and sauna in Stockholm.
How a visit works
- Book or just come. Many public saunas sell a ticket for a time slot online. Club saunas often have set times when anyone can come.
- Warm up. Stay in the sauna for 10–15 minutes, or until you feel warm all the way through.
- Take a short dip. Go slowly into the water and stay only a short time. In winter, a few seconds is enough.
- Rest and repeat. Sit outside or in the warm for a while, then go back into the sauna. Many people do this two or three times.
Bring a towel, swimwear, something for your feet and water to drink. Never swim alone in winter.
Swimwear, and times for women and men
The rules are different at each place. 5 of the saunas above have separate times for women and men. Where women and men bathe apart, swimwear is often your choice, like at Saltsjöbadens Friluftsbad. In mixed sessions you wear swimwear. Check the sauna’s own page before you go.
Compare all prices in Sauna prices in Stockholm.
Questions and answers
Is there a cold bath house in Stockholm?
Yes, one: Saltsjöbadens Friluftsbad in Saltsjöbaden, with two old bath houses from 1913 and 1925. It is open to everyone in summer. 26 other public saunas around Stockholm let you swim in a lake or the sea after the sauna.
Which is closest to the city centre?
Djurgårdsbastun, Folkbastu – Castor & Pollux and Tanto Bastu. Saltsjöbadens Friluftsbad is about 30 minutes from Slussen by bus.
Are they open in winter?
14 of the saunas by a lake or the sea are open all year, and one keeps a hole in the ice open. At Saltsjöbadens Friluftsbad you can book a sauna on Fridays in winter.
What does it cost?
Entry with sauna at Saltsjöbadens Friluftsbad costs 90 kr for adults. At the other saunas on this page, half cost 149 kr or less per person, and the cheapest cost 40 kr.