Cuddling, Radon Caves, and Hay Baths Await in Austria’s Unique Wellness Spots
This year, Austria’s wellness industry attracted high-profile visitors seeking luxurious ways to enhance their health. Celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Rebel Wilson, and Elizabeth Hurley visited Austria for treatments focused on metabolism, detoxification, and other wellness and medical needs.
But celebrities aren’t the only ones interested in Austria’s wellness offerings. Booking.com’s brand-new Travel Predictions for 2025 revealed that more than half of American travelers would pay for a vacation to extend their lifespan and well-being, clearly highlighting a growing interest in longevity-focused activities.
Adding to the appeal of Austria, Simply Red, Sting, and Bryan Adams are all set to visit the country for a spectacular ski season kickoff event in the Schladming-Dachstein region—the highest mountain peak in Austria—on December 6th to 8th, 2024.
But even for those coming primarily for winter activities or the aforementioned concerts, the opportunity to enhance well-being will still get in focus. The Global Wellness Institute’s (GWI) data shows that secondary wellness travel accounts for 88% of all wellness trips, with travelers actively seeking healthy accommodations, food, and wellness experiences even though their primary trip purpose was something else.
While Austria is not one of the Blue Zones (yet), is the country becoming the new hotspot for travelers looking to enrich their vacation with wellness experiences? These unconventional options certainly make for unique wellness spots.
Forest Bathing in Leogang – A Journey to Inner Peace on the Mountain of Senses
Forest bathing was first introduced by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries in 1982 to encourage citizens to visit nature. Since then, its popularity led to almost 300 scientific studies on ScienceDirect showing the emotional, restorative, and vitalizing effects of spending time in nature, in particular forests.
Asitz Mountain in Leogang seems to be emerging as the heart of forest-focused wellness in Austria. It is not only a popular ski resort and the home to Europe’s largest bike park, it is also called the ‘Mountain of Senses’.
Asitz features a ‘Senses Park’, with 30 unique installations designed to engage visitors’ senses of sight, smell, sound, and touch. There is also a 5-mile-long forest bathing trail with 14 stations, including a wooden bridge, yoga platform, treetop bed, nature swing, and more. Guests can also experience Peaceful Water, complete with Kneipp hydrotherapy facilities, and relax at TONspuren Islands using the combination of nature and music.
Naturhotel Forsthofgut, lies at the foot of Asitz Mountain and offers immersive experiences in forest bathing and forest-focused wellness. Christoph Schmuck, owner of Naturhotel Forsthofgut described the forest surrounding the hotel as their most precious place of power, and they aim to share the peace and energy that nature provides with all their guests.
Guests can relax in the massive, 5,700 sqm spa facilities or choose one of their signature experiences. ‘waldHARMONIE’ is a 110-minute treatment that begins with a mindfulness hike including stretching and breathing exercises, followed by an open-air full-body massage in the forest clearing.
Radon Therapy in Bad Gastein’s Healing Cave – Wellness Below the Surface
There are a handful of locations in the world that offer radon therapy. Gastein Heilstollen (in English, Gastein Healing Gallery) in Bad Gastein, located in Austria’s Salzburg region, is one of them. Its radon therapy is unique because visitors take a 1.2-mile train ride down a tunnel beneath Radhausberg Mountain before the treatment begins.
This therapy combines natural radon gas, high humidity, and heat to provide significant pain relief and immune system benefits. Participants spend approximately 60 minutes in the therapy area, where the temperature is 98.6 °F (37 °C) with a relative humidity of around 70%.
Studies show that radon therapy aids in rheumatic-inflammatory diseases, respiratory conditions, skin ailments, and more.The treatment at Gastein Healing Gallery is recognized by Austrian and German health insurance providers, highlighting its medical credibility and effectiveness.
Phytobalneotherapy in Austria – Reconnect with the Tradition of Healing Hay Baths
Hay baths are a traditional wellness treatment in Austria’s Alpine region, especially popular in the Tyrolean Alps. The origins go back centuries to Seiser Alm in Italy, the German-speaking region of South Tyrol, and the largest high-altitude Alpine meadow in Europe.
This therapy combines the benefits of fermented plants (phytotherapy), thermal bathing (balneotherapy), and the positive health effects of high-altitude environments (climatotherapy), making it a unique and holistic approach to relaxation and healing.
Hay bath involves soaking in warm, fermented alpine hay. The hay, harvested at high altitudes, contains herbs like arnica and chamomile, known for their therapeutic properties.
Several eco-hotels around Austria offer hay baths, such as Landhotel Schermer in Westendorf, Alpenresort Schwarz in Obermieming, or Bio-hotel Stanglwirt in Going am Wilden Kaiser.
Gut-Health Cleansing by Wörthersee – Boosting Your Immune System the Austrian Way
The Mayr Cure is a gut-health cleanse developed by Viennese doctor Francis Xavier Mayr over a century ago, long before gut health became trendy.
The Mayr Method focuses on detoxing the digestive system through three main pillars: rest (including fasting), detoxification (avoiding alcohol, caffeine, refined sugars, and fatty foods), and mindful eating (like chewing each bite thoroughly and eating in silence).
VIVAMAYR Health Resorts have become famous for developing a new approach based on the Mayr Method, which they call Modern Mayr Medicine for gut health and overall wellness. It is also the resort Nicole Kidman, Rebel Wilson, and Elizabeth Hurley visited in Austria.
Research shows that about two-thirds of the immune system resides in the gut microbiome, and the more diverse your gut flora, the stronger your immune defenses. Fasting can be a vital tool in boosting immune health, maintaining an alkaline-based diet, focusing on relaxation, and even adding some cuddle time between outdoor exercises—all of which are part of VIVAMAYR’s approach to supporting a resilient immune system.
From forest bathing in Leogang’s serene alpine woods to phytobalneotherapy in Tyrol, Austria invites you to relax, unwind, and recharge. Radon therapy at Bad Gastein’s underground caves or VIVAMAYR’s holistic therapies set against the stunning backdrop of the Alps are prime examples of why Austria is renowned for wellness tourism.
This article was originally published by Media Decision (but written by me).
Emese Maczko is a travel blogger behind Eco Lodges Anywhere. Having explored several destinations around Europe, the US, Indonesia, and Australia, and resided in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Luxembourg, Emese possesses a keen understanding of diverse cultures and an appreciation for the beauty of each destination she visits. She advocates for sustainable travel and ecotourism.