The European City With The World's Only Sauna On A Ferris Wheel Offers A Wildly Luxe Nordic Experience

Located in the charming capital of Finland, Helsinki, the SkyWheel attracts tourists from around the globe for a unique reason. From a distance, the white rotating wheel with cabins turning in leisurely circles against the backdrop of a charming Nordic skyline looks like a regular Ferris wheel. But looking closely, you will see one special brown cabin — the SkySauna.

Finland is known as one of the happiest countries in the world, and perhaps the country's serious sauna habit has something to do with it. There are a host of health benefits of sitting in the intensely dry, small wooden panel room heated by hot stones, including stress reduction, pain relief, and improving cardiovascular health. In fact, Finland's sauna culture is even on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, especially considering there are over 3.3 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million.

Finland is one of the best destinations for a stress-free wellness vacation, and you can find a sauna at home, in the office, at cabins in the woods, and even at a Burger King. It makes perfect sense that they would put one on a Ferris wheel 131 feet above the ground. Besides offering a unique sauna experience with an unparalleled view of Helsinki, the attraction is centrally located and easily accessible from other popular tourist attractions, such as the Old Market Hall, Esplanade Park, and Helsinki Cathedral.

Though SkyWheel operates all year around, the SkySauna is closed from November to March. If you are in Helsinki in the winter months, consider partaking in the Veuve Clicquot VIP Experience instead. You can ride the exclusive glass-floored gondola with plush leather seats and sip on bubbles while enjoying the view.

While you can buy normal tickets to the SkyWheel on the attraction's website, you will need to make a reservation for the sauna experience by email or through an online portal (although the latter is only available in Finnish). The prices vary depending on the day of the week: Mondays and Tuesdays cost about $260, Wednesdays and Thursdays are $280, Fridays and Sundays cost $315, and Saturdays will set you back around $345. 

You can split the cost with your family and friends. Even though the SkySauna gondola only accommodates four to five people, groups of up to 15 guests can be accommodated. While your buddies enjoy the sauna, you can soak in the large 10-person jacuzzi, enjoy an alcoholic (or non-alcoholic) beverage in the lounge, and take in the harbor seaview from the terrace.

The entire SkySauna experience includes the amenities mentioned above, plus two complimentary drinks, towels, and shower facilities. You only need to bring your bathing suit, which must be worn inside the sauna. A towel or a bathrobe can be used over your bathing suit in the sauna if you wish. Feel free to enjoy your drinks as you soak up the sauna's health benefits while surrounded by a spectacular view.

Each rotation of the Ferris wheel takes about three minutes, and you can ride it as many times as you like during your reserved time. The sauna experience wraps up 15 minutes before the end of the reserved time slot, so you can shower and change before heading to your next Helsinki adventure.

Grab a bite at the Old Market Hall in the South Harbor near the Market Square. From SkyWheel, it's a short 10-minute walk across the water. This charming Neo-Renaissance building with a red brick facade opened to the public in 1889, making it Finland's oldest covered market. You will be awed by the wide selection of fresh cheese, deli meat, caviar, smoked salmon, sandwiches, sweets, and gift items like candles and truffle sauce that you can bring home. Some unique food items at the market are baked potatoes with reindeer filling and a creamy traditional salmon soup.

Instead of eating your lunch in the market hall, you can head to the Esplanade Park for a picnic. It's an easy seven-minute walk from Old Market Hall. Known as "Espa" by the locals, it's a lush park with many large trees, inviting lawns, wide promenades, sculptures made by Finnish artists, and plenty of benches for people-watching. If you're visiting Helsinki from May to August, you can check out the concerts on the Espa Stage.

The iconic Helsinki Cathedral is a 10-minute stroll away from Espa, dominating the northern part of Senate Square. A grand staircase and Corinthian columns lead to the Neoclassical structure with a brilliant white facade, gold accents, marble statues, and green domes. The admission ticket ranges from $9 to $11 depending on the time of the year. It's open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily (with extended hours in the summer), except during church services and special events.

Ready for another fascinating Finnish destination? Check out Turku, the country's oldest city known for world-class art and cuisine.