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Hot Springs in Norway, Sweden and Finland: What to Expect
Last updated October 22, 2026 · 2 min read
Popular searches:Hot Springs in Norway · Kotiharjun Sauna · Sweden Hot Springs · Heit Bergen Sauna Marineholmen · Hot Springs Finland · Hot Springs in Scandinavia · Scandinavian Hot Springs · Natural Hot Spring Norway
Many travelers search for hot springs in Norway, Sweden and Finland and are surprised to find so few. The reason is geology. Scandinavia sits on some of the oldest, most stable bedrock in Europe, far from active volcanoes, so groundwater rarely gets hot enough to surface as a spring.
Norway
Mainland Norway has no natural hot springs worth a trip. The famous exception is in the Arctic: the Troll Springs (Trollkjeldene) in Bockfjorden, on Svalbard, where water at around 25°C builds terraces of mineral deposits. They are protected and reached only on expedition cruises. On the mainland, Norwegians use floating saunas on fjords and harbors, such as those on the waterfront in Bergen and Oslo, and heated pools in spa hotels.
Sweden
Sweden has no natural hot springs. Its bathing culture centers on saunas and bathhouses. Hagabadet in Gothenburg, a bathhouse from the 1870s, is now a day spa with a pool and saunas. Along the west coast, old cold-water bathhouses such as Varberg’s let you alternate a sauna with a sea swim.
Finland
Finland has no hot springs but has the world’s strongest sauna culture, with about three million saunas for five and a half million people. In Helsinki, Kotiharjun Sauna has heated its public sauna with wood since 1928. Newer public saunas on the city’s waterfront pair a sauna with a cold-sea dip.
Where to go for real hot springs
For natural hot water, go west to Iceland or south to central Europe. See our Iceland hot springs guide, the Germany thermal baths guide and the Budapest thermal baths guide, or browse hot springs by country.
Frequently asked questions
Are there natural hot springs in Norway?
Almost none on the mainland. The best-known warm springs are the Troll Springs (Trollkjeldene) in Bockfjorden on Svalbard, far in the Arctic, at around 25°C. They are reached only by boat expeditions.
Are there hot springs in Sweden?
Sweden has no natural hot springs to soak in. Swedes bathe in saunas, cold-water bathhouses and heated spas such as the historic Hagabadet in Gothenburg.
Are there hot springs in Finland?
No. Finland's bathing culture is the sauna. Kotiharjun Sauna in Helsinki, opened in 1928, is one of the city's last traditional wood-heated public saunas.
Where is the closest real hot spring to Scandinavia?
Iceland. Its volcanic geology produces hundreds of hot springs and geothermal pools, from the Blue Lagoon to free natural pools in the highlands.