We paid a visit to Banya No. 1 in London’s Hoxton to experience this traditional and much-loved Russian wellbeing therapy. Not for the faint-hearted, it takes a few moments to acclimatise both body and brain to the fiercely hot air and the slightly hysterical sight of a burly Russian chap, stripped to the waist save

Channel your inner Tolstoy with a good ol’ parenie, an old school Russian massage, which involves being swathed in hot wet leaves and pummelled by venik – a leafy bundle of herbs. It’s meant to reduce muscle tension and stress and it’s the speciality treatment at Banya No.1 – the only traditional Russian baths in

If you were to find yourself, as I did, prostrate and naked on a bench in an infernal steam sauna, your face mashed into a pile of birch leaves as a hulking Russian banschik beats you with bundles of oak branches, you might question your life choices — which is precisely the point of the

Anyone who’s been following Girl on the River for a while will know I am a passionate convert to saunas and their beneficial effects, ever since I raced in Finland a couple of years ago and a lakeside sauna session transformed me from a wobbly, aching, potentially-injured mess to good as new. Since then I’ve

Some days are cold and some days are hot… but the best days, involve a banya stop! Recently we asked ourselves this very profound question: what shall we do today? It was a Wednesday that happened to have coincided with Christmas. Us being the non-Christmas observing type, we had to decide on what oh what

I’m face down on a hot wooden bench, in a dimly lit steam room. To my side, a large, hairy man dressed in swimming trunks opens the door of a deep stove that resembles a pizza oven. Inside, red-hot metal glows at 700ºC. He throws in a ladle of cold water, which explodes into steam.

Banya No.1 – Russian bathhouse experience! In the middle of Hoxton is a traditional Russian spa, or Banya. But it’s not like a regular spa. I know you wouldn’t think you could feel like you’ve been transported to the woods of Siberia in the UK…but I promise you, you can! Video review from Roaming Rebecca:

Our traditional and authentic Parenie treatment is unique and exclusive. As many of our clients have experienced the unforgettable and amazing emotions that the Parenie elicits, we have decided to publish a selection of their reviews so that you will know exactly what to expect from this treatment when you book your appointment at Banya

Now I’ve been to a fair few spas in my time, but nothing quite like this one. If you’ve never tried a Russian Banya, you’re in for a treat. Tucked away down an unremarkable side street in Hoxton, London’s first Russian spa Banya No.1 will change your mindset on spas for good. Based very much

Cold water immersion promises a whole host of benefits for mind and body. No wonder plunge pools and ice baths are having something of a moment. If 2021 was the year of the hot tub, then 2022 is the year to chill — literally. Cold water immersion, particularly using ice baths and cold plunge pools,

Imagine ‘me time’ with the added luxury of popping to and from the sauna to the plunge pool, and having your own private booth to return to for tea, water or food. Banya No.1 is exactly that, and your visit won’t be rushed.  The three-hour session felt like complete bliss, the perfect place to relax

To counter the hustle and bustle of hectic city life, London has a wealth of affordable spas where you can switch off, unwind and recharge. Whether you want to soak in soothing hot baths, have an all-natural facial, be thwacked by birch twigs or float in a sensory deprivation pod, these are some of the