![Ninety-five miles [153 kilometers] north of the Arctic Circle, with craggy peaks, open seas, and sheltered bays, sits the dramatic, remote, and lonely archipelago of Lofoten. With an imposing beauty, the islands are part of the Scandinavian Caledonides, a mountain range that stretches from northern Norway all the way to the south, and comprises six principal islands and hundreds of smaller, unpopulated ones. A dominating presence, especially when approached by sea, the islands’ sheer cliffs and clear waters have been called home by humans—from Vikings to local fishermen—for thousands of years. Lofoten’s history is rooted in fishing traditions: The migrating Atlantic cod, or skrei, that come to the islands to spawn between February and March have been providing a living for the local people for centuries. Charming, idyllic, and positioned at the top of the world, the islands bask in the glow of the northern lights and the midnight sun, with the perpetual smell of salt air and drying fish. It’s home to galleries, artisans, craftspeople, and communities conscious of preserving and honoring their traditions. Within this landscape sits The Bands, a seaside sauna built on a quay in the former fishing village of Kleivan. The sauna was commissioned by the local district to tie together the old with the new, incorporating three historical pre-existing buildings—a fisherman’s cottage (Rorbu), a cod liver oil–production building (Trandamperi), and a cod-salting building (Brygge)—with a new structure. A team of students from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design’s Scarcity and Creativity Studio conceptualized and oversaw The Bands’s four-week construction. Evoking the rocks below and waves nearby, The Bands gets its name from three ribbon-like, connected wooden bands that echo the angular landscape. Each band folds to form the 969-square-foot [90-square-meter] structure, made up of several outdoor areas. To the north, the bands emerge from the rocks, offering a hot tub and a cold tub as well as a rest area. Built sensitively within the surrounding environment, the light-filled, 161-square-foot [15-square-meter] sauna features clerestory windows made from translucent plastic and a gabled wall with windows looking out on the nearby mountains. As the bands bend and fold, they continue to form a fish-cleaning station, a picnic terrace, and many places to lounge and rest. Photo 4 of 11 in 10 Bucket-List Saunas, Hot Springs, and Thermal Baths From Around the World](https://images2.dwell.com/photos/6711721526265430016/6955167351236927488/original.jpg?auto=format&q=35&w=160)
10 Bucket-List Saunas, Hot Springs, and Thermal Baths From Around the World
Ninety-five miles north of the Arctic Circle, with craggy peaks, open seas, and sheltered bays, sits the dramatic, remote, and lonely archipelago of Lofoten. With an imposing beauty, the islands are part of the Scandinavian Caledonides, a mountain range that stretches from northern Norway all the way to the south, and comprises six principal islands and hundreds of smaller, unpopulated ones. Within this landscape sits The Bands, a seaside sauna built on a quay in the former fishing village of Kleivan. The sauna was commissioned by the local district to tie together the old with the new, incorporating three historical pre-existing buildings—a fisherman’s cottage (Rorbu), a cod liver oil–production building (Trandamperi), and a cod-salting building (Brygge)—with a new structure. Evoking the rocks below and waves nearby, The Bands gets its name from three ribbon-like, connected wooden bands that echo the angular landscape. Each band folds to form the 969-square-foot structure, made up of several outdoor areas. To the north, the bands emerge from the rocks, offering a hot tub and a cold tub as well as a rest area. Built sensitively within the surrounding environment, the light-filled, 161-square-foot [15-square-meter] sauna features clerestory windows made from translucent plastic and a gabled wall with windows looking out on the nearby mountains. As the bands bend and fold, they continue to form a fish-cleaning station, a picnic terrace, and many places to lounge and rest.