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A Nordic-inspired sauna just opened in the White Mountains
Travelers visit the spot from New England and around the world.
Travelers have yet another reason for visiting New Hampshire’s White Mountains this year: a new Nordic-inspired sauna.
White Mountain Sauna Haus, a contrast therapy studio that debuted inside a renovated 1800s barn in North Conway in January, offers two traditional Finnish saunas, three plunge pools, a Nordic-inspired cafe, and a community fire pit.
“It’s quite a vibe. It has been really well received,” said Levi Lucy, a North Conway native and co-owner of the business along with Bryce Harrison. “We’re hitting capacity pretty much every single Saturday.”
It’s a communal environment, Lucy said. Guests rotate between steamy saunas and cold plunges on a 1,000 square-foot deck with views of Cathedral Ledge and White Horse Ledge. They enjoy beers, mocktails, and snacks and gather around an outdoor fire pit. There are also health benefits, he said.
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“Right now we’re the only facility up here and we’re the second one in New Hampshire,” he said (Banya in Portsmouth opened last year).
The sauna’s visitors hail from New England and other parts of the United States, as well as from as far away as Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Russia, Lucy said.
Guests go from the 175 to 205 degree sauna to the 45 to 55 degree plunge pool — or vice versa, he said, and there is no time limit to one’s stay but the typical visit lasts 1-2 hours.
The business is a dream come true for the former ER nurse and lifelong sauna enthusiast with a carpentry background.
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It all began with a “fun little side project,” he said, building a mobile sauna for rent. His sauna was well received and caught the attention of Harrison, a local restauranteur. The two clicked and began saunaing together and sharing their dreams of opening a public sauna. The business was a better fit for Lucy’s changing lifestyle, as he is married to another medical professional and recently had a second baby.
“Both my wife and I couldn’t feasibly work in a hospital and have two kids,” he said, adding that his wife is frequently on call.
What’s more, North Conway in the Mount Washington Valley is a perfect fit for the business, Lucy said.
“We just have this incredible access to outdoor activities within a pretty sweet place to vacation,” he said.
North Conway boasts restaurants, shopping, breweries, hiking, mountain biking, and more, and was recently named the best ski town in America.
Visitors at White Mountain Sauna Haus can relax in two wood-lined saunas with tiered benches, one that fits up to 20 people and one that fits up to 12 people. The saunas have wood stoves and the steam — called löyly in Finnish — is generated by pouring water on rocks.
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Sauna mimics low intensity exercise with no stress on the joints, Lucy said, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.
“It doesn’t take any effort. That’s the magic of sauna, you get the benefits of exercise without really having to do much,” he said.
Though the health benefits are substantial, Lucy said his business is focused more on the social aspect.
“That just is like my favorite thing, just seeing people who are talking to people they never would have talked to before,” he said.
Phones are not allowed in the saunas.
“It’s for people’s privacy. People are in bathing suits,” Lucy said. “We don’t want people on their phones. You are coming here to have a wonderful experience. You can be on your phone literally everywhere else in the world every second of the day.”
White Mountain Sauna Haus shares the barn space with a natural food grocery store, yoga studio, and massage and chiropractor business.
“So it’s become this wellness campus,” Lucy said.
The cafe has a simple menu, modeled after Scandinavian-style food. Harrison bakes the bread, which Lucy called “incredible,” and serves items such as salmon and egg toast, grilled cheese, and a “sauna stew,” which is a hearty vegetable stew. The cafe serves non-alcoholic drinks and local beers (the most popular of which is Tuckerman’s Pale Ale).
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The business does not take reservations and guests must be age 12 and older. Bathing suits must be worn and there are showers on site. There are cubbies for storage, complimentary flip flops, and towels for rent for those who don’t bring their own.
“The most common surprise reaction I get from people is how good they feel,” Lucy said. “Typically they have a little bit of color in their face and just this sense of contentment.”
White Mountain Sauna Haus, 3358 White Mountain Hwy, North Conway, N.H. Open noon to 9 p.m. Monday, Thursday, and Friday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. $36 for a single visit; $154 for five visits; $286 for 10 visits.
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