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 London.
Unlike conventional saunas, the banya surrounds you with high levels of steam as water is splashed onto cast iron heated to 700ºC inside a brick furnace. Amid the pummellings you can also expect plenty of vodka shots and tasty Russian delicacies as part of the Slavonic experience.