Greg Schaffer brought the Finnish practice of steam bathing to Pittsburgh in 2023, and is now expanding to Allegheny RiverTrail Park. Schaffer first became interested in the practice when he was living in San Francisco, frequenting a Russian bath house where he fell in love with the practice. At the bath house, using the sauna wasn’t just an activity after a workout but rather a “main event” that he hadn’t experienced before.
After moving back to Pittsburgh, Schaffer couldn’t find a similar experience to that of the Russian bath house in San Francisco. Lack of bath houses and resources didn’t stop him but rather led Schaffer to spend five weeks traveling the Baltic region, taking courses and immersing himself in the “sweat culture”, learning from the people who have spent their entire lives within it. Schaffer became a “bath master” after attending the International Bath Academy and later became certified as a “sauna master” by the Deutsch Sauna Akademie. Though he may be dubbed with mastership, he still considers himself to be a student, continuously evolving and learning from the culture, practice, and the people.
Schaffer opened Bad Sauna to bring the culture to Pittsburgh, a city that was once scattered with bath houses to prevent outbreaks and improve hygiene within its neighborhoods. Bad Sauna is for everyone, from teens to the older generation and everyone in between. For Schaffer, having the understanding of bath houses that he does brings a certain level of importance to the context of it all, whether that is historically, culturally, or physiologically. Having the understanding adds gravity to the whole process and a great understanding of the levels of the experience. In the Baltic region, the sauna is where major life events take place, where life can both begin and end. Because of this significance Schaffer holds a big regard for both tradition and culture within the practice.
Traditionally saunas are found on bodies of water, rivers, ponds, lakes, and even oceans. Typically, this is because of needing the contrast between hot and cold during sessions, people would sit in the bath house and cool off by jumping in. Though Bad Sauna does not require a jump in the river, it is part of what led Schaffer to bringing Bad Sauna to the park. Living in Pittsburgh, he never felt a connection to the river. Housing something like this has created that connection and a greater appreciation for Pittsburgh’s beautiful rivers, including the Allegheny that the park, and now Bad Sauna, overlook.
A big part of sweat culture is the social aspect of things; the sauna is just an added level to the community, bringing friends, family and even strangers together in a way that is relaxing and creates both a healthy and social connection.
The mobile sauna that Schaffer is bringing to ARP sits 16 people at a time with sessions ranging from 1-2 hours. Before attending the sauna, Schaffer encourages people to sign up online to secure a spot within a session. It is also important to remember and respect the dress code: bathing suit, a towel, and flip flops. Preparing your body before the session is also extremely important; hydration is key and avoiding eating a large meal beforehand helps prevent cramping that could occur within the session, and because it is a social event, a shower beforehand to prevent smells (perfume, cologne, body odor) from affecting those around you is of great importance.
Bad Sauna aims to open on July 3, offering 1-hour and 2-hour sessions. Members of the park can look forward to a free first session, and a 10% discount on sessions following. Schaffer is excited for the opening and looks forward to seeing how the Aspinwall crowd responds. He hopes to, “Have a great summer, make great memories, and just bring people together”.
For more info on Bad Sauna and to book sessions, visit www.badsauna.com/.
