A Barrel Sauna for Our Guests: What We Are Planning

When the days outside get shorter and colder, there is hardly anything nicer than real, dry warmth. That is why at the end of November we are having a barrel sauna installed in the garden for our guests. We will let you know the exact date here as soon as it is fixed.

Why a barrel? The round shape has a practical reason. Compared with a square cabin with a similar seating area, there is less unused space in the corners and under the ceiling. The barrel encloses only about 4.1 cubic metres of air. The smaller this volume, the faster it gets cosy and warm inside, and the less energy that takes. The curved walls also guide the rising air evenly back down, so the warmth spreads pleasantly through the whole space.

What happens in the body during a sauna session? At an air temperature of 80 to 90 degrees Celsius, skin temperature rises noticeably within a few minutes and core body temperature by about one degree. The blood vessels in the skin widen, the heart beats faster and pumps more blood. For the circulation, this is similar to light to moderate physical exercise, while you simply sit back and relax on the wooden bench.

Then comes the refreshing part. When cooling off, the vessels contract again. For this our guests can use the garden shower and then take their time to enjoy the fresh air and breathe deeply. This alternation of heat and cold trains the ability of the blood vessels to adapt. Many people feel pleasantly tired afterwards and sleep particularly well.

Researchers have looked into this as well. A Finnish long-term study of around 2,300 men followed over roughly 20 years came to a clear result. Men who used a sauna four to seven times a week died less often of cardiovascular disease than men who used one only once a week. Observational studies like this show an association but do not prove cause and effect. Anyone with heart or circulation problems should seek medical advice first.

Women were not part of this study. There is hardly any reliable data yet on how regular sauna use affects women's health. Unfortunately this is nothing new, as women have been studied far less often than men in medical research for decades.

The barrel sauna is heated by an electric stove, and this is where our solar panels come in. We use the electricity they generate on the roof directly in the house as far as possible. A sauna stove needs a lot of power at once while heating up. When the sun is shining, a large part of the warmth in the sauna comes straight from our own roof.

To be honest, there is another side to this. In winter, a solar system in Germany produces only a fraction of its summer output, because the sun is low and the days are short. On grey winter days the sauna will therefore also need grid electricity. That makes the compact design all the more useful, because the cleanest kilowatt hour is the one that is never needed.

The sauna is not only for guests staying overnight. Visitors from outside are very welcome too. Whether after a hike through the Eichsfeld or simply as a little weekend break, just get in touch with us.

As soon as the installation date is fixed, you will find it here in our news. We look forward to your visit.