German for infusion. A sauna session in which an attendant pours water, often scented, on the hot stones and fans the hot air towards the guests with a towel. In German, Austrian and Dutch saunas the sessions run to a timetable. Germany
Banya
The Russian steam bath. The steam room is hot and humid. Bathers are worked over with bundles of leafy twigs and cool down afterwards in cold water or snow. Bathhouses & Hammams
Brine pool
A pool of salt water, in German a Solebecken. The salt content is higher than in an ordinary pool, so the body floats more easily. Many thermal baths in Germany have one. Thermal Baths
Cold plunge
A small pool of cold water. Bathers step into it for a short time after a sauna or a hot pool. Canada
Hammam
The bath of the Ottoman and Arab tradition, also called a Turkish bath. Bathers warm up on a heated marble slab in a steamy room. An attendant then scrubs the skin and washes the bather with soap foam. Bathhouses & Hammams
Hot spring
A spring whose water is heated underground and reaches the surface warm or hot. Bathing venues lead the water into pools, often in the open air. Hot Springs
Jjimjilbang
A Korean bathhouse. The bath areas are separate for men and women, and bathing there is nude. The heated rooms are shared, and guests wear clothes the house hands out. Many have a restaurant and places to sleep. Bathhouses in the United States
Kese
The rough mitt used in a hammam to scrub the skin, and the scrub done with it. Bathhouses & Hammams
Löyly
Finnish for the steam that rises when water is thrown on the hot stones of a sauna stove. Saunas
Nordic spa
An outdoor spa built around a cycle of heat, cold and rest: a sauna or hot pool, then a cold plunge, then a rest. The name is common in Canada. Canada
Onsen
Japanese for a hot spring and for the baths fed by one. Bathers wash before they enter the water and bathe without swimwear. Most onsen have separate baths for men and women. Japan
Parenie
A treatment in a Russian banya. An attendant moves the hot steam over the bather and works the body with bundles of leafy twigs. Bathhouses & Hammams
German for rest room: a quiet room with loungers where sauna guests rest between rounds. Germany
Sauna
A wood-lined room heated by a stove with hot stones, usually to between 70 and 100°C. The air is dry until water is thrown on the stones. The word and the practice come from Finland. Saunas
Sauna master
The attendant who leads an Aufguss: pours the water on the stones and fans the hot air through the room with a towel. The German word is Aufgussmeister. Thermal Baths
Sento
A Japanese public bathhouse in a town or city neighbourhood. An onsen uses hot spring water. A sento may use heated tap water. Japan
Steam room
A tiled room filled with steam. The air is close to full humidity and much cooler than in a sauna, at around 40 to 50°C. Saunas & Baths
Textile-free
Without swimwear, from the German textilfrei. Saunas in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands are used nude, by men and women together, with a towel on the bench. Germany
Thermal bath
A bathing venue with pools of warm water from a thermal or mineral spring. Many have indoor and outdoor pools and a separate sauna area. Thermal Baths
Therme
The German word for a thermal bath. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland it names a large complex of warm pools with a sauna area next to it. Thermal Baths
Venik
A bundle of leafy birch or oak twigs used in a Russian banya. Bathhouses & Hammams