Originating in Russia, the Banya is a bit like a sauna, but slightly cooler and the steam is much wetter, making it easier to stand and therefore more hydrating and detoxifying. It is also much ...

I will admit to a little trepidation visiting Banya No.1 for the first time. Images of the near freezing plunge pool haunted me as we arrived, while thoughts of the banya staff (banschiki) lashing my ...

A popular local bathhouse and spa is facing backlash from queer and transgender San Franciscans for changes to its women’s- and men’s-only nights. As of at least Feb. 2, the website for Archimedes ...

A group of transgender activists have vowed to try and crash a “women’s night” at a San Francisco bathhouse after the spa owners introduced one session a month where only biologically-born females can ...

Banya, the brainchild of Ukrainian-born Alexander Lazarev, and co-founder Robert Procopé, describes itself as ‘the Russian cousin of the Finnish sauna and Turkish hammam.’ They already have similar ...

From hot leaves to freezing water, cool beer to warm dumplings: Steve Dinneen on why Banya No.1 is the best London spa When was the last time you were laid out naked in an enclosed space, whipped with ...

A Russian spa in San Francisco has declared this weekend the “Weekend of Ukraine,” offering anyone with a Ukrainian passport free spa passes. Archimedes Banya, a Russian banya, or bathhouse, with ...

NEW YORK -- What does it say about a culture when one of its most honored rituals involves thrashing the body? Can we read it as a symbol of harsh Russian life, or does it speak more to a mentality -- ...