Summer in Krasnaya Polyana belongs to the mountains: cable cars, ridge trails, bike parks, waterfalls. By six in the evening every route ends the same way — tired legs and the question "now what?". Restaurants and a stroll along the embankment are the obvious answer. The less obvious and far more local one is the banya.
Banya in summer? Yes — but not for the heat
A summer banya is not about getting warm. It is about contrast: the fire-heated cauldron with 39°C water stands under the open sky — you sit in hot water while the evening mountains surround you. Next to it, a plunge pool fed by a mountain spring at 7–10°C, and a 15-metre heated pool. The circuit of cauldron — plunge — pool is exactly what people come here for after a full day on the trail.
For those who want steam as well: a collective aroma steaming for the company and a classic steaming for each guest are already included — eucalyptus and oak brooms. Founder Pavel Bunin told RBC Style, one of Russia's leading lifestyle publications, why Russian steam has grown from a procedure into a cultural experience.
What the evening looks like
- 18:00–19:00 — down from the last cable car, 12 minutes by taxi from Rosa Khutor to 9 Vodopadnaya Street.
- Hour one — a shower, a light steam session, the fire cauldron: hot water takes the day off your shoulders while the light fades over the ridge.
- Hour two — contrast: the spring-water plunge, the pool, tea with chestnut honey by the fireplace or on the swings facing the mountains.
- Hour three — dinner: BANSKЪ is the only banya in Krasnaya Polyana with its own restaurant, and the table is set for the moment you step out.
One detail matters most: the whole estate is closed for your group alone. No strangers' sessions behind the wall — the base rate covers up to five guests, rental starts from 30,000 RUB per hour in summer, with a three-hour minimum. All prices are open on the services page.
Practical notes
Bring only swimwear: robes, slippers, towels and toiletries are included. The estate is open daily from 11:00 to 02:00, so the evening can start after sunset. How the banya itself is built — eight spaces across the estate, a wood-fired steam room, its own kitchen — was covered in detail by RBC Style; and the story of the place begins in 1878.