Being naked in public sounds like a nightmare to most Canadians (is it cultural or just a product of our national climate?). When it comes to public baths around the world, however, one dip and all becomes clear – stripping down in public can actually be a dream. You will never have felt so clean in your entire life. When else can you spend the better part of a day simply bathing? Here are 5 cities where you can enjoy a public bath.
ISTANBUL
The Turkish are famous for their traditional baths, or “hammams.” The most soothing aspect of the hammam experience is stretching out on the gobetkas, a heated slab of stone. If you think it’s bizarre to fall asleep naked in public, it is a little, but that’s how relaxed you can become. But, be prepared - a first experience of exfoliation at a hammam may be jarring. An attendant will scour you with a rough mitt, sloughing pill-size bits of skin off your body. It may be nose-wrinkling at first (that came off of me?) but your skin will be softer than it has ever been before. A hammam also includes massage and mint tea. Hammams exist in other international cities, as well. Try one in Cairo or Paris.
SEOUL
Koreans love public bathing so much there is guaranteed to be a “mogyok” in every neighbourhood. It is as commonplace as entering a fitness gym is here in North America. Public baths in Korea are single-sex and completely clothes-free (don’t bother clinging to your modest one-piece!). They are also do-it-yourself. Paying to have someone else exfoliate you is definitely an option, but most Koreans bring their own scrubby mitt and work away at their own skin, pausing to do the back of their bath buddy and vice versa. An initial shower is taken while seated on a stool. Then, hours are spent switching from hot to cold pools, as well as wet and dry saunas. The final shower is when you bring out your scrub mitt and go to town. If moist skin flakes off your body in alarming amounts, you know you’re doing it right. The best part? The price. Just call it the $6 DIY spa.
HELSINKI
If you love a good steam, you have the Finns to thank. Saunas are so intertwined with Finnish culture that you’d be hard-pressed to find a private home without one. Even Parliament has a sauna! Rocks are heated and water is tossed on them to create steam. Small bundles of birch branches are used to swat the body, improving circulation and emitting a pleasant smell. It is common practice to get hot and steamy, jump in the cold lake and then repeat as necessary. If you aren’t lucky enough to be invited into your Finnish friend’s home for a family sauna experience, try visiting Saunabar in Helsinki, which is exactly as it sounds – a sauna with a bar (www.saunabar.fi)
BUDAPEST
The Roman thermal baths in Budapest are not to be missed. From the stately grand glamour of the Gellert baths to the outdoor, waterpark fun of the Szechenyi baths, this must be at the top of a to-do list for anyone visiting Budapest. They are co-ed and bathing suits are worn, which means it can be a good introduction for those squeamish of being nude. The temperature of each pool is marked, sometimes in ornate tile. Wandering from pool to pool all day can be a labyrinthine affair, so remember to bring flip flops.
TORONTO
Ever wondered what it feels like to be a tea bag? I can tell you – it feels great. A hot green tea pool is just one of the aqueous delights at Body Blitz (471 Adelaide St. W). There is nary a manicurist to be found, it’s not that kind of spa. This experience, exclusive to women, is all about the therapeutic and restorative powers of the soak. Old world techniques are rolled into a modern approach to water, i.e., the exfoliating scrub is inspired by Korea, the hot and cold pools by Scandinavia while the social atmosphere is the Roman influence. Bathing suits are optional which begs the question – are Canadians really ready to take it all off in public? “Yes, certainly,” is what Paola Perin, the spa director has to say of the matter. “Everyone enjoys accessing the waters. People really take to the idea.” So much so that women go home and tell their male partners of the blissful experience. Don’t men want to decompress in a Dead Sea salt pool, too? “We’ve had requests,” Perin admits. “Who knows what the future may hold.” For extra decadence, try a mud bake under infrared light.