A wood-fired hot tub (the Polish “balia”) asks for a little time and the right order of things. The rule above all others: fill the tub with water first, only then light the stove. What follows is the slow turn from cold to warmth — embers glowing under the rim, steam rising over still water and the lake quiet beyond.
How to prepare the hot tub — step by step
- Fill the tub with water to roughly 10 cm below the top rim.
- Only once the water is in place, light the stove.
- Burn hardwood only — never softwood or treated timber.
- Plan the heating well ahead — it usually takes around four to five hours.
- A comfortable bathing temperature is around 37–39 °C.
- Check the temperature with the thermometer.
Good to know
- Do not light the stove until the water in the tub has reached the right level.
- There is no need to overheat the water — at 37–39 °C the bath is already wonderfully comfortable.
- If children are using the tub, please make sure an adult is supervising at all times.
- If a lot of ash has gathered in the stove, empty it only into the metal bucket standing behind the sauna.
- Never tip hot ash into plastic containers, and never scatter it on the grounds of the property.
- When you have finished, please leave the hot tub tidy so we can see to it after your stay.