If you want to experience something truly local while visiting Malmö in Sweden, steaming yourself in a sauna and then jumping into the ice-cold Baltic Sea at Ribersborgs Kallbadhus (open-air bath house) in Malmö is the way to go. You don’t even need to bring your swimsuit, as you can swim nude there.
This is Janna's absolute favourite place to go when visiting her mum. They used to go there every Sunday.
Ribersborgs Kallbadhus, or simply known as 'Kallis' by the locals, is more than a spa. It's part of a Scandinavian tradition originating in Finland from a ritual believed to date back as far as 7,000 BC. It then spread to other Scandinavian countries.
Kallis was built in 1892 and is located on a pier at Ribersborg Beach, one of Malmö's city beaches where locals gather together no matter the weather. During the cold winter months, it's a perfect place for bathing in icy-cold water and then getting hot in the sauna or soaking in a warm-water pool with Malmo’s most iconic views.
You can see the famous Turning Torso residential building on your right. To the left you can see Øresndsron (Øresund Bridge), which connects Sweden to Denmark and was a key character in the TV series 'The Bridge'.
Kallis is just the perfect destination with its outdoor activities no matter the weather.
If you are looking for what to do when it's cold and rainy in Malmö, Kallis is your best bet. You can get warmed up in the sauna and have the opportunity to relax in the hot tub. Or try an ice bath during the winter months when the sea is ice cold.
During the warm summer months, Kallis is visited by many nudist lovers as well as swimmers. The water near the beach is very shallow and you need to walk at least a hundred meters to find a decent depth, which is why you can see so many long piers built along the beach.
What to know when visiting Ribersborgs Kallbadhus
The entrance is 85 krona ($8.50 USD). There are also yearly memberships available or 3,200 krona ($317 USD) if you are staying or living nearby for some time.
Check out the opening hours on their website. They vary depending on what day and time of the year you are visiting.
The sauna is divided into two parts, male and female. There are two sauna rooms on each side that are strictly male and female. Both of them are dry saunas. One is quiet, which means that you can can’t talk while you are in this sauna room. The other one is normal.
Then there is a wet sauna that is accessible for both men and women. This is the place where they do Aufguss, a ritual where water is poured onto the stones with some essential oils and then fanned with a towel to create more heat and steam. It’s definitely an experience that we recommend everyone tries.
Each side also has a wood-fired hot tub. There is another room with an infrared sauna that is accessible by both men and women.
There is a rule in the sauna that everyone should follow. You can’t wear a bathing suit. If you aren’t comfortable being nude, we recommend bringing a cotton towel or a sarong large enough to cover yourself. At all times, you have to sit on a towel for hygiene reasons.
It’s also a good idea to bring shoes so you can walk within the facilities. There are other rules that you should follow depending which sauna room you are in. Don’t worry though, as the rules are written on the walls right at the entrance of each sauna and inside.
After sweating in the sauna, we recommend jumping into the sea. It’s pretty cold all year around!
There is a more protected area where you can dip yourself and two piers that lead to the open sea. There is also a floating platform maybe 50 metres from the pier that you can swim to.
It's really important to keep hydrated. In Sweden, all tap water is drinkable, so feel free to drink from a tap just outside the sauna or even better bring a water bottle with you. Be mindful that glass is not allowed and plastic is probably not the best in the heat.
I brought my ceramic Stokke water bottle, which kept the water nice and cold even inside the sauna.
There is a huge area for sunbathing too. If you like a suntan without the lines, this is your place.
A lot of people go there in summer so they can swim and sunbath embracing the nature of their bodies. There is just something about swimming without the feel of synthetics on your body, I really recommend you try it.
There are two types of changing rooms, inside the bathhouse near the showers and the lockers and an outdoor area with many smaller private changing rooms. The choice is yours.
If you have valuable belongings, it's a great idea to bring a lock with you. There are bigger lockboxes for your belongings and smaller ones where you can put your mobile phone and wallet. Personally I’ve always left my stuff outside and never had an issue.
Be aware Mondays and Tuesdays are for people with allergies, which means there is no Aufguss ritual. Check out their website for more details and any changes.
There is a cozy cafe on site with a nice sea view and simple menu if you feel like having a bite or a drink after the sauna.
Kallis is also very LGBTQ friendly and are doing their best to make the experience enjoyable for everyone. On every first Monday of the month, the hold a Queer Kallis Day inviting everyone no matter their gender, body, and identity.
What to bring
You will need to bring a towel or sarong to cover yourself (unless you're comfortable to be nude all the time), a small towel to sit on, a towel to dry yourself, a reusable water bottle, shoes, a sauna hat (to protect your head from overheating), shampoo, soap etc.
We prefer to bring dry shampoos that are plastic free and also very compact. There are hair dryers, so no need to bring yours.
The health benefits
Besides being relaxing and fun activities, sweating in a sauna and then taking a cold bath can also provide many health benefits.
They can boost support to your immune system, enhance your blood circulation, improve your cardiovascular health, burn calories, release endorphins, and reduce inflammation. They are also a great way to gain mental clarity and reduce stress.
