Austria

Austria in February – what better weekend plan than to spend an amazing time with friends in the mountains of Schladming-Dachstein, enjoy some delicious traditional Austrian food, go skiing while having the perfect snow conditions and relax in between with some yoga – for sure including some epic views.

Skiing weekend at Schladming-Dachstein

We spent the last weekend in the region of Schladming-Dachstein. It was already our second time there in this season. This skiing region is located at the Eastern area of the Austrian alps, next to the famous Dachstein glacier.

Schladming-Dachstein is by far the most modern and biggest skiing region within Styria. And as you probably have already guessed it – our favorite one.

We just love it there, as it is the perfect place for ski lovers. Skiing at Schladming-Dachstein gives you amazing panoramic views of the surrounding snowy mountain caps. The region just leaves you speechless.

We were therefore super happy to be invited by Schladming-Dachstein and the ski circus Ski amadé to spend a whole day there filled with a ton of activities.

Ski amadé – made my day

Apart from being a great ski circus, Ski amadé offers various “made my day” packages, which combine skiing with different other activities such as snow shoeing, yoga or food tastings.

We decided to go for the “ski & yoga” package, which includes a full-day ski guide – that tells you everything you want to know and shows you the best areas to ski, a ton of delicious food and as the title already tells you – yoga at the mountain summit.

Every few hours on this tour, a different activity awaits you. The best thing about the tour is that you get to see all the four mountains that are included in the Schladming-Dachstein ski pass: Reiteralm, Hochwurzen, Planai and Hauser Kaibling.

08:00 am: Meeting our ski guide Hans

The day started super early. We already left Graz at around 5:30 am to make it in time to the meeting point. We meet our ski guide at the valley station of Reiteralm. Hans is super motivated to guide us through the day, and we could not be more excited for the day ahead.

We took the first ski lift up to the top of Reiteralm, and are welcomed with a super gorgeous mountain panorama. We are all alone at the top and left in awe. Hans told us a lot about all the surrounding mountain caps, before we went skiing all the way down to our second stop – Schnepfn Alm.

09:00 am: Breakfast buffet with prosecco at Schnepfn Alm (Reiteralm)

After an hour of skiing (which was super cool, since we had the slopes almost for ourselves), we arrived at Schnepfn Alm for breakfast. This traditional Austrian hut has a stunning view of the Dachstein glacier.

After indulging into the delicious and big breakfast buffet, we spent another hour racing down the skiing slopes. We slowly made our way from Reiteralm to the next mountain Hochwurzen.

11:00 am: Mountain yoga at Hochwurzen

We arrived at Hochwurzen, where our yoga teacher already expected us. We were excited, because we had no idea what would await us. If you for the first time hear that you are supposed to do yoga in skiing shoes, it might sound a bit weird.

In reality, it was really cool. We did some slightly modified positions, which you can easily do with the skiing shoes on. Some positions we even did with our skis still on. It was relaxing to take in the mountain panorama, breathe deeply and just take it all in. Exactly what we needed.

13:00 pm: Lunch break at Kessleralm (Planai)

After yoga, we again had some time to explore the skiing slopes of Hochwurzen, but also Planai. We spent around 90 minutes racing downwards and stopping in between to get some guidance from Hans.

We then arrived at the mountain hut Kessleralm, where a delicious vegetarian lunch waited for us. YUM! It was – hands down – the best food we have ever had on a skiing hut. As a vegetarian it is sometimes hard to find something besides the obligatory spaghetti with tomato sauce, so we were surprised when they served us the most delicious and healthy meal.

16:00 pm: Après ski at AlmArenA (Hauser Kaibling)

Already a bit tired from all the skiing and fun, we arrived at the valley of Hauser Kaibling. There we made our way to the famous après ski bar and restaurant AlmArenA. Besides having a lot of fun with our skiing guide there, we ended the day with the most famous Austrian dessert, which is typical for all the skiing regions: Germknödel.

Fully stuffed and super happy, we later took the skiing bus back to Reiteralm, where we parked our car. As you can imagine, after such an exciting day, we were also happy to make it to our hotel, where we feel asleep very early.

Thank you Ski amadé, thank you Schladming-Dachstein – you really made our day. We can highly recommend this package to any ski and food lovers. It’s also the perfect idea for any present.

Collaboration with Ski amadé (sponsored trip)

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Naturhotel Höflehner – if you have ever considered going for a luxury mountain spa holiday while having the opportunity to jump into your alpine skis directly from the hotel door, you have found the place to go.

The wellness Hotel Höflehner is located directly on the east end of the four mountain ski circuit Schladming-Dachstein in Styria. This region is by the way the biggest and most marvellous skiing region of the eastern end of the Austrian Alps.

To reach the hotel you have to drive up the first section of the mountain Hauser Kaibling until you reach the ski slope. The drive is definitely worth it since from the hotel you will have a spectacular view over the region of Ennstal and it’s surrounding mountains.

But if you plan to visit the 4 star superior wellness Hotel Höflehner in winter, you still should make enough time for what the hotel is most famous and even rewarded for.

Luxury wellness and spa

The wellness and spa area is 3700 m² big and separated between a few luxurious mountain huts. The main spa hut is directly connected to the hotel and encompasses most of the saunas and steam rooms. Directly in front of this area you can find a whirlpool as well as the regions first Olympic sport pool with 25 meters length.

The great thing about Höflehner’s spa area is that not everything is directly at one place. The hotel has built many new unique spa huts, which all-together now almost seem like a small wellness and spa village.

Some of the huts are purely for relaxation where you can find really cosy and relaxing beds. At one big hut, directly next to the main spa hut, you will find the event sauna. Twice a day there is a guided sauna infusion that is a must-do when staying at the Hotel Höflehner. It’s a really unique experience when sauna master “Kurt“ sings with an almost mediative voice locally known songs. Magical moments.

Straight after visiting this special sauna infusion, we loved to check out the second whirlpool which is almost a bit hidden behind the event sauna and therefore much more private. Another great sauna is located in a hut more up the hill, and therefore called the panorama sauna. Obviously due to its magnific view over the region. But see for yourself.

Nature as a key element for well being and sleeping

One of the hotels core statements is that nature itself offers everything that you need for recovery and relaxation. As soon as you arrive, you recognise that nature is the inspiration for numerous wellness offers and its essence is captured in all areas and in the luxurious rooms.

The Hotel Höflehner offers a big variety of rooms and suites as well as serval romantic chalets. The chalets are purely made of wood and have terraces to the north and south. We stayed in a family suite, which has two separate bedrooms with two big terraces. Wonderful view included.

The main theme of every room is luxury combined with wood, whereas Zirbe (Swiss StonePine) and cicada are mostly used. The wood is natural and untreated, so its scent fills the whole chamber. This creates an atmosphere of relaxation that stimulates your mind and senses.

What we enjoyed most besides a deep relaxing sleep was the stunning terrace. Every morning we walked out while breathing in fresh cold air with an amazing view of the mountains.

(Organic) food heaven

Since nature plays the key role in all aspects, it’s no surprise that also the food is organic. Hotel Höflehner solely serves organic, pure food from biological producers that live nearby. Mountain farmers of the region directly supply produces like herbs and milk.

The breakfast buffet was plentiful and offered a great variety from all sorts of products. We also loved creating our own smoothie from fresh fruits and greens.

From 3 pm to 5 pm, just when you think about something sweet and you might come back from skiing, a really awesome cake buffet is awaiting you. One day they offered even sweet dumplings, which of course we couldn’t resist.

The evening dinner starts from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm and is a four-course dinner with big salat buffet. Depending on the day, either the first course or the dessert is also available on the buffet. Especially when this was the case for the dessert, we found ourselves in paradise made out of chocolate fountains and a ton of desserts inspired from all around the world.

The main menu and the soup was always served and you could choose between several options. The vegetarian choice, which we always went for, was excellent and always a dish we have never tried before.

Activities and offers besides Wellness & Skiing

There are several guided activities such as snowshoe hiking. One activity you should not miss out is yoga since there is probably no better place to practice it than on a mountain view a great view.

The hotel has built its own yoga hut with views over the whole region. Hotel Höflehner offers a lot of activities in summer as well, so it hasn’t necessarily to be winter when you visit this place. The region is perfect for mountain biking and hiking which is both offered by the hotel as well.

For families there is even a nanny who takes care of children between 3 and 12 years at the Bambi Club and the new Kids Fun Park. There are also a lot of offerings for a romantic time with your loved one such as a private hot tube outside.

We have seen and experienced a lot of the hotel, but it still kind of feels that it was only a glimpse of what it could offer. We would really love to come back once in summer, when there are so many other great things to do and enjoy in the region.

Sometimes when you stay in such an amazing hotel it is even hard to decide whether to go skiing or staying at the amazing spa area, but fortunately, the days were long enough to enjoy both.

Paid collaboration with Hotel Höflehner

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Hauser-Kaibling – one of our favourite skiing areas in Styria, Austria. Only a two hour drive away from our home in Graz. Part of the big skiing region Schladming-Dachstein and Ski Amadé.

Located at the Eastern area of the Alps, just next to the Dachstein glacier, you will find a mountain region perfect for winter sports. Schladming-Dachstein. It is by far the biggest and most modern skiing region within Styria. It’s therefore the go-to skiing place for a ton of winter sport and mountain lovers.

Schladming-Dachstein – Styria’s biggest and most modern ski region

Hauser Kaibling is the first of four mountains of the region Schladming-Dachstein. All four mountains are perfectly connected to each other with lots of skiing lifts and gondolas.

You can easily spend a day or two just skiing at Hauser Kaibling’s perfectly prepared slopes or having fun at the other attractions the mountain has the offer.

Hauser Kaibling – with an altitude of 2015m – is the highest of the four mountains of the region Schladming-Dachstein. It has a beautiful summit cross, which you can reach just by walking a few meters uphill from the exit of a skiing lift.

The various ski slopes with a total length of 123 kilometres allow a fun and thrilled ride for all levels and from young to old. 

For the ambitious skier, Hauser Kaibling has the perfect offer: ski slopes, moguls, and powder runs in the wild terrain. A true challenge is the ski-route on Hauser Kaibling’s east-slope. Ski routes are terrains that are not prepared, hence the terrain is natural as it is. If you are one of the first entering after fresh snow, you will for sure have a marvellous experience creating the first tracks in the powder.

From the Kaiblingalm you can pass over to the neighbouring mountain Planai in Schladming, which is also famous for the annually FIS world cup night race.

Perfectly located close to the eastern end of the Alps

Only two hours away from the Graz and less than three hours away from Vienna makes this place easily accessible from the two biggest cities of Austria, as well as all eastern parts of the country.

The region around Dachstein glacier is the most eastern end of the central European alps, so Hauser Kaibling is the first big skiing hotspot. Moreover, it’s part of Ski Amadé, which is Austria’s biggest ski area organization, allowing access to 25 skiing areas with 760 kilometres of ski slopes with the same ski ticket. 

There are two valley runs, the WM-downhill FIS-Abfahrt and Prennerabfahrt, that bring you directly down to the base station of the 8-seater gondola and the large car park. If you stay at the 4 star wellness resort Höflehner, you can take a valley run, which directly ends at the hotel and the chair lift Höfli Express.

Sunbathing with gorgeous mountain views

One thing we like the most about being on Austria’s mountains during winter is that all the foggy weather stays down in the valleys, but in most of the cases you have blue skies and sunshine on the  mountain summits.This is when winter shows itself from the most possible beautiful side.

Hauser Kaibling has a lot of spots to enjoy these perfect winter days such as the pleasure island. At an altitude of 1800m sunbeds and sunchairs await you with panoramic views of all surrounding mountain peaks such as Dachstein Glacier, Hochkönig or Grimming.

Moreover, there is Wi-Fi available, so you will always stay connected and can share the momentinstantly with friends and family.Another great place to take a sunbath is to take a rest at one of the ski huts since most of them have a really nice outside terrace. And of course, you should not miss out on traditional Austrian food and desserts. YUUUM!

Fun activities in the snow

If there is still space for even more variety and fun you might as well check out the XXL Funslope, with lot’s of attractions such as a policeman monitoring your speed and high five hands. If you want to get of the skies for a minute, there is another really nice attraction for animal lovers. Close to the hotel Höflehner, even possible to see from the chair lift “Höfi Express 1” there is the Höflehner deer park. You can go there and watch the animals from the fence and if you’re lucky you might even observe animal feeding.

We had an amazing time at the skiing region of Hauser Kaibling and are already looking forward to coming back soon. If you are looking for an epic place to stay, recharge after skiing with some amazing spa time, check out Hotel Höflehner.

Paid collaboration with Hauser Kaibling

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Spending a wonderful weekend at Tuffbad in Carinthia, Austria – moments full of happiness, amazing views of snow covered mountains and true relaxation

Located in between scenic mountains, only reachable after an adventures drive through the still rural valley of Lesachtal, where time seems to pass a bit slower.

It was shortly after Christmas when we arrived at Tuffbad. Usually only mountains and skiing areas have decent amounts of snow during this time any more – climate change has hit Austria too.

But here in Lesachtal, as soon as you take the crossing from the main valley road (which is already a small and pretty turning road), it seems like somewhere there is a secret entrance gate. And once you pass it, you find yourself driving in a landscape surrounded by untouched nature and tons of snow. And when you think, you have no idea where this magical scenery will bring you to, you finally see it. A resort build in the most magical winter wonderland we have ever seen. Tuffbad.

We have to admit we were wondering a bit how the superior 4 star Almwellness resort Tuffbad has become so popular and well known, even though it is pretty far away from cities and skiing hot spots. Seeing this scenery already gave us a first glance of reasons and after having spent three days here, we could fill many pages of these reasons. So here goes our comprehended summary about Tuffbad:

Regionality meets a top-notch Spa area

Whether it’s the entrance hall, the luxury charlets or the spa area. The combination between modern luxury and regionality of Almwellness Resort Tuffbad is found everywhere.

The spa area encompasses around 2000 m² and is separated in two areas: On the first floor, you will find the luxurious infinity pool and a beautiful wintergarden with sunbeds. It’s truly a special place to get a sunbath with such a stunning view. The pool is warm and offers spectacular views throughout the valley. Just next door, with a view of the Lienzer Dolomites, you can find the newly build Dolomites Sauna. The flower of life, a spiritual sign known for 1000 of years, which stands for harmony and order, is the beautiful centrepiece of the room.

One floor beneath this you can find the second spa area with 10 different saunas and steam rooms, as well as an indoor pool and heated outdoor whirlpool.

Especially the saunas at Almwellness Resort Tuffbad are truly one of a kind. We have been to many spa hotels already, but haven’t seen anything like this before.

Tuffbad for example has a 55° C warm “Brechelbad”, which is equipped with branches of fir on the floor, creating a deeply relaxing smell and atmosphere. There is a hay bath, blowing steam through regional hay.

At the “Brotbad” you will find a real bread cooking oven which was used a long time in history for curing rheumatic pain and releasing bad thoughts. It´s only 35°C and occasionally blows bread enzymes in the air. All the saunas and steam rooms made of natural materials such as wood and stone. It creates a truly special atmosphere that will releases stress immediately and transforms it to a feeling of well being and harmony.

Awesome activities in a magical surrounding

As already mentioned, we were blown away by the incredible winter wonderland that even seems kind of magical to us. The fact that there are many stories and fairy tales about this region fit our impression just perfectly. There was even a small book in our room with lots of interesting and funny fairy tales.

Even though it’s hard to leave the spa area, we decided to discover the area around the resort the second day. It felt almost like a crime not spending time out there. Cory was super excited since for the first time she tried snow shoe hiking. As soon as we managed to mount the shoes, she ran off the path to bullet proof them in the deep snow. We made a short hike around the resort and enjoyed the warm sun while embracing the whole scenery. It feels like time can stand still here for a moment.

Additionally to snow shoes, you can also borrow a sledge to take a ride from the house owned toboggan runway – everything is included during your stay.

Since sledging is one of our favourite winter activities, we had to give it a go. We went up the perfectly prepared toboggan runway, which is a forest street during summer. It was a pretty cool combination going for a beautiful walk uphill and then having fun by sledging down.

If you feel like doing even more winter sports, you will find lots of great opportunities for cross country skiing as well as alpine ski tours. In summer, you can even rent e-bikes and go for the more straining mountain hikes, which are too dangerous in winter. Moreover, there is a daily course program you can attend for free which includes things like yoga and pilates.

Ancient luxury for a deep relaxing sleep

It is interesting that the charlets of Almwellness Resort Tuffbad are built in the same way that houses in the region historically looked like. Of course, combined with luxury amendments. We are certain that the combination of natural materials like wood and stone leads to this incredible great feeling of relaxation and well-being.

In a world where everything goes on faster and faster, Tuffbad takes you back to the roots, where life was a lot simpler and more connected to nature. The charlets and also hotel rooms are equipped with wonderful details and are very spacious. We had a wonderful stay there and loved to wake up while seeing the first sunrays shining at the surrounding mountains.

Culinary highlights with regional natural products

Honestly, being a natural wellness resort in the mountains and not using regional products would almost be a crime. The way the Wellness Resort Tuffbad manages its food supply truly exceeded our expectations. So many of the regional suppliers even have a personal relation to resort, managed by Eva Maria and Egon Oberluggauer.

Most of the products come from the regional farmers and whenever possible fresh from the field or grain mill. The region is one of the most natural and environmentally friendly valleys within Europe; hence keeping also its products to the highest standards is a top priority. The resort also supports and fosters the so called “slow food travel”, which enables visitors to see, learn and experience how natural products are made since a long time ago in Lesachtal.

This mindset is all over the region. Us being much attached to preserving nature and its treasures like they are, really loved that part a lot. But it doesn´t mean that you have to resign on anything. The breakfast was just amazing with an incredible variety of things even for us – eating mostly vegan. But knowing things are handmade from regional farmers, we also tried the regional butter, cheese and eggs.

Even though you might still be overwhelmed from the breakfast, there is an afternoon snack from 1pm to 4:30pm. It´s again a buffet with two different soups, a huge variety of salads and desserts to choose from.

The dinner is a delicious 5 course menu. You can choose between meat, fish and vegetarian options, but can also combine various courses as you please. We always opted for the vegetarian menu.

The most amazing hotel team, making you feel at home

One of the things that touched us the most was the incredible warm and friendly hotel stuff. Especially the owners Eva-Maria and Egon have such a great spirit that Tuffbad soon will feel like your second home.

We could feel in every corner that the wellbeing of their guests is their top priority. Whether it was Eva-Maria personally vaporizing special herbs for relaxation and stress release, or Egon kindly asking for feedback, or the fact that all guests could choose a Christmas present under the Christmas tree. Everything felt like being right at home.

It’s truly a magical place with an incredible amount of warmth and happiness. We would love to come back soon. 🙂

Paid collaboration with Tuffbad Almwellness Resort

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Why you definitely need to add Schmittenhöhe to your bucketlist of awesome skiing areas in the world and how you can use the Ski Alpin Card to take benefits of three epic skiing regions in Austria

„The blue of the sky is reflected in the gorgeous Zeller Lake. Surrounded by forests and snowy mountain caps. That’s how true paradise must look like.”

Ever heard of this description? It was said by Emir of Abu Dhabi back in the 60ies, and is one of the many reasons why the region Zell am See became famous worldwide. Well-deserved in our opinion.

Unforgettable memories of Schmittenhöhe

Already as a child, my family and I (Andi) spent countless of our skiing holidays in the region Zell am See. I can still remember my first skiing and snowboarding days on one of the coolest mountains of Zell am See called Schmittenhöhe. Having fun in the snow and just enjoying being free and out in nature. Good times.

Some years later, when I was already a bit older and more experienced, we went skiing at the 3203m high glacier Kitzsteinhorn. There I discovered my passion of skiing offside the main slopes. Back then there was so much snow; it was the most epic winter wonderland you can ever imagine.

As you can imagine, I was super excited. It was definitely one of my best childhood memories.

Almost 20 years have passed since those memories, but still today my excitement for this particular skiing region – Schmittenhöhe – remains.

Especially if you have been travelling a lot around the globe and have already seen things like the insanely gorgeous mountain lakes in New Zealand, you truly start to see your own home country in a different light. You start loving it more and more, and seeing things that you have not noticed before.

Pinch me – is this even real? – Panoramic views from Schmittenhöhe

When Cory and I stood at the summit of Schmittenhöhe we were both simply blown away by the beauty of Austria. It was one of those “pinch me – is this even real?” moments. From the summit of Schmittenhöhe you can see a gorgeous mountain lake and numerous snow-covered mountain caps. It truly is the most stunning mountain view we have seen in a long time and it will be one that we will remember for a long time.

Schmittenhöhe, one of the many mountains around Zell am See, is a beautiful and super big skiing region. Whether you are a beginner or a winter sport professional, Schmittenhöhe is the perfect choice for a fun day in the snow. It is perfectly suited for beginners with its family slopes, but also true paradise for professionals, who want to ski offside the main slopes or want to race down one of the many black slopes.

The hardest part of being at Schmittenhöhe? Not being too distracted from the actual reason you are there – skiing, since you are surrounded by this epic mountain panorama and probably feel the urge to just stop and take some photos … As you can see, we had a pretty hard time to focus. 😉

If you ever get tired from skiing in the afternoon, there is no need to go home yet. Just head to the summit of Schmittenhöhe, order some drinks and enjoy the sunset with a beautiful panoramic view, while listening and dancing to Austrian Aprés Ski songs.

Skiing at Glacier Kitzsteinhorn

On our second day in Zell am See we headed to the next skiing highlight – the glacier Kitzsteinhorn. Since the start of the 2019/2020 skiing season the Kitzsteinhorn skiing area got connected with the family skiing region Maiskogel with the 3K (K)onnection Gondola.

With the connection, it is now possible to head to Kitzsteinhorn directly from Kaprun, enjoy the most insane mountain views in the gondola and ski home to the valley via the Maiskogel slopes.

The Kitzsteinhorn offers beautiful slopes, but also spectacular slopes offside the main ones, which are usually covered by several meters of snow.

Two days, two gorgeous skiing regions. Together those two regions cover more than 150 km of slopes. And still that is not everything the region around Zell am See – Kaprun has to offer.  

Benefits of buying the Ski Alpin Card in Zell am See – Kaprun

When you purchase the skiing pass “Ski Alpin Card” you can choose if you want to go to Schmittenhöhe, Kitzsteinhorn or the third skiing area – Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm – Fieberbrunn. Those three skiing regions are located very closely to each other, so it is super easy to move between them using the local ski busses. Also, when you have already been skiing in the Skicircus Saalbach Hinterglemm, you can even just jump into one of the gondolas and in that way make your way to Schmittenhöhe.

Perfect offer – if you ask us. This region will leave you speechless. Even after a week of skiing, you will still discover new spots in this region.

Zell am See – Kaprun – paradise for winter sport lovers

The idyllic mountain region Zell am See – Kaprun is also the perfect go-to-spot for cross-country skiers, ski mountaineers and snow hikers. There are countless cute mountain huts and restaurants, but also the small towns around Zell am See all have a super cozy and welcoming vibe.

It is definitely not the last time that we have been in this region. The charm of Zell am See and the countless winter attractions will definitely bring us back sooner than later.

Blog article written as part of a paid collaboration with Schmittenhöhe

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Austria – our home – and a country which is super multifarious and beautiful. Introducing you to one of the best luxury spa hotels in Austria – Hotel Nesslerhof.

We have to confess: We are absolute spa lovers. And we have been to a lot of spa resorts all over the world already. We have seen affordable luxury hotels and we have seen day spas for pretty cheap prices. How does this fit together with being adventure travel lovers as well?

For us it’s the perfect match. Going on a multiday hike while sleeping in a tent to fill the thirst for adventure and the next trip going for a spa hotel and fully recover and chill out. Sounds like our dream weekend.

Speaking of Spa hotels: There are several things Austria is famous for. Such as the incredible Alps, skiing, classical music and all the clichés you might know from the movie Sound of Music.

But speaking of the incredibly beautiful Alps… one thing the world should finally draw attention to is the following:

Austria is THE PARADISE for spa lovers. From resorts next to hot springs to luxury mountain resorts – Austria has it all. The awesome thing about Austria: Luxury in Austria almost every time means affordable luxury, meaning that you get an incredible amount of value for what you pay.

The luxury spa hotel Nesslerhof in Großarl, Salzburg suits this description perfectly. Thanks again to the family Neudegger and their team; we had an amazing time.

Here are our top 5 reasons why hotel Nesslerhof is one of the best Luxury Spa Hotels we have ever been to:

1. Luxury Spa Hotel – 1.800m² of pure enjoyment

Whether it’s the infinity pool, the indoor swimming pool or sole outdoor pool. Every single one is equipped with massage jets and has a nice warm temperature.

Outdoors there is beautiful natural swimming pond as well as a cold-water pond. Depending on the season and weather you just walk out of one of the amazing saunas – it’s the perfect way to get refreshed. We haven’t felt more alive, while being fully present in the here and now, than after a nice cold water “shock”.

The great thing if you just come out of one of the two steam rooms or plenty of saunas, your body is so overheated that cold water feels like a blessing.

If that’s still not enough wellbeing there is also vast offer of spa treatments and complementary fitness or yoga sessions.

2. The most epic suites and mountain views

Usually when you stay at a nice spa resorts you stay in a a fancy room. Nevertheless, you basically only use it for sleeping, active night time and getting ready for breakfast and dinner.

But at hotel Nesslerhof we were blessed with the most epic room we have ever stayed in. So leaving the room was not even needed since our spa experience already started here.

The first day we loved to try out our very private sauna and infrared cabin. The coolest part was definitely jumping into the role of a sauna master, who usually pours water over the heated rocks.

The second day we decided to heat up the wood-fired oven and to having a romantic night together. We watched the flames and enjoyed a nice bath. Of course, followed by another private sauna session.

And what could have been a better refreshment afterwards, than walking out of our suite onto our massive private terrace, lay on the sunbeds and watching the mountains turning all kinds of colours during sunset. This is what we could call the perfect honeymoon suite.

3. Heaven for foodies

Well isn’t the perfect holiday a lot about enjoying the most amazing food? Let’s just say it’s a pretty important part of it.

At hotel Nesslerhof there isn’t any culinary expectation that is not met on the highest level. The breakfast buffet is equipped with several fresh smoothies and pretty everything Austria’s finest breakfast selection has to offer. Everything you will find is biological and offered as naturally as possible.

Not that it would be necessary after mostly overeating at breakfast, simply since you just can’t stop. But there is a lunch snack starting at 2:30pm, offering a salad and cake buffet as well as a soup and one main warm dish. Soft drinks, coffee and tea is included during lunch, which is usually not the case at other spa resorts we have been to. Truly the lunch is far more than a snack, it’s a complete meal and it’s just ready when you feel like having an afternoon snack & coffee break.

The 4-course evening dinner is just another stunning highlight for food lovers. All courses are served to the table and there are several options to choose from, including vegetarian options. Additionally, there is a big salad buffet as well as an ice cream and cheese buffet to take from. Overall, it´s a 7-course high-class dinner that is offered, but frankly spoken we never made it to the ice cream, even though it looked delicious.

4. Major interior design inspiration

Seriously we haven’t been to a place which inspired us the way hotel Nesslerhof did. The combination of wood, plants and natural elements did really blow our mind. The moss pictures, natural wood walls and wooden tables just won our personal price for the most amazing design.

And since it’s all natural elements the design is one part of the exceptional feeling of well-being. Since we haven’t seen this perfect mixture of nature and design anywhere else, it’s no surprise that parts of hotel Nesslerhof where just newly build in 2016.  After our stay we came home with lots of ideas how to style our own flat to just get a slice of the hotel Nesslerhof feeling.

5. One of Austria’s top ski resorts is just around the corner

Well no matter where this hotel would be, it would definitely pay off to make the effort and come for a spa holiday. But it’s not located in the nowhere. It’s actually just on the foot of one of Austria’s top ski regions. Literally the cable car is just a few meters away.

The skiing region Dorfgastein – Großarl offers 68 km of ski slopes for all experience levels. But even if you are not a skier or snowboarder, there are plenty of activities in the mountains such as snowshoe walking or cross country skiing. If you visit the hotel Nesslerhof outside the skiing season, there are all kind of activities around the beautiful mountains of Hohe Tauern. Besides there is the city of Salzburg as well as famous Hallstatt just about an hour away from the resort.

Anyways it will be hard to leave such a place for any kind of activity outside the hotel. Hence we were not particularly sad about the fact that winter season hasn’t started yet, when we visited the place.

Thanks to family Neudegger and their team to making this an unforgettable trip. We will be back. 🙂

Blog article written as part of a paid collaboration with Hotel Nesslerhof

If you want to get a deeper understanding why Austria is paradise for Spa lovers, take a look at one of our other recent luxury spa hotel reviews:

• Why you should spend your next weekend trip at hotel Die Wasnerin in Styria, Austria
• Top Wellness Resort in Austria | Hotel Edelweiss in Wagrain, Salzburg

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