Hiking and relaxing: From Bavaria to South Tyrol: The most beautiful wellness hotels for your autumn holiday
First hike in the mountains, then relax in the wellness area: this is what the perfect active and relaxing holiday looks like for many people. We present six hotels that make this dream come true – from Lake Tegernsee across the Alps to South Tyrol.
The one with one
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Get out into the fresh air, into nature, get some exercise and then relax in style: what is often neglected in everyday life should finally be the focus on vacation. Hiking is one of the most popular sports because it keeps you fit in a gentle way – both physically and mentally – and can be practiced at any age. This is also underlined by the latest figures from the statistics portal “statista“: Hiking holidays are the fourth most popular type of holiday among Germans. If a nice hotel with a spa is also involved, the recreational value increases enormously. We present six hotels in hiking areas that are equipped with beautiful and partly brand new wellness areas.
1. Parkhotel Egerner Höfe, Tegernsee
Lake Tegernsee is a worthwhile activity destination at any time of the year, but when autumn shows off its colorful colors, the mountain region in Upper Bavaria exudes a very special charm. The Parkhotel Egerner Höfe in Rottach is located between the 1,722 meter high Wallberg and the deep blue Tegernsee, surrounded by old chestnut trees and extensive meadows, a stone’s throw from the shore. After a major renovation, the Ehrmann dairy family reopened the luxurious boutique hotel in summer 2021.
Hiking holidaymakers will find many options in the Tegernsee Valley – from leisurely walks along the lakeshore to the moderate panoramic path to challenging tours. The highlight is the route to the Tegernseer Hütte, which is located at an altitude of 1,650 meters between Roßstein and Buchstein and offers spectacular panoramic views of the mountains and the lake as you climb. Back at the 5-star hotel, tired muscles can relax in the spa with indoor and outdoor pools, various saunas, ice cream lounge and heavenly daybeds. Afterwards, the next highlight awaits the guests: the cuisine of Thomas Kellermann, which has been awarded two Michelin stars.
2. Naturhotel Waldklause, Ötztal
The Austrian Ötztal is Tyrol’s longest side valley and impresses with its 250 three-thousanders and more than 1,600 kilometers of hiking trails and climbs. Roughly in the middle of the valley is Längenfeld and the country’s first design-nature wooden hotel, the Waldklause. The round, Feng Shui-compliant buildings are surrounded by old trees and smell of pine wood everywhere. Natural materials such as stone and clay, warm colors and lots of candlelight contribute to the immediate feeling of well-being in the 60-room house. All rooms and suites are radiation-free, so nothing should stand in the way of a marmot-like sleep.
The next morning, not only breakfast with fresh organic products from the region, but also the mountains are calling. If you like it easy, choose the Brand-Burgstein circular hiking trail with a spectacular suspension bridge or the easy to moderate hike to Lake Piburger See. The 3-hour mountain tour to the 2,309 meter high Narrenkogel, which is considered one of the most beautiful panoramic mountains, requires a little more fitness. Back in the Waldklause you can relax: in the tree sauna, in the brine whirlpool or the herbal sweat room. If you want to be pampered even more, you can do so with a beauty treatment with the Naturhotel cosmetics line or treat yourself to a tailor-made special massage. In an aesthetic ambience.
3. Nesslerhof, Grossarl
“Feel the spirit of natural happiness” – that is the slogan of the Nesslerhof in Großarl in the Salzburger Land. And not only are the hosts Tina and Hermann Neudegger happy, as their 4-star S-Hotel has been shining in new splendor since this summer, but also their guests when they return from a hiking tour in the Valley of the Alpine pastures. The adults-only spa (from 16 years old) reflects the current state-of-the-art: event sauna with themed infusions, pine sauna, old wood outdoor sauna, brine steam bath, brine outdoor pool, natural swimming pond and eight relaxation rooms.
These are designed so generously that every guest is guaranteed a lounger. Families can relax together in the panoramic textile sauna and look forward to dinner, which is gourmet cuisine. Attention meat fans: The Nesslerhof has its own butcher shop. But also a perfect location: right next to the cable car. Tours on the 250 marked hiking trails in the Grossarltal are possible for every fitness level. In winter the motto is: get on the slopes, get set, go! The ski-in/ski-out hotel is directly connected to Austria’s largest ski region, “Ski Amadé”.
4. The SeeMount Active Nature Resort, Paznaun Valley
Young, wild, passionate: This is Sabrina Mallaun, 34 years old and manager of the SeeMount Hotel, which opened at the end of 2021. A stylish wellness hotel with a focus on activities, where everything is a little different. The architecturally strikingly modern building made of dark gray granite stones and larch wood is located in the small town of See, at an altitude of 1040 meters, at the entrance to the Paznaun Valley in Tyrol. Right next to the cable car, sports shop and village bakery and surrounded by the rocks of the Silvretta group.
A paradise for hikers and mountaineers with more than 80 routes – from a leisurely stroll with a stroller to a challenging tour with a climbing section. Every effort is worth it because the reward awaits in the wellness area. This extends over the fourth and fifth floors including the roof terrace. With an infinity outdoor pool, floating loungers, unobstructed panoramic views, various saunas and relaxation rooms. Afterwards, enjoy a 5-course gourmet dinner in the stylish restaurant.
5. Naturhotel Leitlhof, Pustertal
How about a break in South Tyrol? One of the first exits after the Brenner Pass leads into the Pustertal to San Candido. The Naturhotel Leitlhof stands out there with its award as “Europe’s Leading Green Hotel”. The newly renovated 62-room house on the slope not only promises a climate-positive wellness holiday, but also top-class hiking opportunities in the Sesto Dolomites. Guests get inspiration for tours everywhere in the 4-star S-Hotel, which is dedicated to understated luxury: from the view from the pine wood lobby, on the terrace, in the rooms and in the brand new wellness area.
The centerpiece is the outdoor pool, which is 31 degrees warm all year round and offers a great view of the 2,966-meter-high Haunold rock massif. The stylish wellness cosmos continues in clapboard-roofed chalet-style houses: with a Finnish sauna all in black, an onsen pool designed based on the Japanese model, as well as a bio sauna and whirlpool. Everything is heated with our own wood-fired power plant, which the 32-year-old hotel manager Stephan Mühlmann and his wife Evelin built several years ago. The Leitlhof’s offering also includes guided tours into the mountains with in-house guides and, of course, massages to make strained muscles supple again.
6. Berghotel Sexten, Drei Zinnen
The Fischleintal is just a beautiful, two and a half hour hike from San Candido. Luis Trenker once ennobled the valley at an altitude of 1,371 meters in the middle of the Sesto Dolomites, or more precisely the mountain hotel Sesto located there, with the words “in the most beautiful spot in the most beautiful valley in the world”. What was then a small guesthouse has now become a 4-star S-Hotel. But the breathtaking backdrop of the Drei Zinnen Nature Park remains. Hikers, mountain lovers and climbers will find routes for every taste around the landmark of the Dolomites. The selection is particularly easy at the mountain hotel because it belongs to the association of certified hiking hotels.
The owner family Holzner not only attaches great importance to sustainability, regionality and environmental protection, but also to service. There is a large model of the surrounding mountains in the lobby and hiking maps decorate the walls. Otherwise, natural materials such as wood and stone characterize the alpine charm of the 82-room house, which exudes cosiness and uniqueness through antiques, tiled stoves, open fireplaces and collectibles. And that extends into the wellness area. There are indoor and outdoor pools with waterfalls, various saunas such as the Stuben hay sauna, outdoor pine sauna or Turkish steam bath and a relaxation area on two levels. An insider tip is the small sauna house on the edge of the hotel garden, which is open 24 hours a day and can be heated by each guest.