- Helsinki Airport recently launched the world’s first runway sauna and opened it for one day.
- The installation is meant to celebrate Finland’s sauna culture and “happy” reputation.
- While the sauna wasn’t meant to be used, there are saunas within Helsinki Airport that travelers can access.
Finland is famous for its saunas—there are more than 3 million in the country, meaning there’s roughly one sauna for every three people. And recently, Helsinki Airport (HEL) built the world’s first runway sauna as an homage to the country’s steamy sauna culture.
Finavia, an airport company that manages several aviation hubs throughout the country, including Helsinki Airport, sited the sauna close to the runway, so that it could be seen as soon as travelers touched down. The sauna was only up for one day and wasn’t intended to be used (scrambling across the runway to make your sauna appointment sounds like the opposite of relaxation), but instead, it was meant to be a fun way to highlight Finland’s love of saunas.
Exterior of the sauna.
Finavia
“Most airports have transit zones—some even have saunas,” said Anna Tuomi, Finavia’s head of marketing, in a statement shared with Travel + Leisure. “It is the touchpoint to tune into the rhythm, values, and mindset of Finland. Your story can go anywhere from here. To showcase this short transition, we built the world’s first runway sauna at Helsinki Airport.”
However, if you actually do want to hop into a sauna during your time at Helsinki Airport, you’re in luck. The airport has three saunas within the main terminal building, and most are located within lounges, such as in the Finnair Platinum Wing Lounge, near Gate 52. There are also many more within nearby hotels, such as within the Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport, which is just a five-minute walk away.
However, even if you don’t visit a sauna during your time at Helsinki Airport, you’re sure to have a good time regardless. Helsinki Airport consistently ranks as one of the best airports in Europe by the airline and airport review site SkyTrax.
Someone enjoying the airport sauna.
Finavia
Finland was ranked the “happiest country on earth” in 2025 for the eighth consecutive year by the Gallup World Happiness Report, which is created annually in partnership with Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, and the United Nations. The runway sauna is meant to serve as a subtle reference to the country’s happy reputation and is a small preview for all that awaits travelers outside the airport’s doors. In fact, Finland’s sauna culture was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2020.
“Finland is known as the world’s happiest country, and the timeless tradition of sauna is at the heart of Finnish culture,” Tuomi said in the statement. “We’ve brought these elements together to celebrate Finnish happiness.”