Tucked between fjords and mountains, the city of Bergen offers more than just breathtaking scenery and rich cultural heritage—it’s also home to a growing sauna culture that blends tradition with modern wellness trends. From floating saunas on the harbour to wood-fired retreats nestled in nature, Bergen’s saunas provide a unique way to unwind, socialise, and embrace the Nordic art of heat and cold therapy. In this article, we’ll explore how saunas have become an integral part of Bergen’s lifestyle, offering locals and visitors alike a warm escape from the city’s famously wet weather.
Saunas have become increasingly popular in Norway over the last few years, so I thought it made sense to make a short article about where you can find saunas in Bergen. Enjoy!
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We pass one of these saunas on our popular “Bergen By Minibus” tour.
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Heit (“hot” in Norwegian) is a company operating wood-fired floating saunas in Bergen. They have two main sites: one at Marineholmen, near the city centre, and another at Laksevåg, across the harbour, plus a new unit at Måseskjæret. Each location has raft-mounted sauna cabins with capacity for ~8–12 people.
You can book either a shared drop-in session (50 minutes or 1h50m) or rent a private sauna for your group. Prices for a shared sauna start from ~NOK 159 per person (50 minutes) or NOK 279 for ~2 hours.
Private bookings, which offer exclusive use for up to 10 people, start at around NOK 590 for two people (short session). Larger groups pay more, but it’s still quite affordable (e.g., 1 hour and 50 minutes for 10 people was advertised at around NOK 1,990). The saunas are wood-burning (Finnish-style stoves) and maintained at a temperature of ~60–80 °C.
There are basic changing facilities on the pier, an outdoor cold shower, and ladders for sea swimming. Staff are on hand, and swimming is at your own risk but encouraged year-round (water temperature ranges from 3 °C in winter to 18 °C in summer). Heit even hosts special events, such as sauna yoga and Aufguss (steam rituals with essential oils).
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A Bergen institution, Nordnes Sjøbad is a public seawater pool located by the city fjord, which opens for winter bathing a few days a week during the off-season. It features indoor changing rooms and a sauna on-site.
From mid-October to spring, hardy locals come here to alternate between the heated saltwater pool, chilling dips in the fjord, and time in the co-ed sauna. It’s a communal experience rather than a private rental. Entrance fees are modest, ranging from NOK 70 to 110 for adults for winter swim and sauna sessions, and are often free for Bergen students and alumni on certain days.
If you’re looking to experience the Norwegian “ice bathing” trend in Bergen, this is the place – imagine dark winter evenings, 4 °C water, and a steamy sauna full of cheerful bathers.
Check the schedule as it’s open limited hours in winter (typically Thursday evenings and Sunday mornings). No pre-booking needed for drop-in – pay at the door.
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City Sauna Bergen offers a distinctive wellness experience by combining the traditional Norwegian sauna with the serenity of Bergen’s waterways. Situated at Damsgårdsveien 59, this floating sauna provides guests with panoramic views of the city’s picturesque landscape while they enjoy the therapeutic warmth of the sauna.
The sauna offers drop-in sessions at specific times throughout the week. Prices start at 150 NOK per person for a one-hour session. They also offer private sauna rentals, with bookings available for 1 to 2 hours and accommodating up to 12 people. Private rentals vary from 1,000 NOK up to 4,200 NOK, depending on the group size. For those looking to combine relaxation with a scenic boat ride, the sauna cruise offers a 2-hour journey through Bergen’s waterways, suitable for groups of varying sizes. Prices start at 3,000 NOK.
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A new addition just outside Bergen centre, Vestfjordsauna has opened an innovative sauna with a Himalayan salt wall in the suburb of Kjøkkelvik (15 minutes west of downtown). This land-based sauna house is situated directly on the shore, offering a serene wellness experience. The facility can be booked for 1.5-hour sessions; you can either reserve a spot in a shared session or book the entire sauna privately.
The sauna accommodates approximately 8–10 people and features a changing area, as well as easy ladder access to the sea. Prices are around NOK 219 per adult for a session (with slight discounts to ~NOK 198 pp for groups). The salt-block wall inside not only creates a unique ambience but also releases minerals that proponents say benefit respiration and skin. It’s heated and ready upon your arrival, with opening hours from 06:00 to 23:00 daily, year-round.
Additionally, some Bergen hotels have sauna facilities – for example, Hotel Norge and others have small rooftop or gym saunas for guests. But for visitors looking to rent or drop-in, the above are the top choices. If you’re adventurous, Bergen’s surrounding areas even have “wild” saunas like a wood-fired one by Lake Grimevatnet or the artistic floating sauna “Flabellina” on Osterøy, but these are outside the city proper
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