Readers have probably encountered lukewarm saunas, infrared apparatuses, and cliquey settings. Likewise, Estonians are bound to enter social situations where people make remarks of confusion or contempt about saun, rolling in the snow, plunging in cold water, and the rest of it. Outside of the Nordic cultural sphere, these ancestral rituals can seem like an uncomfortable endurance test rather than a therapeutic escape. But in southern Ontario, there’s a spa facility with a Finnish edge, “A Little Piece of Finland in Oro-Medonte” as they call it. It’s called Vettä Nordic Spa.
Given a weekend opportunity to visit, the car was packed with a few essentials for the drive there from downtown Toronto. It took an hour and a half total, across the 401 and up the 400. Then again, it could be closer and faster for you if you reside away from the worst traffic congestion. For reference, the spa is next to Horseshoe Valley Resort, nestled within a scenic, hilly, hardwood forest.
According to the Vettä Nordic Spa website, the destination has family heritage baked into the whole operation. In 1957, Yrjö and Kaisa Harkonen left Finland for Elliot Lake, Ontario, maintaining their traditional sauna customs. Their son Eric grew up with these traditions and later, overwhelmed by his career as a mining engineer, built a private circuit in his backyard to find balance. This inspired Eric and his wife, Donna, to establish a public spa. The Vettä Nordic Spa website states their mission is “to help each guest escape the stress of their day by allowing them to relax, recharge, and reconnect.” Adding to the authenticity of the spa, they worked with a Finnish architect and imported authentic wood-burning heaters and timber siding.
The hydrotherapy experience follows a classic format of three distinct cycles. Lockers and water-proof digital wristbands store and lock everything safely so you can go out with just a bathing suit, a fluffy white robe, two towels, flip flops, and a water bottle. Maybe a book for later, too, if you wish to stay for longer. No need to be laden down with too much stuff. Part-way through your session, you can dine at Savu, the downstairs restaurant, which was a real treat. Here you can try a Finnish specialty like the Karelian stew, simmered with beef and vegetables, making for a restorative lunch. Alongside this, try a soothing herbal tea, a properly strong coffee, plenty of water to rehydrate, and a berry and cream-covered chocolate brownie made with rye flour to complete the meal.
After this, you can wander back to one of the large, warm pools with its own waterfall feature, to get ready for some more intense rounds. But no need to rush.
Sampling a bit of everything at a moderate pace is ideal for one’s first visit to Vettä. For example, the Eucalyptus steam room has a pleasant aroma and milder heat factor. But the powerhouse amenity has to be the Harmonia wood-burning sauna room. For a room this big, you’d imagine the heat to be quite dissipated. In reality, it’s seriously hot, a sweltering 90 degrees Celsius, with two big metal ovens going. Users will enjoy the view of the trees and ambling paths through the big windows… but oi kurat does this thing make you sweat! So, cold plunge time afterwards was welcome. As were the big buckets of coarse salt that you could use to scrub your skin with, before rinsing off in the shower. You’ll be glowing after this.
The only sweat bathing experience that felt absent, a realization that hit during the drive home, was the lack of birch whisks in the final round of the saun. No doubt there are practical reasons for this, though, and one can use a whisk the next time a sauna aficionado friend invites you to their place.
Above all, sweat bathing is a way to seek peace and calm. In that regard, the hot relaxation pool within the quiet area (no talking allowed here) is the star of the show. Even more so if you go in winter, as the cold breeze flows over your shoulders, the steam glides into the trees, and you’re really left to appreciate any fragile warmth you can find. In the warmer months, there are hammocks between the trees just a throw of a kivi (stone) away. Speaking of stones, not everything here involves water. There’s the relaxation room with beanbags and a fireplace, an ideal reading nook, or if you book in advance, sessions like a sound bath with a staff member playing bells, chimes, and gongs. There is also a deeply relaxing hot stone slab room where you may find yourself falling asleep (some mild snoring was heard) if it weren’t for the ambient music getting slightly louder from time to time, waking you up. As an aside, you may also be comforted by the familiar-sounding names of amenities dotted around the spa: “sisu,” “minä,” “metsä,” and “sumu.” Marimekko fabrics adorn the premises.
The broader massage and wellness programming features customized treatments with Registered Massage Therapists, duo massages, and specialized rituals like moving meditation or a guided “Sauna with a Finn” with Vettä’s founder, Eric. At the end of the day, Koivu restaurant can be a dinner spot to celebrate the day by tucking into a tasty Karelian pie (traditional oval rye pastries filled with savoury rice porridge) or two.
Admiring the wide-open views of the forest on a leisurely wellness day and trying all of the above is like hitting a reset button. For those interested, it’s definitely recommended to book ahead of time at vettaspa.com so you can get your day and time of choice, especially on weekends.
