Pirts – the Latvian sauna

The Finns have the sauna, but Latvians have the pirts. Both a place and a practice, the pirts invites the cleansing of the body, mind, and soul by embracing heat, steam, water, touch, the power of plants, and song. Folk songs offer many clues about the significance of the pirts to Latvians. Here’s one you’ll often see displayed on the wall in pirts buildings across Latvia:

Pirtī gāju, pirtī teku | Pirtī balti mazgājos, | Pirtī mana dvēselīte | Ar Dieviņu runājās
To pirts I go, in pirts I flow, | In pirts is where I bathe clean white, | In pirts is where with God | My little soul speaks (Translated by Laura Knight)

Historically considered the cleanest space in the home, the pirts was where women gave birth and where the deceased were bathed before their burial. At the same time, some pirts buildings also doubled as smokehouses! Pirts buildings have truly witnessed the cycle of life, acquiring a near-sacred status.

While the pirts is primarily a family custom, enjoyed in the comfort of one’s home, many guest houses or dedicated pirts centers also open to the public, offering the option to either hire the pirts house or engage in a full pirts treatment or ritual lasting around four hours. Guided by a trained pirtnieks (pirts professional), the rituals are about more than relaxation, washing, or whisking. Often, they mark significant occasions or turning points in one’s life.

The pirtīžas, for example, take place soon after the birth of a baby and involve both the child and mother in a symbolic sequence of events designed to celebrate new life together and pamper the two individuals. Today, both parents are welcome to join. Rituals can also be a healing and bonding experience for couples or groups of friends.

What to expect from a pirts experience?

The pirts is distinguished from related customs by the distinctive use of local trees and plants and their properties. The vībotne (mugwort), for example, is said to be a natural antiseptic, analgesic, and calming agent. The plants may be strewn across the pirts bench, infused into a natural scrub, incorporated into the branch whisks used for a vigorous “massage”, or blended into a herbal infusion, engaging all the senses. A pirtnieks must be knowledgeable in plant properties to select the right ones for the pirts lover and the occasion. They may reference or give thanks to the plants in the songs or chants they incorporate into the ritual. Another common element in the pirts is honey, rubbed into the skin for nourishment towards the end of the treatment.

In a Latvian pirts, the ratio between the humidity and temperature is also important and varies around 100-120 points, meaning that if the temperature in the pirts is 55 °C, the relative humidity should be around 65% or vice versa, and similar. Typically, you’ll also experience at least one quick dip into the neighboring pond or lake to cool down and rinse yourself (or roll around in the snow in winter).

You can either craft your own pirts experience, incorporating these “building blocks”, or allow a professional pirtnieks to take you on a journey where trust is the main prerequisite. At some point in the process, you’ll enjoy a visit from the pirts gariņš (pirts spirit)! This mythical being or magic steam is to thank for the positive ambience in the pirts, fostering repeat visits.

If you’re yet to meet a Latvian family to invite you to their pirts, here are just a few of the many wonderful places where you can experience an authentic pirts, pirts treatment, or ritual in Latvia:

Ziedlejas wellness resort
Highly acclaimed by Dezeen, Design Boom, ArchDaily, and other international publications, Ziedlejas offers not only the experience of the pirts but also a fine example of contemporary Latvian architecture and design in the scenic setting of Gauja National Park.

Lielzemenes
A place to find peace and answers, as well as the location of a pirts school where you can learn either to become a professional pirtnieks or to simply treat yourself and loved ones at home. Owners Juris and Aelita Batņa have authored two books about the Latvian pirts.

Ogle floating pirts
Created as a place to connect with oneself, each other and the natural world, Ogle floats on a lake in rural Latvia. After the pirts, guests can spend the night in this hand-crafted cabin on the water.

In a high-speed world so infused with technology, the pirts offers a chance to go back to basics and give oneself some much-needed care and attention in a nurturing and nourishing environment. When in Latvia, do yourself a favor and book a ritual with a professional pirtnieks! The Finns may boast the most saunas per person but Latvians may have the most pirtnieks per person.