Anyone who has read Thomas Mann’s classic The Magic Mountain has dreamed of (and dreaded) the idea of a rest cure in an isolated Swiss health resort. In the novel, characters are exposed to the elements after dinner to improve digestion with naps on open-air balconies. A daily constitutional around the fictional Berghof sanatorium is encouraged—as are other still more dated cures.
But even today, German-speaking Europe is chock-full of resorts dedicated to the centuries-old art of resting—with over 350 dedicated spa towns in Deutschland alone, some dating back to Roman times. Even if you aren’t suffering from consumption, scarlet fever, or any of the old-fashioned ailments that populate Mann’s novel, the industry dedicated to die Gesundheit is thriving. From full medical and hospital facilities to spa menus packed with serums, massages, and injections, grand resorts are keeping the old practices alive.
Below we’ve rounded up a few resorts that have mastered the art of luxury rest.
Das Kranzbach (Krün, Germany)
The meditation house is just one place within the resort to become one with nature.
Courtesy of Das Kranzbach
Most sanatoria believe in the simple principle of using the natural world to aid in healing. Modern design now makes it easier to incorporate nature into architecture than it was for the Grand Hotels of the past. A prime example is Das Kranzbach, a contemporary spa offering a 360-degree view of the surrounding Bavarian landscape. The spa menu includes all the traditional treatments—facials, massages, and more—but the true health benefits may lie in the resort’s integration with the nearby forest. While relaxing in nature is nothing new, it’s the use of space and dimension that has made Das Kranzbach a destination for those looking for a heritage rest-cure experience. The spa is housed in a detached building accessible only by a connecting bridge. Here, guests are invited to leave their clothes and worries behind, surrounding themselves in outdoor pools, cedar saunas, and a resting room with wall-to-wall windows. Within this room, large lounge chairs look out over the tops of pine trees, giving a fully immersive experience from the comfort, and warmth, of their robes. Go ahead fall asleep but beware: in the word’s of Mann: “I shall need to sleep three weeks on end to get rested from the rest I’ve had.”
The pool and spa at Badrutt’s Palace is world unto itself with heeling facilities heaped upon facilities.
Courtesy of Badrutt’s Palace
If you’re looking for a setting that mixes one part Thomas Mann with two parts Wes Anderson, then Badrutt’s Palace fits the bill. More Champagne-soaked society hot spot than sanatorium, there’s still plenty of rest and healing to be had here—if you manage to avoid the party. Start by taking in the the lake (frozen in the winter months) and snowcapped mountains that fill your rooms windows. Next, grab a thick fur and breathe the alpine air from your balcony. It’s an authentically Magic Mountain experience: “[Hans] had grown skilled in the handling of his rugs and the art of making a proper bundle, a sort of mummy, of himself, when lying on his balcony on cold days.” For centuries, frigid air has been the prescription for sinus infections, common colds, and even (so we’re told) smoking cessation. Of course the spa here is brimming with more concrete cures, with more to explore than bares listing. Better still, this is one mountain escape where there is no question of denying yourself, well . . . anything.
Roomers Baden-Baden (Baden-Baden, Germany)
Roomers Baden-Baden takes a holistic approach to healing.
Courtesy of Roomers Baden-Baden
Nestled in the Black Forest, Baden-Baden has always been exactly what a spa town should be. The location’s merits lie in the fact that it mixes luxury and simple pleasures seamlessly, and it was this philosophy that seems to have inspired the spa at Roomers Baden-Baden. While more dermatologically minded folks will undoubtedly be drawn to the Dr. Barbara Sturm–curated spa menu, it is the holistic approach to relaxing the body—and, by extension, the mind—that is reminiscent of the rest-cures of the past. The sauna’s floor-to-ceiling window overlooks the Black Forest, while the surrounding balcony is dotted with outdoor beds to soak up the sun au naturale. When you’re ready to leave, tucked in the shower area are shot glasses of vodka chilling on a mountain of ice, a nod to the influence Russian royalty had on the town at the turn of the 20th century.
Kneipp Hotel Hammerschmiede (Anthering, Austria)
Kneipp therapy draws devotees.
Courtesy of Kneipp Hotel Hammerschmiede
It’s hard to fathom a more old world-style healing method than Kneipp therapy. Developed in the 1800’s with devoted clinics today, Kneipp therapy focuses on five main tenets of health: exercise, nutrition, water, plants, and balance. Each of these pillars of the wellness program are incorporated into the guests’ stay at the Kneipp Hotel Hammerschmiede outside of Salzburg. Every element revolves around being as close to nature as possible; which, it is believed, promotes longevity and a stronger immune system. Guests are asked to dunk their elbows in cold water, walk barefoot on pebbles, and pick herbs in the designated garden which are then used to make dishes. Even the bathrooms at the Kneipp Hotel Hammerschmiede are equipped with Kneipp-approved pouring and cleansing devices. “People sometimes laugh at what we ask of them, but, by the end of their stay, we see a change in every guest,” says program attendant Liese. “They are thinking of a rest not as a way to relax, but also to heal.”
