The Best Wellness Retreats To Book In Bavaria

From Japanese-inspired saunas, to sunny mountainside swimming pools, southern Germany has long been a hub for wellness retreats that leave visitors positively glowing. Here’s our selection of some of the very best, all bookable with Culture Trip.

A touch too much of the local pilsner? Got your pretzels in a twist? Sounds like you need some time in a splendid Bavarian wellness retreat. The largest and richest German state offers some of the finest spas in the country, but don’t confine yourself to the indoors. Trekking the mountains, lakes and forests here gives you ample excuse for some serious pampering afterwards.

1. Der Birkenhof - Spa & Genuss Resort

Spa Hotel

Just a 15-minutes drive from the nearest town, this place still feels like a German fairy tale. Surrounded by fields, forests and lakes, you’ll have partly unwound before you hit the heated outdoor pools and whirlpools, saunas – with panoramic countryside views – or yoga and pilates classes. Book one of the floating lounger treatments and you really will feel like you’ve experienced zero gravity.

2. Spa & Resort Bachmair Weissach

Spa Hotel, Resort

Many spas and spa treatments claim to be transporting, but in the case of Bachmair Weissach, you really do feel you’ve left the outside world behind and been spirited away somewhere else. The strong Japanese influences in both the philosophy, the minimal design and the names of the facilities (such as Mizu Onsen Spa, inspired by Japanese bath houses) are so subtly effective, you’ll emerge half-expecting to be surrounded by cherry blossoms.

4. Allgäu Sonne

Spa Hotel

This fortress-like spa hotel invites relaxation with a sunny, south-facing terrace where a glass of green juice makes a wholesome start to the day. Enjoy a soothing hot stone massage or join one of the expert-led hiking tours, Zumba classes or aqua gymnastics in the birch-clad indoor pool – they’ll soon get your blood pumping.

5. Romantik Alpenhotel Waxenstein

Independent Hotel, Spa Hotel

This hundred-year-old grand Bavarian hotel is nestled amongst sweeping mountain ranges, with excellent access to winter sports – it’s particularly lovely at Christmas, but equally becoming in the lush summer months. There are excellent hiking trails and mountain bike routes and in the wellness zone you’ll find a sauna, whirlpool, steam bath and a pool area. Be sure to try the massage and aroma spa.

6. Klosterhof - Alpine Hideaway & Spa

Spa Hotel

When it comes to wellness heritage, there are few places that come close to the Klosterhof. What started life as an Augustinian monastery in the 1500s, where the monks practiced making herbal remedies from the courtyard garden, is now a sharply contemporary spa hotel. But the lessons of the past are still felt in the present, especially with treatments such as the aromatic oil massage, which uses the soothing power of natural ingredients like lavender, angelica and mandarin to help you unwind.

7. Sonnenalp Resort

Resort

This five-star luxury resort promises wellness and family vacation perfection. Not only does the ridiculously beautiful alpine landscape lend itself perfectly to outdoor activities such as cycling, hiking and even horse riding, but the extensive and indulgent wellness complex – designed around a natural mountain lake – offers everything from yoga classes to heated outdoor pools to cosmetic treatments, log cabin saunas and meditation retreats.

This is an updated version of an article originally by Evelyn Smallwood.

If you’d rather spend some time off the slopes, you can explore the most beautiful towns in Bavaria and the most beautiful Christmas markets in Bavaria. Looking for more inspiration? Nearby Munich is perfect for a city break. We’ve narrowed down the top accommodation options, from the best hostels to the best boutique hotels in Munich, so you can confidently book your next stay on Culture Trip.

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