Heritage bathing under Solstice Sun

Date: 2025-07-01, 10:00
Organizer : Lithuanian Bath Academy

2-day educational retreat in the Lithuanian Sauna Garden by Lithuanian Bath Academy

Lithuanian steam bath, or pirtis, is regarded as a significant cultural item. For this reason, we invite you to experience the traditional practice during a festive time of year—when the herbs used in saunas reach their prime, and the intense summer sun keeps giving its warmth after the longest day of the year.

We invite you to a two-day seminar on sauna culture and practice. You will be working with plenty of various plants, learning to make sauna whisks (vantos), and become skilled in the oldest type—the traditional smoke sauna.

If we know the origin and history of the sauna, we can better appreciate and restore its ongoing tradition.

Day 1: Plants and Sauna. Whiskmaking.

The subject of plants is extremely popular in sauna research, following the art of whisking. We begin with an introduction to using plants in the sauna, and for those interested in learning more, we invite you to attend our Summer Plant & Smoke Sauna Camp. There, you will learn to recognize plants, make and use different whisks, and discover other herbal tools used in sauna. This day is for those who want to know more about sauna plants, get new inspiration, use plants creatively, and master whisking. We will introduce you to the rich tradition of plant use in Lithuanian pirtis in a casual but thorough way.

We'll pay special attention to whisk-binding techniques, which can be properly taught only in the summer. So let's not wait until next summer—join us for a couple of days of familiarizing ourselves with trees, learning to bind whisks, and practicing them in a traditional smoke sauna.

Day 1 Program

• Plant identification: Recognizing the most commonly used trees and shrubs; techniques for harvesting branches efficiently and respectfully.
• Whisk binding: Learn to bind birch, oak, and maple whisks, each with its own method and logic.
• Whisk tasting: Try different whisks during sauna sessions and understand their various purposes and applications.
• Tree personalities: Learn to describe tree properties in engaging ways—an essential skill for sauna masters introducing whisks to clients.

Day 2: Smoke Sauna Immersion

We may never know when the first sauna was lit on Lithuanian soil. But one thing is almost certain—it was a smoke sauna. What we know of our ancestors’ bathing practices often comes only from indirect sources. Archeology can tell us little here, as early smoke saunas were nearly indistinguishable from residential log dwellings.

This day offers you the chance to engage directly with authentic smoke saunas, hear a theoretical presentation on their past and present, and deepen your understanding of the historical roots of the Lithuanian bath tradition.

Day 2 Program

• Introduction to 2 traditional smoke saunas
• Loading a prehistoric-style stone stove
• Firing two different smoke sauna stoves
• Stone Age-style water heating for bathing
• Making lye from ashes for traditional washing
• Full smoke sauna preparation ritual
• Steam testing in 2 different smoke saunas
• Whisking with herbal bundles
• Traditional-style body washing and scrubbing

Testing dfferent smoke saunas in one place, under the guidance of a world-class smoke sauna expert, is an opportunity you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

Small Group Learning

This seminar is conducted in an intimate and well-balanced group setting. Minimum: 6 participants. Maximum: 10.

Certification

Participants who complete both the practical and theoretical sessions will receive a full certificate.

Required theory: “Properties of Trees and Herbs”, „The Smoke Sauna”

Theory is included in the seminar price.

Smoke sauna in Sauna garden

Hot places of Saunagarden

Clean smoke sauna

This smoke sauna has been designed and built by Rimas Kavaliauskas to demonstrate the best possible effectiveness of the stove and ergonomics of the sauna. It has bee designed for a family or a small group and provide a very nice microclimate. The upper bench allows 6 persons to sit or 4  - to lay.

Water is heated the traditional way

Video from this sauna

Old smoke sauna

This is a traditional small smoke sauna in the Lithuanian countryside, where you will feel like you did 200 years ago. The water is heated by throwing hot stones into the water.

Traditional „white“ Lithuanian pirtis

We will be using a traditional "white steam" sauna equipped with Rimas's periodically-fired stove. Its soft, silky steam and gentle heat will perfectly reveal the best qualities of the plants—and offer you a refreshing new experience of the sauna.

Themes covered

• Making whisks

  Practical theme, which includes:

  • collecting and preparing twigs;
  • types of whisks;
  • ways of making whisks;
  • quality requirments;
  • conservation of whisks.
• Recognising plants

  Excursion to the nature, looking for the plants to be used in sauna. Collecting herbs and branches for whisks. Rules of collecting plants.

  ---

• Smoke sauna heating
• Whisking with different whisks

  Practical theme which includs:

  • testing different whisks;
  • whisks for steaming, whisking, heat protection, natural aromatherapy, scrubing;
  • using different types pf whisks ir whisking scenario.

  A glimpse to seminar

  

  ---

  This theme has additional information available only to logged in users.

The event will be moderated by Rimas Kavaliauskas - sauna teacher, designer, international bathing instructo rand pirtis (sauna) masters from Lithuanian Bath Academy