The Longe Series: Banya in the Woods

A wood-fired banya afternoon on a private estate in Woodside Before we open our doors, we're opening our backyard — under the redwoods. Banya is the Eastern European bathhouse ritual, four centuries old and almost unchanged: wood-fired steam, a rhythmic massage with bundles of leafy birch branches called venik, then cold water, then rest, then again. It sounds intense. It feels like the deepest exhale of your year. The setting is a private estate in Woodside, an hour from San Francisco and a world away from it. A wood-fired banya and a wood-fired barrel sauna. Two cold plunges. An open fireplace, herbal tea, and long unhurried conversation between rounds — because the point of banya was never just the heat. For four hundred years it has been the room where strangers become friends. That's the part American wellness forgot, and the part we're bringing back. The afternoon — Welcome tea under the redwoods — Guided banya rounds with venik steam — first-timers looked after — Cold plunge, at your own pace — Fire, tea, and the banya table — The story of The Longe: the longevity bathhouse we're building in San Francisco, and how to be part of it first Good to know Small group, by ticket only. No experience needed — most guests are first-timers. Bring a swimsuit; everything else is taken care of. Exact address arrives with your confirmation. Come as a stranger. Leave a friend.