Sauna Herbal Cup - preliminary round in Austria 2025

As a participant, you will perform a relaxing herbal ritual in the Finnish sauna, where you will impress with the professional and creative use of various natural products.

IN ADDITION to the ritual in the Finnish sauna, a peeling ceremony must be carried out in the steam room. Part of this discipline also includes the visual and written presentation of the peeling.

The ranking for the Sauna Herbal Cup results from the sum of the points from both disciplines (weighting 50:50).

The best participants in the national rounds qualify for the final in the Czech Republic, where the participant with the most points is ultimately crowned “King/Queen of Herbal”.

The ritual lasts 15 minutes and is based on the creative and imaginative use of natural materials in the sauna. E.g. fresh herbs, brews, smoked products, various compositions/mixtures of essential oils, etc. The jury will evaluate the harmonious interaction of the ingredients as well as the overall impression.

Great attention is paid to the imaginative use of natural aromatherapy - here participants have free choice as to which and how many ingredients are used. However, the motto “less is more” sometimes applies.

As in other competitions, professionalism is important here: show your competence in using the infusion products. Place value on the well-being of your guests. Maintain proper hygiene. Present yourself with an appropriately positive demeanor, an introduction with all the important information and a clear ending.

Branches, flags, towels and other creative tools can be used to distribute the hot air - the choice is yours. Show techniques with the towel are not prohibited. However, they are not recommended and are not rated separately.

Show elements or “sauna theater” may be viewed negatively. The Relax Herbal infusion should primarily bring relaxation to the guest; it should be a quiet sauna ceremony and focus on the natural products used.

The ritual should NOT have a storyline or tell ANY story. But it can be inspired by a culture, a country, a landscape or an event. You can use appropriate costumes and decorations to represent this. However, your creative means should always support the role of natural herbs etc. and not displace or overshadow it.

They perform a full peeling ceremony in the steam room. For example, a peeling for the body and an extra mask for the face can be offered, or a special peeling for the feet.

Each participant is free to choose how many ingredients and components they provide for the ceremony. But everything should fit together and serve to achieve the goal or benefit of the application.

Be creative and imaginative but also thoughtful when choosing the products you use. Here too, sometimes less is more. Familiarize yourself with the individual ingredients, the ingredients and their properties. Introduce the peeling procedure to your guests. Explain why you chose the ingredients that way.

The presentation of the peeling is an integral part of the steam bath ceremony

We provide you with a space to display your peeling. There you should place and describe all the components and ingredients of your ceremony in a creative and visually appealing way. Ideally, you should supplement the presentation with labels for the individual ingredients. Underline the presentation with appropriate thematic decoration. Prepare an information sheet to have at the presentation table that contains all the necessary explanations.

Depending on the organizer's instructions, you may be asked to present your peeling and the ingredients orally in a short presentation or you may have to answer questions from the jury members.

Information about participation for Austrian sauna masters will follow soon. If you have any questions about participation, you are welcome to contact us by E-Mail or Telephone.