What is Aufguss? If you’ve come across the word and had no idea what it meant, you’re not alone. It’s not a well known term outside of sauna culture — but once you’ve experienced one, it’s hard to forget.
At its simplest, Aufguss is a guided sauna ceremony. A sauna master pours scented water over hot stones, then uses a towel to circulate the steam around the room. But that description doesn’t really do it justice — because what it actually feels like is closer to theatre than a sauna session.
What is Aufguss and where does it come from?
Aufguss is a German word that translates literally as “infusion” or “to pour.” It refers to the act of pouring water — usually infused with essential oils — over the hot stones of a sauna to create an intense burst of steam.
The practice originated in Germany and has been part of European sauna culture for centuries. It began as a practical solution — saunas are small enclosed spaces where the air becomes stale quickly, and pouring water over hot stones helped push that stale air out and refresh the room. Over time it evolved from that simple act into the guided ceremony it is today, with its own techniques, essential oils, music and dedicated practitioners.
It’s now deeply embedded in sauna culture across Germany, Austria, Finland and the Netherlands, where it’s considered a serious art form with its own competitions and championships. In the UK it’s still relatively new — but that’s changing fast.
What actually happens in an Aufguss session?
An Aufguss is led by a sauna master who guides everyone through the experience. Sessions typically last around 15 minutes and follow a similar structure, though no two are exactly alike.
The sauna master begins by pouring water infused with essential oils over the hot stones, creating a sudden intense cloud of fragrant steam. They then use a towel — sometimes two — to circulate the steam around the room.
The towel work is more skilled than it sounds. The movements are deliberate and choreographed, designed to build the intensity gradually. In competition Aufguss, masters are judged on criteria including their towel technique, heat distribution, fragrance choices, how well they execute a theme, and how effectively they engage the audience. Which gives you a sense of how seriously it’s taken.
Throughout the session the temperature and humidity rise significantly — higher than a standard sauna. Most sessions build through several rounds of increasing intensity before the sauna master brings things to a close.
What does it actually feel like?
This is where it gets harder to describe.
Sitting in an Aufguss session is not like sitting in a regular sauna. The heat is more intense, but that’s not the main thing. What makes it different is that every sense is engaged at once — the heat on your skin, the scent of the essential oils, the music, sometimes the sight of a performance happening right in front of you.
The sauna master is central to the whole experience. They move around the room with purpose, using the towel to direct heat — but the towel work itself is worth watching. Twirling, throwing, catching — there’s a skill and a rhythm to it that you find yourself caught up in alongside the heat.
At the UK Aufguss Championships I attended, I found myself completely absorbed in what was happening in front of me — the movement, the music, the heat, the crowd all reacting together. It was unlike any sauna experience I’d had before.
You’re sitting in a very hot room with dozens of other people, all experiencing the same thing at the same time — and the shared reaction is part of it. People woo, gasp, clap, sometimes sing along. There are no phones. Nobody is distracted. Everyone is just there, in the heat, together.
The Championships crowd was larger than a typical Aufguss — regular sessions at spa hotels and sauna venues usually hold anywhere from a handful of people up to around 40. But the collective element is there regardless of the size of the room.
The essential oils add another dimension — different scents create different experiences. Lavender feels calming, citrus more energising. At one session I attended, the sauna master used rose to match a love theme in their performance. A sauna master chooses scents that suit the mood or theme of their session.
How is Aufguss different to a regular sauna?
In a standard sauna you sit in the heat, leave when it gets too much, cool down and repeat. It’s largely a passive, individual experience — you’re in charge of your own session and there’s no particular structure to it.
Aufguss is different because someone is guiding you through it. The sauna master controls the heat, the scent, the pace and the atmosphere. Rather than managing your own session, you follow their lead.
The intensity varies — some Aufguss sessions are hotter than others, and the directed heat from the towel work makes it feel different from a standard sauna session. That said, you can leave at any point. Stepping out mid-session is completely normal and the sauna master won’t mind at all.
And then there’s the social dimension. A regular sauna session can be quite solitary even with others in the room. An Aufguss brings a group of people through something together — the shared heat, the shared scent, the shared atmosphere.
Where can you experience Aufguss in the UK?
Aufguss is still relatively new in the UK compared to mainland Europe, but it’s growing fast. A number of spa hotels and dedicated sauna venues now offer regular sessions, and the UK has its own national championships — the UK Aufguss Championships — run by the British Sauna Society, who also list Aufguss events across the country on their website.
I attended the most recent championships at Galgorm Resort in Belfast and came away with a completely different understanding of what Aufguss can be. If you’re curious, I’ve written about the experience in full — see below.
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