The Latvian sauna tradition is being introduced to international visitors through a new information guide available in English and Japanese. The guide, called “Pirts ABC”, explains what makes the Latvian sauna tradition distinctive, what visitors can expect from the experience and why it should not simply be regarded as another version of Finnish sauna culture. Its creators also emphasise an important idea – the Latvian word “PIRTS” represents a cultural concept of its own and deserves to become better known internationally.
In September 2026, the Latvian Bath and SPA Association presented a new resource for international visitors – “Pirts ABC”. The guide is currently available in English and Japanese, with a Latvian version expected to follow.
The material was created by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia in cooperation with LatvianPirts.com and the Latvian Bath and SPA Association. The idea and concept were developed by Ieva Kolosova, the text and design were prepared by Aija Stepanova, the English translation by Laura Knight, and the Japanese version by Shiho Namekawa.
This is not simply a tourism brochure explaining where visitors can find a sauna in Latvia. Its purpose is considerably broader – to explain what the Latvian sauna tradition actually is, which practices are associated with it and what an international visitor can expect when experiencing it for the first time.
The Latvian Sauna Tradition is more than just another sauna
One of the most interesting ideas behind the new initiative concerns the Latvian word pirts itself.
The Latvian Bath and SPA Association emphasises that PIRTS is a distinct Latvian cultural concept. For that reason, the creators of the guide want the original Latvian word to be recognised internationally rather than automatically replacing it with the name of another bathing tradition.
This is more than a linguistic detail.
The word sauna is internationally associated primarily with Finnish sauna culture, while banya refers to a different bathing tradition found mainly in Eastern European and Slavic cultures. Latvia has its own history of sauna bathing, its own use of plants and sauna whisks, its own techniques and knowledge passed down through generations.
The new guide therefore introduces international visitors not only to the tradition itself but also to the Latvian word PIRTS.
How do you explain a Latvian sauna to an international visitor?
The guide offers a consistent way of describing the Latvian sauna tradition to people who may never have encountered it before.
It presents the Latvian sauna as a centuries-old tradition of bathing, herbal practices and wellbeing deeply rooted in the country’s natural environment.
This distinction matters because the Latvian sauna experience cannot be reduced simply to sitting in a hot wooden room.
Heat, water, steam, plants, sauna whisks, whisking, cleansing, cooling and rest all form part of the experience. The knowledge and skills of the sauna practitioner are also important.
It is this combination that can be difficult to explain to someone from another country using only a familiar term such as “sauna”.
Why is consistent terminology important?
If every sauna practitioner, sauna owner or tourism business translates Latvian sauna terminology differently, international visitors can develop very different impressions of the same tradition.
That is why “Pirts ABC” is intended not only for travellers.
The material can also be used by sauna practitioners, sauna owners, guides, tourism organisations and others who introduce foreign visitors to Latvian sauna culture.
Particular attention has been given to professionally prepared terminology in English and Japanese.
The goal is to make explanations of the Latvian sauna tradition as clear and consistent as possible while preserving its cultural identity.
Why was Japanese chosen as one of the first languages?
The choice of Japanese was not accidental.
When the new guide was presented, its concept author Ieva Kolosova was in Tokyo, where she introduced Latvia and the Latvian sauna tradition during Tourism EXPO Japan 2026.
This creates an interesting connection between two very different bathing cultures.
Japan has centuries-old onsen and sento traditions, while Latvia has developed its own sauna culture. Introducing the Latvian sauna tradition to a Japanese audience is therefore more than simply translating tourism information – it is an opportunity to introduce a different cultural experience.
The Latvian sauna tradition is recognised as cultural heritage
The new guide also has a broader cultural context.
Since 2025, “Pirts Tradition in Latvia” has been included in Latvia’s Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The tradition is regarded as a living body of knowledge and skills passed down from generation to generation.
This means that the Latvian sauna is not viewed merely as a leisure or wellness service. It is also a cultural tradition worth preserving.
In this context, it becomes important not only to maintain the tradition within Latvia but also to explain it accurately to people outside the country.
A Latvian sauna is more than a room with a heater
An international visitor’s first idea of a sauna may be fairly simple – a wooden room, a heater, high temperatures and perhaps cold water afterwards.
In the Latvian sauna tradition, this is only the beginning.
Sauna whisks made from different trees and plants can be used, along with herbal infusions, natural scrubs and other natural materials. Temperature is important, but so are the sequence of warming, whisking and cooling the body, periods of rest and the knowledge of the sauna practitioner.
For someone entering a Latvian sauna for the first time, it is therefore useful to understand not only what happens, but also why it is done.
This is where “Pirts ABC” can serve as a practical bridge between an international visitor and the sauna practitioner.
A new tool for Latvian sauna tourism
The guide also has a very practical role in Latvia’s tourism industry.
A sauna owner welcoming visitors from the United Kingdom, Japan or another country no longer has to develop an explanation of the sauna process and its terminology from scratch every time.
The material can be given to visitors before their sauna experience or used to supplement the sauna practitioner’s explanation.
It can also help prevent incorrect expectations. Visitors can understand in advance that they are not simply going to sit in a hot room but are being introduced to a specific Latvian cultural tradition.
From Latvian homesteads to international visitors
For centuries, the Latvian sauna tradition has lived in families, rural homesteads and local communities. Today, it increasingly encounters visitors who may never previously have heard about it.
This creates an interesting challenge – preserving the essence of the tradition while making it understandable to someone from a completely different cultural background.
The simplest approach would be to translate everything into concepts already familiar to the visitor. The creators of “Pirts ABC”, however, have chosen a more ambitious approach: explain the tradition clearly while also teaching visitors its original Latvian name – PIRTS.
It is a small but symbolically important step.
Could PIRTS become an internationally recognised Latvian word?
Finland has succeeded in making the word sauna understood almost everywhere in the world. The Japanese word onsen is also increasingly recognised without translation. Many names for foods, traditions and cultural practices have become internationally understood in the same way.
The Latvian sauna tradition has not yet achieved comparable international recognition.
One guide will obviously not make the word PIRTS familiar around the world. However, consistent terminology and a clear explanation of what distinguishes the Latvian tradition are necessary first steps.
There is also an important balance to maintain. International visitors still need familiar words such as sauna to understand what is being discussed. The Latvian term PIRTS can then explain that this particular tradition has its own identity and cultural background.
The new guide is therefore about more than explaining how to experience a Latvian sauna. It is an attempt to show international visitors that Latvia has its own sauna tradition, with its own history, practices and identity. If a visitor leaves Latvia understanding that the experience was not simply “another sauna”, but a specifically Latvian tradition called PIRTS, the guide will already have achieved one of its most important goals.
Sources
Latvju Pirts un SPA Asociācija – “Pirts ABC” – stāstot par pirti ārvalstu viesiem.
Investment and Development Agency of Latvia – preparation of the “Pirts ABC” material in cooperation with industry organisations.
Travelnews / BalticTravelnews – “PIRTS ABC” – stāstot par pirti ārvalstu viesiem.
