Its creators say the ice sauna is a special kind of pleasant: Visitors can enjoy the warmth of heated natural cedar, clean water, icy air and untouched nature all at once. The temperature in the sauna can reach 266 degrees Fahrenheit.
Entrance to the premises is through a “gateway of love,” decorated with hearts. Visitors say the gateway has already brought luck to some tourists: a man proposed to a girl and she agreed, while a couple from Vladivostok had their dream of having a baby come true.
The ice sauna is surrounded by a carved wall. The gateway into the pool is shaped like a seashell. There is another wall around the ice hole, and there are steps leading to the water.
The ice sauna (banya) in Baikalsk.
A rose frozen in ice was an unusual present Baikal craftsmen prepared for women ahead of International Women’s Day.
With time, the fame of the sauna, a local attraction, spread far beyond the country’s borders.