The sauna ritual is known for promoting relaxation and health benefits. But it's also a place to meet, to talk in an atmosphere without preconceptions, to let the heat and humidity clear our pores and then strengthen our disposition with a dip into the cold. It's a purifying ritual, an age-old tradition in many cultures, to strengthen the body and the spirit.

Whether you are already a convert or you're trying it for the first time, our goal is to offer the sauna experience in the forest of Kunštát - under the open sky, breathing in fresh air while cooling off to the sounds of the forest.

Our initial plan is for a simple barrel-type mobile sauna with a shower and cooling tub on a wooden platform. This solution also allows us to offer the benefits of this tradition as soon as possible. We hope to fire up the stove by the end of November!
 

How will your donation help get us there?

The total of CZK 150,790 (EUR 6,152) includes:

A 4-METRE BARREL SAUNA AND WOOD STOVE - CZK 118,260 (EUR 4,825)

A LARGE HALF-ROUND SAUNA WINDOW - CZK 17,000 (EUR 694)

COOLING TUB - CZK 15,530 (EUR 633)

What do we already have?

- A plot of land in the town of Kunštát (in the area of Jelínkova Chata) on which to park the sauna - volunteers have already prepared the base.

- Via Foundation's offer of up to CZK 50,000 (EUR 2040) if we manage to raise at least another CZK 50,000 with your help (so far we have raised CZK 17,800 (EUR 726).

- The remainder of the Via Foundation grant, which will be put towards transporting the sauna, purchasing firewood, material for the platform and for anything else out volunteers will need to complete the facility.

The sauna is part of our larger Green Transformation of the Forests of Jelínkova Chata, Kuntát, project, supported by the Via Foundation as part of the Místo, kde žijeme 2020 program. As part of that, in June 2021 we held a public community planning for the citizens of Kunštát and area to discuss the values of the Forest as well as activities people would like to see in and around Jelínkova Chata in the future. The sauna project was the clear winner among the proposals presented there.

We then held an architectural workshop for the children, which allowed them to hold their own community planning process. Next the kids worked in groups to showcase the favorite ideas. The sauna found its supporters among them as well.

We are members of Na Slunci, a non-profit association that since 2014 has been closely linked with the Jelínkova Chata facility. We run the Jelínek Forest Kindergarten out of the Jelínkova Chata building. From September 2020 we also offer other pre-schoolers the Koloušek Forest Club, located in the outbuilding on the premises. In the town, Na Slunci also runs day camps and environmental programs for schools and kindergartens in the region.

We saw the need to initiate and implement a transformation of the area to benefit the town and its citizens. We do so in keeping with our mission to support the physical and mental wellness of children, youth and adults, to strengthen relationships with nature, to create harmony in relationships and to promote friendship and a sense of belonging across generations.

"I'm glad that the sauna project was chosen from among the several proposals. We really wanted to expand the association's activities to offer something for the adults", said Ina Lišková, one of the association's founders.

Thank you for supporting us - we look forward soon to a ribbon-cutting on the first Kunštát sauna season!