The Latest Sauna Trend? It's Called Aufguss.
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“Drowning, in the sea of love,” Stevie Nicks crooned in the background as I, and 16 other naked adults, witnessed our sauna master Adrian ladle three buckets of water onto a bed of lavender oil-infused rocks. The rocks sizzled. We began to sweat. Adrian waved a wet towel around the room like a professional sign spinner, distributing heat like a Death Valley breeze in July.
“Are you ready? It’s going to get hot,” he said, grinning. The doors fogged, obscuring the emerald green Großarl mountains surrounding the sauna. Adrian added more oil and dispersed heat again with a giant wooden fan resembling the “great dark wing” Nicks sang about just then. Next, he gave us a bucket of ice to pass and cool ourselves. Over the next fifteen minutes, the temperature rose from about 140 degrees to 176.
This 15-minute sauna ritual—called an Aufguss—was the pinnacle of my recent stay at Das Edelweiss, a five-star resort outside Salzburg, Austria. I returned for the next Aufguss an hour later, which featured a spirited playing of ABBA’s Dancing Queen and a mint infusion. Après-Aufguss, participants gulped down a round of Steigl GoldBräu beers, jumped into the adjacent cold plunge pool, or headed to the Vogelfrei Relaxation Room with its panoply of plush blankets to soak in their euphoria.
What is an Aufguss, exactly? Put simply, it's a sauna experience elevated to art form. There are various types of ceremonies to choose from. Some follow a classic Aufguss style (like mine), with essential oils and music, led by an Aufgussmeister who rhythmically disperses the hot steam with a wet towel, while others also incorporate storytelling, sound bowls, and dancing to make it unique and memorable.
Travis Talmadge, owner of Bathhouse in Williamsburg, New York, which began offering Aufguss in 2022, told me that at the Aufguss World Championships (yes, there are championships), the sauna masters perform themed Aufguss with costumes and stories, ranging from Pinocchio to pirates, Avatar, and even sentimental tales about personal experiences. At Das Edelweiss, Adrian also sings and plays the guitar. Such artistry made me think of how SoulCycle transformed workout routines into a combination of a dramatic, spiritual, and nightclub-like experience. (It's worth noting that sauna masters can sometimes be as awe-inspiring as SoulCycle's instructors.)
Aufguss health benefits go beyond the euphoric release of adrenaline people feel post-sweat. A recent 20-year-long study revealed that more sauna time extends life expectancy and that people who visited a sauna 2-3 times a week had a 24% lower death rate. Devotees fare even better: those who sauna 4-7 times weekly show a 40% decrease in mortality rate.
And while Aufguss is more ubiquitous in countries like Germany and Austria, it’s gaining steam in North America. On a recent afternoon, Bathhouse Williamsburg held an Aufguss that Talmadge described as vibey and smooth, featuring music by Frank Ocean, Kid Cudi, and Melvitto & Gabzy. For the infusions, the sauna master used snowballs packed with oils like cambava leaf, Peru balsam, green mint, vanilla, and cinnamon.
At Minneapolis’ Hewing Hotel, where Aufguss takes place twice a month in the rooftop sauna atop the city’s historic North Loop district, guests can experience a similarly functional Aufguss focused on breathwork, connection, and an embodied state of bliss. John Pederson, who leads the program here through his company, Thermaculture, says that many of their instructors are also yoga teachers. A recent playlist included Brazilian reggae, German chillout, and a Marvin Gaye “Sunny” remix.
On the more theatrical side, Sin City naturally leads the charge. At the brand-new Lapis Spa & Wellness at Fontainebleau Las Vegas, you’ll find an immersive Aufguss co-ed experience infusing sauna, aromatherapy steam, and a choreographed show featuring music, video, and light, offered four times daily. There’s also Awana Spa and Wellness at Resorts World, where dance moves might seem plucked right out of Cirque du Soleil (the spa hires dancers to be sauna masters). Even at Bathhouse, Talmadge says they now almost exclusively recruit trained dancers as sauna master candidates. Strangely enough, Aufguss has yet to take hold in Los Angeles, cinematic capital of the world—and birthplace of Erewhon and Goop (but imagine the possibilities!).
Still, when it comes to a truly authentic Aufguss, it may be hard to top the OGs in Europe—over there, bathing suits are optional.
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