Sign up for Simon Calder’s free travel emails for expert advice and great deals
Get Simon Calder travel emails
There are many reasons to get away from your everyday life and go on a wellness retreat. Maybe you feel a bit tired all the time. Maybe you don’t have as much motivation or energy as you used to. Maybe you need some time alone to find new direction or make a big decision.
And, of course, while a vacation in the traditional sense may offer an opportunity to explore, reset, and reflect, wellness retreats — where you entrust someone else to sort out your routines, your diet, your preconceptions (sometimes all of the above) — are designed to do just that, from the inside out.
The goal of these retreats is to make a physical or mental change so that after the trip, you return to your daily life motivated to make lasting changes.
We do this in a variety of ways depending on where we go and the different disciplines and philosophies: a doctor-led retreat in Austria, a revitalization in a farmhouse in Italy, or a dietary overhaul in the English countryside.
Europe is full of hotels, spas and retreats claiming to offer the ultimate in relaxation and restoration, but the establishments listed below always live up to expectations.
Meyerlife, Austria
The resort is located on the shores of Lake Altaussee in Styria (Mayrlife.com)
The focus here is on getting you feeling your best holistically again through a variety of methods. It’s doctor-led, so you’ll likely check in daily to make sure your diet, treatments, and early bedtimes are having the right effect on your body. Doctors here also espouse the virtues of nature, so you’ll be encouraged to take a daily walk around the picturesque Lake Altaussee.
Book now
Goodwood, England
Quintessential English Country Getaway in West Sussex (Goodwood)
Spearheaded by Dr. Stephanie Moore, who has encyclopedic knowledge of how the body works and the best ways to further improve one’s health by promoting healthy habits, these retreats offer healthy meals, educational sessions, and a host of treatments.
Book now
Shine Regeneration Retreat, Italy
Combining the romance of the Tuscan hills with healthy eating (Shine Holistic)
Set in the Tuscan farmhouse of your dreams in Italy’s rolling countryside, your seven-day regenerative retreat will include a family atmosphere, communal dining on meals that mimic nutritionist-supervised fasting protocols, daily treatments including massages, osteopathic therapy and qigong exercise sessions, and of course the chance to explore local villages.
Book now
Well, Norway
Relax and soak away your worries at the best of Scandinavian wellness at this spa near Oslo.
Scandinavia’s largest spa naturally encourages wellness through daily use of the sauna, steam room, and various other places to recline and relax. The food is excellent and the design is full of typical Norwegian charm; you’ll find yourself spending your days wandering from sauna to ice pool to cozy nooks reading (naked – a must), before grabbing a bite to eat and heading back for some more fun.
Rooms are available from 1 night{{#price}}{{price}}{{/price}}{{^price}}Check availability for dates and rates{{/price}}
{{#Amenities}}
Hotel Amenities
{{#amenities.foodDrink.length}}
Food and Drink
{{#amenities.foodDrink}}{{.}}{{/amenities.foodDrink}}{{/amenities.foodDrink.length}}{{#amenities.internet.length}}
internet
Please contact the hotel for details on amenities.
{{#amenities.internet}}{{.}}{{/amenities.internet}}{{/amenities.internet.length}}{{#amenities.services.length}}
service
{{#amenities.services}}{{.}}{{/amenities.services}}{{/amenities.services.length}}{{#amenities.parking.length}}
parking
Please contact the hotel for details on amenities.
{{#amenities.parking}}{{.}}{{/amenities.parking}}{{/amenities.parking.length}}{{#amenities.health.length}}
Health and Wellbeing
{{#amenities.health}}{{.}}{{/amenities.health}}{{/amenities.health.length}}{{/amenities}}
Find out more about our Spa & Wellness hotels here:
Costa Navarino, Greece
Costa Navarino Hotel offers more relaxing wellness (Costa Navarino)
If a strict regimen isn’t your thing, or you’re considering traveling with someone who would rather enjoy a more standard holiday with a nursery and a bar rather than a wellness retreat, Costa Navarino is worth getting to know about. The Anazoe Spa is huge (4,000 square metres) and offers treatments and areas to suit all tastes, inspired by ancient Greece. Between treatments, head to the beach, go for a swim or indulge in seasonal, locally produced and organic cuisine.
Book now
The Ranch, California
This retreat (The Ranch Malibu) offers fresh air and plenty of exercise.
Hiking, lots of hiking, is exactly what a day at The Ranch is like. What’s the general schedule? Wake up early (around 5:30am) for a stretching class, have a vegan breakfast, then head out for a two- or four-hour hike in a scenic spot. Come back sweaty and have another vegan lunch before your afternoon massage and class (usually strength training and yoga).
Book now
Stanglwirt, Austria
A family-run resort (Stanglwirt) that has been welcoming guests for over 400 years
This luxury spa meets organic farm, and the first room you enter after checking in is a large, inviting bar. One side of the bar’s wall is made of glass, behind which Lipizzaner horses prancing. But don’t stay there too long. There’s plenty to explore. Visit the gym, where Ernie often goes to work out with his trainer, or lounge in the spa area, which is huge and packed with options, including five saunas, three steam baths, and an ice-cold body of water surrounded by an eco-spa (with views of snowfields in winter). The breakfasts here are legendary, and much of it is delivered straight from Stanglwirt’s farm.
Book now
Vale de Moses, Portugal
At this spot, you’ll be surrounded by animals, from golden retrievers to rescued pigs (Vale de Moses)
If waking up in a Portuguese forest followed by a day of yoga and vegan cooking sounds like your thing, this retreat is for you. It’s family-run and incredibly charming (there are rescued pigs roaming around and the owners are on hand to answer any questions you may have), and you’ll find that immersion in nature whilst working through every corner of your body and mind through a yoga practice is a real opportunity to leave the modern world behind.
Book now
Chewton Glen, England
This spa is located in a treehouse and also offers cooking classes (Chewton Glen)
If you’re looking for some tranquility, book a Treehouse Suite in Chewton Glen near Bournemouth and spend the day exploring the nearby woods, relaxing on the seaside or enjoying a spa day. The “Eat, Sleep, Relax” package is perfect for solo travelers. The Treehouse breakfast buffet is excellent and, weather permitting, can be enjoyed on the balcony overlooking the woods.
Rooms are available from 1 night{{#price}}{{price}}{{/price}}{{^price}}Check availability for dates and rates{{/price}}
{{#Amenities}}
Hotel Amenities
{{#amenities.foodDrink.length}}
Food and Drink
{{#amenities.foodDrink}}{{.}}{{/amenities.foodDrink}}{{/amenities.foodDrink.length}}{{#amenities.internet.length}}
internet
Please contact the hotel for details on amenities.
{{#amenities.internet}}{{.}}{{/amenities.internet}}{{/amenities.internet.length}}{{#amenities.services.length}}
service
{{#amenities.services}}{{.}}{{/amenities.services}}{{/amenities.services.length}}{{#amenities.parking.length}}
parking
Please contact the hotel for details on amenities.
{{#amenities.parking}}{{.}}{{/amenities.parking}}{{/amenities.parking.length}}{{#amenities.health.length}}
Health and Wellbeing
{{#amenities.health}}{{.}}{{/amenities.health}}{{/amenities.health.length}}{{/amenities}}
Merano Palace, Italy
This retreat (Merano Palace) offers comprehensive treatment and diagnostic services.
Nestled in the Dolomite microclimate, this sunny spot offers a physician-curated retreat program in a palatial setting with gilded furniture and chandeliers. Treatments combine Eastern and Western techniques and are designed to deliver deeply soothing and enhancing results.
Book now
Read more about travelling to Europe:
