10 Years of “Badegärten Eibenstock”

The Badegärten Eibenstock (bathing gardens) in Saxony celebrated its 10th anniversary in mid-July with a terrific laser show. The longstanding EWA member corporation was honoured last year by the European Waterpark Association with the “Professional Award 2006” for remodelling its former Kneipp garden into a Japanese sauna garden. The outdoor area of the Badegärten was recently widely expanded and a real ground sauna (photo) was created, which is to be operated as a smoke sauna. The ground smoke sauna is a typical Karelian sauna form that can no longer be found today in Finland and Russia. It is characterised by its particularly mild radiant heat, which is slowly emitted through the soot-blackened, thick beams and reflected by the ground next to them. Inside the building there is a pleasant smell of smoulder. It is the only real smoke sauna in Germany. (eap)