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• Raua Sauna Blues

  antiquarius2018,Dec 30, 2025

  - Review from Tripadvisor

  2.00

  Raua Sauna Blues This is listed by the “Visit Tallinn” groups as a traditional Estonian sauna and I was eager to try something different even though it was a fair walk from where I was staying. The building had a modern frontage and was quite impressive inside. Unfortunately, when I got to the desk, none of the assistants spoke any English. I had expected to be able to hire a towel etc. and therefore had little “kit” of my own with me. The lady behind the desk did her best to try to determine what I wanted and eventually understood that I needed a towel. They sold towels and I had to buy a towel. I was given a locker key and shown to the changing room where I was able to lock away my belongings before entering the next room that was a sort of bath house with showers, sinks and plastic bowls. There were quite a few men using the facilities I really had no idea what to do so I showered and made for what appeared to be the sauna box. I did have flip flops and a water bottle with me which did appear essential. The sauna was the largest I’d ever been in and was very hot. There were several decks, each quite a big step up but the only handrail was on the wall. I am no longer athletic so it was a bit unnerving to detach from the handrail and shuffle along a row before sitting on my only towel. There was only one other person in the room and he ignored me totally. Nobody was used birch twigs, nobody wore a banya hat, there was no camaraderie. The steam room was also spacious but not particularly hot and when I re-entered the washroom it seemed a bit “territorial”. Different people looked upon certain sinks as theirs even though not in use but I still went ahead. The whole experience was underwhelming and certainly utilitarian. It may have been because I visited at the start of an afternoon or that Raua catered mainly for retired people from the neighbourhood. If you are familiar with this kind of sauna and know what to expect and what to do, this may be just what you need but I wasn’t familiar, I was an English tourist, I didn’t know what to do and there was no way to find out.