In movies, the second a guy walks into a Russian spa, he gets whacked by some goon from the Organizatsiya. That violent fantasy couldn't be farther from the truth.

This is the first in a series of Volcano articles about winter getaways within reasonable driving distance of the South Sound. For those seeking escape from Cascadian cold, Banya 5 is an idyllic starting point. Banya is the Russian equivalent of Finnish sauna. For a standard entry fee of $40 - halved on your birthday, $25 if you add massage or other specialty service - bathers gain full, untimed entry to the spa pools, sauna, steam room and tea lounge. Unlike most American spas, Banya 5 is coed, so it's a perfect destination for stressed-out couples (teens 13 and older are welcome, but visitors younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult.) In Russia and Finland, folks get naked while visiting the sauna, but here, standard swimsuits are required.

Banya 5’s spa pools are a perfect destination for stressed out couples. Photo credit: Michele Salas/Banya 5
____________________________________________________________________________________________

Banya, like massage, can be intimidating to first-time visitors. Read on, comrade. We're here to help. If you use the spa with no extra service, you won't need an appointment. It's helpful to bring a plastic water bottle, but Banya 5 provides towels, rubber slippers and a drinking fountain near the pools. Park at the facility, fill out a short identification and medical release form, then shower and change clothes in a (gender-divided) locker room.  First stop is the parilka, dry-heat sauna with two sets of three-row wooden bleachers. Sit on a towel, and be careful not to touch the walls! On the lowest bench, the air temperature is 160°F. From the highest, it's a blistering 220 degrees, eight degrees hotter than the boiling point of water. The human body can take that for several minutes, amazingly enough, but one can feel the stinging vaporization of moisture in one's nasal mucous membranes. On Tuesday and Sunday evenings, try venik, the soothing (and painless) impact of wet oak branches. It's like taking your skin to a summer car wash, a life experience you won't soon forget.

Then comes the cold-water plunge pool, which is kept at the same chilly temperature as Puget Sound. The contrast from boiling to freezing is, to say the very least, bracing. Make this eucalyptus-scented circuit two or three times, then relax in the 113-degree Turkish steam room, foamy 104-degree hot tub, or 87-degree mineral salt bath. On busier days, those are comfortable social environments, perfect for eliciting conversation from shy introverts. Then it's upstairs to the tea lounge, to play chess or read magazines while sipping fragrant hibiscus tea. There's even a nap room for a refreshing siesta.

For a surcharge, try a massage, scrub, facial, botanical mud or coconut shea wrap, or a combo package for the ultimate escape. Bottom line: Banya 5 is a stimulating Uralic-style vacay, no passport required.

BANYA 5, 4-11 p.m. Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, 217 9th Ave. N., Seattle, entry $20-$40, 206.262.1234