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Kota sauna: the hut from Lapland
The kota goes back to the traditional dwellings of the Sámi. As a hexagonal or octagonal grill kota it's known in many gardens – and the shape is also used for saunas.
Updated: September 2026 · independent guide, sources linked
A kota sauna is a sauna cabin with a special shape. Size, wall thickness and costs in our sauna cabin guide.
Sauna cabin guide →At a glance
| Origin | dwellings of the Sámi in northern Europe |
|---|---|
| Kota | collective term for conical, pyramidal and dome-shaped Sámi dwellings |
| Lávvu | portable pole tent, widespread until the 17th century |
| Grill kota | hexagonal or octagonal hut with benches around an open grill |
| As a sauna | the many-sided shape is also used for saunas |
From the Sámi kota to the grill kota
"Kota" is a collective term for the traditional dwellings of the Sámi in northern Europe: conical, pyramidal and dome-shaped structures. The original form is the lávvu, a portable pole tent that was widely used from the Iron Age until the Sámi became semi-settled in the 17th century. Today fixed kotas with turf roofs serve as hunting huts, guest lodgings and summer homes for reindeer herders.
The grill kota is the modern development: a small hexagonal or octagonal hut with benches around an open wood or charcoal grill, often with glazed doors and large windows. The name literally means "grill kota".
History at a glance
- Iron Age to 17th centuryThe lávvu is the portable home of the Sámi.
- LaterFixed kotas of wood and turf for hunting, guests and summer pastures.
- TodayGrill kotas at campsites and in gardens; the kota shape is also used for saunas.
A kota sauna in your garden
The many-sided shape feels cosy and offers seating in a circle. Legally, a kota sauna is a heated building like any sauna cabin: expect a building permit and a solid foundation. With a wood-fired heater and chimney, fire safety rules apply – more in our heater comparison. For a community house with a sweat bath from the far north of America, see our page on the qargi of the Yup'ik and Inuit.
For a sauna in the garden, each canton handles the building permit differently, for example Thurgau, Neuchâtel and Schwyz. All 26 cantons: Building permit.
A kota sauna is a sauna cabin with a special shape. Size, wall thickness and costs in our sauna cabin guide.
Sauna cabin guide →More sauna types: Finnish sauna · Smoke sauna · Wood-fired sauna · Electric sauna · Barrel sauna · Sauna cabin · Infrared sauna · Bio sauna · Steam room · Kelo sauna · Mobile sauna
Sweat baths of other cultures: Banya (Eastern Europe) · Roman baths · Hammam · Sweat lodge (North America) · Temazcal (Mesoamerica) · Qargi (Yup'ik & Inuit) · Steppe nomads (Scythians) · Hanjeungmak (Korea) · Mushiburo (Japan) · Sweathouses (Ireland)
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