By Karla Clemmensen

February 12, 2025

The city’s old public bathhouses have become a refuge for today’s urban dwellers. From the bench in the sauna, the middle class now sits sweating and pouring water over the hot stones – in a place that was once a symbol of limited means.

On the lively square facing Sjællandsgade stands Sjællandsgade Bad, a more than 100-year-old bathhouse in the Nørrebro neighborhood. This Wednesday afternoon, like most Wednesdays, a line of people is waiting for it to open. Some stand in groups, chatting. Others wait alone. The bags slung over their shoulders make it clear that they’re planning more than a quick shower. Instead, they’ll be staying for a while, bringing a variety of supplies.

»I was actually here on Saturday too,« says Frida Thøgersen, who is waiting in line with her backpack hanging off one shoulder, eager to get inside where it’s warm. She’s a student, but today she’s traded her books for a towel.

»It doesn’t always happen that I come more than once in a week. But lately I’ve had more free time,« she explains.

Inside the red brick building, things look much like they did originally. Cream-colored tiles cover most of the rooms, creating a calm atmosphere along with the music playing softly in the background. Here you’ll find shower stalls, bathtubs, a sauna, and a large tub with ice-cold water. On both floors, there are lounge areas furnished with old garden chairs, where visitors sit with moss-green face masks between sauna sessions.

At the opposite end, in the bathing area, two wooden shelves are starting to lean. They’re packed with all kinds of skincare products, squeezed in alongside large water bottles and steaming cups of tea. It’s probably the best evidence that the people who come here – and what they come here for – have changed over time.

In the Name of Public Health

In many Danish cities bathhouses were built in the late 1800s as part of a public health movement aimed at improving hygiene, especially in crowded urban areas where proper sanitation was often lacking. At that time, there was growing awareness of how diseases spread, leading to various public initiatives to fight them.

Bathhouses provided people with clean water, plus a place for either a shower or a full bath. Many also had an attached swimming pool, where locals could keep fit, which helped make them more resistant to the widespread illnesses of that era.

Helen Welling – an architect and author who has studied this topic for over twenty years – explains that around the early 1900s, Danes became more focused on healthy living.

»There was a great interest in cleanliness, hygiene, and taking care of the body so it could be healthier,« says Welling. She points to one of the era’s leading health promoters, Jørgen Peter Müller. In 1904, he wrote My System – 15 Minutes’ Daily Work for Health, describing how 15 minutes of dynamic stretches, twists, and massages could lead to a healthier life. The book also covered how to maintain a hygienic lifestyle.

Still, Welling notes that bathing facilities and swimming weren’t completely new in Denmark at that time, and neither was the focus on health. As early as the 1800s, people made frequent use of harbor baths, which served soldiers, schoolchildren, and anyone seeking therapeutic treatments.

No Private Showers in City Life

So bathhouses weren’t always associated with relaxation. In fact, it was usually just a chore you had to get through. According to Helen Welling the public’s use of bathhouses were originally quick and practical. You went to scrub away the dirt that a small washtub in your kitchen couldn’t handle, then you headed home.

»In some bathhouses, attendants would scrub your back thoroughly to remove the layers of dirt that built up over the week,« she explains, adding that this was reality for nearly all Copenhagen residents. Most apartments – whether large upper-class units in nicer neighborhoods or tiny, run-down ones in areas like Nørrebro – did not have a bathroom. Of course, if you had more space and money, life was more comfortable overall, and you could visit a bathhouse more often. But as Welling notes, it wasn’t cheap.

Some bathhouses and bath hotels were reserved for particular social groups, and the length of the visit there differed as well.

»For example, Rysensteen’s Bathhouse, built in 1825, was pure luxury. Only wealthy, high-ranking guests arrived by carriage to both bathe and relax. You could rent private rooms with a small side room for your servants, and you could ‘park’ your horse in the stable,« says Welling.

This upscale bathhouse – once a sugar factory – was even named the most luxurious bath hotel in the Nordics. Along with other bathhouses along the coast north of Copenhagen, it served as the upper class’s bathroom away from home for a while. Something that stood in stark contrast to bathhouses in older, run-down city areas, where workers and craftsmen crowded into small spaces, with little money to spare for such bathing experiences.

Photo: Museum of Copenhagen

A Long Period of Decline

In the 1950s, many apartments got their own bathrooms or at least shared showers within the building. That led to a long stretch where bathhouses had very few visitors. Helen Welling explains that the decline in visitors forced many bathhouses to close, which is why only a few original public baths remain today.

A place like Badeanstalt Spanien (a historic bathhouse in Aarhus) never shut its doors, but it was not until after the turn of the millennium that visitor numbers rose to a healthy level again – and they’ve been increasing ever since.

Aside from its pastel-colored ceilings and walls and other architectural details that create a warm welcome, Badeanstalt Spanien is popular among those looking for a break from hectic daily life. The city has added a modern spa area with hot tubs, scheduled sauna rituals, and homemade body scrubs.

Still, the historic setting is easy to spot at this Aarhus bathhouse. In 1968, the city protected the building as a heritage site, so you can swim laps while gazing up at the original colorful walls and ceiling – painted in the same hues as in the foyer.

Photo: Julie Bertelsen, Arkitekturbilleder

From Wellness to Well-Being

Over time, Danes have become more and more interested in healthy living. What started as a broad focus on hygiene and physical health later expanded into the concept of “wellness,” which emphasizes mental relaxation too.

But lifestyle expert Julia Lahme describes traditional wellness as more of a quick fix – a short break from a busy life without a big focus on lasting solutions. She calls wellness somewhat outdated. Lahme, who spends much of her time researching consumer trends and behavior, points instead to the growing concept of “well-being.” This idea arose from the increased attention to mental health and the need to combat burnout, both of which have come into sharper focus in recent years.

»Well-being has grown out of our fast-paced society with its many demands, plus the pressure to always be present at work. People need places to recharge mentally,« says Julia Lahme.

Unlike wellness, well-being places more emphasis on long-term habits, so people develop routines that support their emotional well-being. Lahme mentions winter bathing, sauna sessions, and running clubs as examples of well-being activities that have seen a recent rise in popularity. This is where the old bathhouses have entered the picture again. But who exactly are the people lining up a few minutes before opening time?

Are Bathhouses for Everyone?

Some might feel these protected, historical buildings don’t have the same “luxury” feel as exclusive spa resorts outside the city. Others might prefer the authenticity that comes with visiting a historical site. Or perhaps it’s a matter of budget. One thing is certain: attendance at bathhouses is generally increasing.

For Frida Thøgersen, now inside Nørrebro’s old bathhouse, it feels safe and cozy. She sits in the lounge area, shoulders relaxed, blowing on her tea.
»I enjoy the calm and mutual respect here, which helps me relax – that’s the main reason I come. But of course, it’s also a plus that it’s affordable for me as a student,« she says.

According to Julia Lahme, women have traditionally been the main participants in both wellness and well-being activities. However, men have begun showing interest, often adding an extreme element – like taking ice baths or intense training sessions. But it’s not just about gender, Lahme emphasizes. Self-care can be expensive, especially if you plan on doing it regularly.

»Money and free time are key. There’s a clear gap in who can afford to maintain a routine and join this well-being wave,« Lahme says. She believes that’s why bathhouse visitors form a more diverse group than those at upscale spa hotels along the coast.

Photo: Sjællandsgade Bad

A Collective Spirit

The focus on mental health and well-being, says Lahme, has both good and bad sides. She recalls the behavior many people had during the COVID-19 pandemic, constantly checking how they felt physically and mentally.

»There’s no doubt it’s good that we’re more aware of mental health. But at the same time, it can become very self-centered, and we lose the collective aspect,« Lahme explains.

That’s another reason she recommends making use of the city’s bathhouses. They encourage a collective spirit, and people connect with each other.

Photo: Leif Tuxen

Another big bonus, she says, is that you’re confronted with different body types and nudity in a more open setting than at a “fancy spa.” That helps normalize all body shapes and ages.

»I often suggest that women who feel insecure about their appearance visit a bathhouse and simply observe the variety of female bodies. It’s good to seek out spaces where the body is normalized, for the sake of our own body image,« Lahme says.

Still, she points out that not everyone in society is represented in these historic bathhouses today, due in part to finances and cultural differences.

Which brings us back to where we started: the middle class, panting on the top sauna bench, pouring water over hot stones. More and more, they’re the ones using these repurposed buildings – proof that bathhouses have shifted from a necessity into modern spaces for both relaxation and socializing.