After the Christmas binges, the New Year’s dinners, the festive toasts and the Epiphany lunches… in addition to the sense of guilt (“everything was so good, but I gained 3 kilos…”), the desire to spend a weekend dedicated to healthy and controlled eating, living in health and reactivating body balance.
Are you organized with sturdy quilted jackets, warm wool scarves and frost-proof footwear?
Of course, in winter the days are shorter. colder and darker, but…
In winter, northern European cities are hardly affected by mass tourism. therefore you can breathe a more authentic atmosphere and avoid queues at the most famous attractions. In winter there are low-cost flights at low prices, even at the weekend, but above all the low winter temperatures also contribute to toning the skin, improving the quality of sleep, tighten pores, fight stretch marks and cellulite, tighten skin, help improve blood circulation.
Nothing better than going to the spa and indulging in treatments that alternate between hot and cold, including the application of ice or snow on your thighs. The spa is a traditional meeting point: in the morning ladies and gentlemen discuss the news and the weather in the hot tubs. Later whole families, small groups of friends and singles arrive, all attracted by the zen quality of the water and steam.
Thermal baths characterized by the encounter between heat and cold are very common in Northern Europe, so here are three “Nordic” destinations for a weekend that will benefit the body and mind, seasoned with food with a healthy and balanced taste.
Reykjavik, Iceland:
Reykiavjak offers as many as 17 geothermal pools, where Icelandic thermal springs meet the hot spring water culture. Most of the houses are heated with water from thermal springs; 99% is heated with green energy.
Right in the center is the popular Sundhöllin swimming pool, the oldest and recently renovated while a short distance from the city center, you will discover Laugardalslaug, the largest and most popular SPA, with two 50-meter pools, 7 whirlpools of different temperatures, a steam bath, a cold tub.
EAT HEALTHY
There are plenty of state-of-the-art spa treatments in Iceland, but you can also find some really healthy food.
Dill, specializing in dried and fermented foods. It aims to highlight Iceland’s food culture and preserve age-old traditions., Sümac, Chef Vigfusson’s casual Middle Eastern menu: flatbread with za’atar and hummus; grilled oyster mushrooms; carrots with whipped feta, honey and cumin. For something more traditional Icelandic, try Messinn, one of the best restaurants in the city, while for a super smoothie stop by Glo, where you can find everything from juices, vegetarian burgers and spectacular “vegetable bowls”
Oslo, Norway:
Here too the philosophy of hot and cold reigns supreme: In Langkaia, near the central station, the Opera, Aker Brygge and along the harbor promenade you will find numerous floating saunas which, in addition to the pleasures of heat, such as relaxation, body and being in good company. ofer the possibility to close the experience with a healthy dip in the icy water (I know, it takes a certain courage and spirit of adventure…)
The fascinating Måken floating sauna is located in the waters of the fjord near the Opera. The construction is of wood found in the Oslo Fjord and other recycled materials, assembled by the sauna enthusiasts of Oslo Fjord Sauna. The sauna seats up to twelve people at a time, with an opening that allows you to jump straight into the fjord. Badstuflåten is open all year round. In winter visitors join the citizens of Oslo for a sauna and a dip in the icy waters of the fjord.
SALT is a unique nomadic art project currently located in Oslo. Here you will find three saunas, which together can accommodate up to 100 people. You can cool off with wooden buckets filled with water or with a cold outdoor shower. SALT serves meals and drinks in the charming Naustet bar. Concerts, conferences and other cultural events are often organized in the larger sauna.
Finally KOK is a boat with sauna that can accommodate up to ten people. When there is no ice in the fjord, KOK offers boat trips on the Oslo Fjord for three hours, or more. The boat is quiet, with an electric outboard motor, and solar panels on the roof, so you can enjoy the fjord view in peace and quiet from inside the sauna. Oslo is known for offering endless wellness options coupled with healthy diets. 
SUSTAINABLE EATING
Oslo is known for offering endless wellness options coupled with healthy diets.
Kontrast, ingredients produced only by the best farms; local ethical and organic ingredients from Norwegian farmers, Louise, natural and mouthwatering seafood. amazing seafood platter with king crab, oysters, scampi, prawns, scallops, salmon and mussels. KuuKuu kitchen & pub in the center of Töölö, classic and modern Finnish cuisine, which favors quality organic ingredients. At the Kolonihagen bio-restaurant, chef Jørgen Ravneberg’s gastronomic philosophy revolves around local, organic and sustainable products. from wonderful local farmers and foraged growths, also you can taste traditional Norwegian fish dishes, while at Hanami Japanese fusion food. You can enjoy excellent gourmet sushi in a menu which includes a combination of Japanese robatayaki, Izakaya…..
Helsinki, Finland
If you want to breathe the purest air in the world, this is your destination, where over 75% of the country is covered in forest, making it the most forested in Europe and one of the best destinations for a healthy weekend. You will find a natural paradise covered in lakes, forests, valleys and mountains. This is also one of the best places in the world to view the Northern Lights, particularly from December to March.
Helsinki offers saunas of all kinds: Kulttuurisauna, in the Merihaha area welcomes visitors only in pairs or in small groups. Nearby Kuusijärvi, located on the border with Vantaa, offers visitors the chance to visit smoke saunas. In between dips in the nearby lake, Kuusijärvi offers a wonderfully relaxing and highly authentic sauna.
Are you looking for a true and authentically Spartan experience? In the former Verkkosaari industrial area you will discover Sompasauna, a self service that is always open, day and night
Löyly it is one of Finland’s most iconic and popular public saunas, and for good reason: it offers visitors a refuge from the bustle of the city. Located in a former industrial area on the Helsinki seafront, it has three wood-fired saunas, an outdoor swimming pool and a restaurant.
Nature, organic and local ingredients sustainable choices, super fresh and low waste food, Jord, informal restaurant with organic food and drinks, Lonna, vegetarian, fish and meat dishes and excellent desserts : In Helsinki, two restaurants have won, over to the Michelin Star, also the Green Star which rewards a cuisine attentive to sustainability: Ora, a small place with only 8 tables and a counter in front of the open kitchen; There is a strong sustainability philosophy and many of the ingredients come from their own garden. Grön, where the dishes are brought to the table by the same chefs who place the vegetables in the foreground. top notch ingredients.
The standard temperature of the hot tubs is 38°-44° (100°-104° Fahrenheit) , while the pools themselves are between 27°-30° Celsius (80°-86° Fahrenheit) while experience “snow. ice and cold water…” Maybe it’s better not to know the degrees but simply close your eyes, grit your teeth and… immerse yourself!
Ready for your “Nordic” hot and cold adventure? ….
CESARE ZUCCA Travel, food & lifestyle.
Milanese by birth, Cesare lives between New York, Milan and the rest of the world. For WEEKEND PREMIUM he photographs and writes about cities, cultures, lifestyles. He likes to discover both traditional and innovative gastronomic delights. Cesare meets and interview top chefs from all over the world, ‘steals’ their recipes in a ” non touristy tourist ” style
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