The best health oases for a relaxing break in winter

What could be more relaxing than swimming in the heated pool against the snowy landscape in winter? A wellness weekend is the perfect escape from the stresses of everyday life during the colder months.
It is up to you to go to a spa hotel in the mountains, in the city or in the countryside. You will find something everywhere. Closure is included.

For wellness inspiration, here are our five favorite spa hotels. In Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Italy – and even a little further away – in Greece. And if traveling is not possible for you due to the corona pandemic: Dreaming is always allowed!

Switzerland: 7132 hotels and spas

“Good things are near, as we all know,” reads 7132 Hotels and Therme’s website. And we accept! After all, you don’t always have to look far to find something good. Set in the middle of the Graubünden Alps, Swiss star architect Peter Zumthor (79) presented us in 1995 a true marvel of design made of solid quartz stone and elegant brass. The masterpiece was expanded in 2016 with the five-star Hotel 7132 and its luxury spa, as well as the four-star Hotel 7132 House of Architects.

FYI: The order of the numbers corresponds to the Vals postal code. Both accommodation units are simply, modern and close to design. Big names in the architectural industry such as Tadao Ando (81) and Thom Mayne (78) were at work. Constructed of 60,000 slabs of Valser quartzite, the thermal baths include seven therapy rooms, three relaxation rooms, a Wama water massage room, indoor and outdoor pools, fire and ice bath, spring cave, and flower bath.

For example, a double room at Hotel 7132 is available from CHF 700 per night.

Austria: Naturhotel Forsthofgut

The Naturhotel Forsthofgut is also a true marvel of design. Wooden buildings fit perfectly into the landscape of the Austrian municipality of Leogang. Formerly a simple forestry business and farm, the hotel is now one of the leading hotels in the Salzburg region. Taking care of nature responsibly is a top priority in a multi-generational company. The hotel wants to encourage its guests to consciously experience special moments. Celebrating a close connection with nature, buried among meadows and mountains, you will find tranquility and a unique environment here. However, the traditional approach does not compromise on luxury: guests of the 5700 square meter forest spa will find, among other things, an old wooden sauna with views of the game reserve, herb and steam baths, as well as biological baths. saunas.

A double room is available at Naturhotel Forsthofgut from 220 Euros per night, depending on the season and room type.

Germany: Kranzbach

Kranzbach’s guests follow in the footsteps of an English noblewoman. The quintessential violinist Mary Isabel Portman (1877-1931) had an English country palace built at the foot of the Zugspitze more than 100 years ago. Today the resort is a luxury wellness hotel beautifully located in a romantic mountain valley. You can feel the magic not only in the lovingly furnished rooms, but also in the stunning surrounding nature: magnificent mountain peaks, green forests, lush meadows and sparkling lakes. The hotel is provided with the purest mountain spring water from its own source.

A double room is available in Kranzbach from 400 Euros per night, depending on the season, room type and length of stay.

Italy: Castello Di Velona

Surrounded by ivy, Castello Di Velona Castle rises like a masterpiece from Tuscany’s rugged landscape. Here guests feel like real aristocrats: they spend the night within the walls of the historic estate, which dates back to the eleventh century and has an extraordinary view of the entire Orcia Valley. There’s pure Dolce Vita life to savor: guests can enjoy wine tastings, cooking classes, truffle hunting or hot air balloon rides. And after all these experiences, it feels good to rest in Olispa. Here you will find relaxation in an area of ​​1500 square meters, where, among other things, you can discover five elegant treatment rooms, a hammam, a panoramic sauna and an ice fountain.

The dreamy Castello Di Velona is often completely packed. From 450 Euros from March 2023.

Greece: Amanzoe

This is where today’s gods of Olympus descend: Amanzoe rises like a modern acropolis in the landscape of the Greek Peloponnese. Surrounded by countless olive groves, the five-star hotel invites you to fully relax. The wellness area pampers guests in nine treatment pavilions with the best Asian techniques combined with ancient Greek beauty rituals. Also part of the area is a watsu pool and steam rooms.

The picturesque Amanzoe Hotel will welcome its guests again from April 1, 2023. A night in a double room starts from around 1,600 Euros.