Scandinavian sauna bliss in Victoria’s High Country

Häut Hutt brings the Scandinavian sauna ritual to Victoria’s High Country, where heat, steam and icy plunges connect you to nature

In Victoria’s High Country, luxury isn’t just about fine wine and plush lodges – it’s also about warmth, stillness, and connection with nature. Bringing this philosophy to life, Häut Hutt (pronounced “hot hut”), opened in early 2024, introducing Scandinavian-style saunas to the alpine landscape. While I’m no stranger to saunas, my experience has been limited to the sterile, tiled steam rooms inside public pools – the kind where you sweat for a while, exchange awkward glances with strangers, and then move on. They serve a purpose, but they lack magic.

At Häut Hutt, Scandinavia’s wellness tradition has been reimagined with a luxurious, nature-inspired twist, blending heat therapy (sauna) with cold therapy (plunge) in a way that feels both primal and restorative. This is no sterile, tiled spa. Instead, there are leaves and dirt, and owner Harry reassures me that whatever earthly material I carry into the plunge bath on the soles of my feet is “perfectly expected” and all part of the experience.

Sauna bathing dates back over 9,000 years in Finland, where the Finnish have long spoken about the power of löyly – the steam that rises when water is poured over hot stones. However, sauna bathing is about more than just heat; it’s a tradition of contrast and a cycle of intensity and release: hot for 10-15 minutes, cold for 1-3 minutes, hydrate, repeat.

Where heat meets nature

I step inside Paloma, Häut Hut’s permanent electric sauna, whose wooden walls radiate warmth. Later, I retreat to Juniper, a wood-fired sauna in a quintessentially Scandinavian pitch-roofed timber cabin. In peak sauna season, Juniper and a third sauna, Mondo, both mobile saunas, can be found nestled amid the landscape, somewhere by the Ovens River – murmuring somewhere just beyond sight – or positioned lakeside to encourage a plunge directly into the crisp, mountain-fed water.

Inside, the ritual is the same regardless of which sauna you’re in: the heat, the breath, the stillness. I flip the hourglass timer, watching the sand begin to fall. Ten minutes is the goal. I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of Lemon Myrtle rising with the steam. The hot stones sizzle as I ladle them with water, sending a fresh burst of heat through the space. And then there’s the view. The floor-to-ceiling glass window isn’t just there for aesthetics – iit shapes the experience as the outside world spills in, branches arching overhead, leaves swaying, light shifting. Here, among the trees, it would be easy to believe I was in Scandinavia, if not for the camellia leaves pressing against the window, stretching as if drawn toward the warmth inside. I close my eyes, inhale and exhale.

The cold plunge: A mental battle

When the last grains of sand slip through the hourglass, it’s time for the cold plunge. The recommendation is to endure between one and three minutes. I step into the three-degree plunge and let out a half-laugh, half-squeal. It’s instinctive. “Just breathe,” Harry reminds me, his voice steady and unrushed. I know he’s right. This isn’t about physical discomfort, it’s about mindset. I focus on my breath, exhaling slowly as the initial shock settles. Then, something shifts. As the heat lingers inside me, the cold becomes an awakening as my senses begin to sharpen. I feel completely present and alive.

I go on to complete this cycle three times during my visit to Häut Hutt, whose magic, I start to realise, lies in its fluidity. Luxury here isn’t just seen, it’s felt, and with two mobile saunas on offer, it’s a luxury that perfect aligns with nature’s rhythms.

Journey notes

Shared sessions at Häut Hutt start at $30 per person for one hour. Private sessions (up to five people) are available for $140. To find out where Häut Hutt’s mobile saunas will be next, visit: hauthutt.com.au

For those looking to extend the Nordic experience, Riverstone in Porepunkah provides the perfect escape. This A-frame house offers a three-bedroom, two-bathroom retreat with stylish furnishings and fittings, including a log fireplace for winter evenings. You can take a scenic walk along the Ovens River to reach Häut Hutt.

For something more intimate, Olive Retreat – The Rocks in Bright is a modern luxury retreat designed for two. This haven exudes minimalist interiors and clean lines synonymous with Scandinavian design.