
Photo by Dirk Engelhardt
Ever seen those little huts on rafts cruising around the Berlin waters? Two of them are actually floating saunas. On the Spree near Müggelsee there is Finnfloat and, more recently, you can sweat it out on the Havel as well. Saunafloss was launched in September by Dirk Engelhardt, a sauna-loving journalist from Frankfurt looking to make some extra cash on the side. He invested €35,000 to have his barrel-chested Floß custom-built by a specialist shipyard in Mecklenburg Vorpommern in the hopes of making a profit from it in four to five years’ time. The Saunafloss oozes Scandi-style minimalism, with its serene, pale wood interior and wood-stove centrepiece – above which a half-moon window offers beatific views across the river. The sauna comes complete with logs for extra heat (up to 100°C for the experienced Saunist) and the freedom to take it anywhere you like within the allotted three hours (€210 for up to seven people, €70 for every additional hour – not cheap but less than Finnfloat). After a short introduction from Engelhardt, anyone can steer the motorised vessel. Take it down to Potsdam or throw the anchor in a quiet spot along Grunewald forest and slowly get sloshed on the boat’s stock of Havelwasser, a mix of wine and pear juice from Brandenburg (€7 per bottle). The highlight, of course, is cooling off in the ‘dip tank’, i.e. the Havel. By the time you resurface, you’ll feel as good as new.
Saunafloss, Havelchaussee 107, Charlottenburg, booking details at saunafloss.info