Norway & Rune Sauna
A friendship beyond borders
A friendship begins
In November 2019, Jakob and Lorenz traveled to Oslo to meet Rune – one of the sauna builders from Oslobadstuforening. The association had built the first floating sauna in Oslo in 2016, and just three years later, there were two, with another one under construction.
Inspiration from Oslo
Today, Oslobadstuforening is a real hotspot in Oslo, with over 10 saunas in the city. Rune showed us how to build floating saunas and gave us an insight into the city’s evolving sauna culture.
We were so inspired by this weekend that we decided to launch the project in Kiel as well.
Waterkant Festival 2022
A visit from Oslo
After two years of planning, building our sauna bus, and preparing a crowdfunding campaign to finance Kiel's first floating sauna, we invited the CEO of Oslobadstuforening, Ragna, as well as Rune and Juni to the Waterkant Innovation and Founder Festival in Kiel.
What? A Sauna-Festival?
It was a great honor that our friends from Oslo supported our project in Kiel. Their presence was truly a highlight for us.
After the Event, Ragna invited us to a sauna festival in Norway. Initially surprised, we gladly accepted the invitation – and so a new adventure began.
The Badstufest
Our Search for Saunas and Breathtaking Nature
Badstufest 2022
"In the sauna, it's about being with yourself. And sweating," says Knut, the festival organizer. He pours coffee from a French press and explains that a panoramic window would disrupt the meditative moment.
The little window
Although the view of the lake and mountains is breathtaking, the sauna at 1,500 meters only has a small window. The idea came from architecture students in Trondheim, who designed the sauna as a university project with a focus on the meditative aspect.
Knut's cabin, accessible via hiking trails or by quad, was built from an old barn. Inspired by his time as a bomb disposal expert in Afghanistan, it transformed into a modern mountain hut made of glass, wood, and stone. Nearby, above a wooden bridge, stands the narrow sauna tower, accessible only by a ladder – an unforgettable experience.
The journey to Norway
In October 2022, Ragna (CEO of Oslobadstuforening) invited us to the Badstufest. We wanted to make the most of it and decided to document the journey with a camera.
More Than A Sauna
Who has ever traveled through Norway in a sauna bus? Exactly what we thought. Besides the sauna festival, we also wanted to explore surf spots, meet interesting people, and learn more about Norwegian marine conservation projects.
The Plan
Our goal was to invite people to a sauna session in our bus during the journey and get inspired by their stories. We had only three months to organize a film crew, find sponsors, and make this dream a reality.
The Movie
We found the film crew from different Minds, who were willing to join us for a month through the rainy "Høst" in Norway.
Thanks to the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, Ocean Summit, the city of Kiel, and Oslobadstuforening, we were able to fund our journey. With a small budget, we mostly slept in the sauna bus or at friends' places. The hospitality of the Norwegians truly overwhelmed us.
"Høst – With a Sauna Bus Through Norway" is a love letter to Norway. We’ve shown it at several festivals, including the Cinemare Ocean Film Festival 2022 and the Badstufest 2023. The film is now available on YouTube – enjoy watching!
Analog Impressions
of Badstufest 2023
The Badstufest 2023 was once again organized by Knut, who proudly poses in front of his 800-year-old cabin in the picture above.
With almost 140 participants, it was the largest festival ever, and people from Ireland, England, Canada, Germany, and of course Norway, spent three days sharing their love for saunas, good local food, and the breathtaking nature.
