Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
EASY STEAMING
The dos and don'ts of the banya:
Do take advantage of the plunge pool (or at least the cold shower, if there is no pool
on site). It's important to bring your body temperature back down after being in the
banya.
Don''t bother with a bathing suit. Most public baniare segregated by gender, in which
case bathers steam naked. In mixed company, wrap yourself in a sheet (provided at
the banya).
Do rehydrate in between steams. Tea or even beer are common, but it is also import-
ant to drink water or juice.
Don''t stop at one! Most bathers will return to the parilka(steam room) several times
over the course of an hour or two.
Banya
Nothing beats winter like the
banya
. Less hot but more humid than a sauna, the Russian
bath sweats out all impurity.
Enter the steam room
(parilka)
naked (yes, the
banya
is normally segregated by gender).
Bathers can control the temperature - or at least increase it - by ladling water onto the hot
rocks. You might add a few drops of eucalyptus to infuse the steam with scent. Then sit back
and watch the mercury rise. To eliminate toxins and improve circulation, bathers beat each
other with a bundle of birch branches, known as
veniki
(or you might have a professional do
this for you).
When you can't take the heat, retreat. A public
banya
allows access to a plunge pool, usu-
ally filled with ice-cold water. The contrast in temperature is invigorating, energising and
purifying.
A
banya
is not complete without a table spread with snacks, or at least a thermos of tea.
And just when you think you have recovered, it's time to repeat the process. As they say in
Russia, '
s lyokum parom'
(easy steaming).
