Austria, or more specifically the Tyrol state in Austria has been described by its natives as ‘one of the most tranquil yet invigorating places on earth’, they are not wrong.

The Tyrol nestles quietly in the west of Austria, it is split in two, north and east Tyrol, apparently there is no need for a south or a west. The capital is Innsbruck; this is where the majority of travellers fly into to explore.

The Wiesenhof Hotel rests in the middle of Pertisau in the Achensee region of the Tyrol.  Achensee is the Tyrol’s largest lakem with the Alpine Park Karwendal providing the splendid backdrop. In bygone years the purity of this area was appreciated by Austrian aristocracy as they came here to fish and hunt in the tranquillity of the unspoilt area.

The Wiesenhof Hotel is a family owned hotel and spa. Their motto is: ‘arrive as a guest and leave as a friend’ and I would defy anyone to not feel like dear friends of the Entner family by the time they leave. The hotel’s very opulent feel is at the same time extremely homely, and this unusual combination is as much to do with the staff as the facilities and the décor.

Each room is decorated in a slightly different style, each has attention to detail such as the quality and type of pillows and the four poster beds. The most pleasant gift for use in the rooms is the Tiroler Steinol products. Tiroler Steinol healing products are wide ranging; from oils, to creams and soaps. They are described as having the ‘healing heritage of the seas’ due to the high sulphur content in the shale oil, the main active ingredient.

The shale oil is harvested from the stone surrounding the Tyrol and herein lies yet another myth.  In the Rhineland in ancient times two great giants yet again came up against each other defending their land – Haymo and Thyrus. They fought at a site called Zirl now known as Dirschenbach, Haymo managed to stab Thyrus in the Achilles heal and so much blood was splattered far and wide and it trickled into the rock. Many years later it is believed that farmers, and one mineral collector in particular – Martin Albrecht in 1902, discovered the dark oil in the stone and so the healing product was born. The Vitalberg Museum in Pertisau takes a wonderful trip through the story from the time that Martin Albrecht knew that he was onto something very special and lucrative, in the mountains.

Your stay at the Wiesenhof includes food; everything is fresh with an element of healthiness associated with the great outdoors. There are many Tyrolean delicacies to try including the Tiroler Gerstlsuppe’ which is a wonderfully fresh barley soup. There are of course the schnapps and cheeses to finish off the perfect meal.

The ethos at the Wiesenhof is ‘health’, each room key is carved in the shape of a heart and this is to symbolise the importance of the heart and health to the Entner family. Hansi, the owner, can organise a training programme for individuals based on their fitness; there is a cardio monitoring programme and a metabolic rate indicator both of which are normally only available in sports facilities for top athletes.

After trying the heart monitor to gauge how much stress my heart is under, I was scared into using the extensive fitness and spa facilities. The Wiesenhof offers many facilities, including saunas, a swimming pool and other outdoor activities such as Nordic walking, segways or horse riding.  There is also a vast array of treatments from hay baths to relaxing massages, something for everyone.

There are five meeting rooms at the hotel as well as wireless internet throughout. It is possible to book the entire hotel for a business event, in fact it is possible to book the entire village; this will host approximately 1400 people.

Further up the road, about 20 kilometres from Achensee is the Olympia region of Seefeld. The region has twice hosted the Winter Olympic Games, in the disciplines of cross country skiing and Nordic combined. Not only was this a first for the region, it was also a first for the Games, as in 1964, the Olympic Fire was lit for the first time in Innsbruck and has remained the symbol of the Games ever since.

Seefeld boasts an 18-hole championship golf course, known as one of the most beautiful in the world, the Golf Academy in the centre of town and the panorama golf complex at the Geigenbühel. It is also renowed for its hiking and walking trails; and so is an allure all season round not just in the winter months.

See and be seen in Seefeld is very much the phrase of the decade, as a member of the prestigious Classic Mountain Resorts Best of the Alps, it exudes a certain charm and elegance, yet at the same time is modern and chic. The pedestrian area through the centre of the village allows visitors to amble through, stopping for a browse in the exquisite boutiques or to visit the Seerkirchl Church ‚the little church on the lake’ as its known, the symbol of Seefeld.

Just at the crossroads of the town centre sits the newly refurbished Alpen Med Hotel Lamm. The focus of the hotel is on medical wellness, guests are offered an array of different medical and therapeutic treatments, such as lymph drainage, breathing therapy, and electro therapy.  All surpervised by highly skilled doctors and therapists. 

The most innovative treatment and the nucleus of the treatments, is its cryotherapy. The name gives nothing away. It is actually cold therapy, very cold therapy. The idea behind the treatment is to stimulate the nervous system, and rejuvenate the blood. The body is plunged to such low temperatures that in essence it tricks the brain, this is probably the reason why the heart forgets to stop at -110 degrees.

The therapy is also said to produce pain relieving effects, reduce inflammation and relieve stress. There are three chambers, the first is – 10 degrees, you spend approximatley thirty seconds getting accustomed to this tempertaure before moving into the next chamber at -60 degrees and finally you move into the last chamber, -110 degrees for approximately three minutes, or as long as your body can physcially cope with the temperature. Just to make it more of an experience, you wear a bikini ( if female)  inside the chambers, accompanied by snow boots, a mask, ear muffs and thermal gloves; I am told that this stops the extremities from freezing and falling off.  There is a doctor on standby who devises the treatments.

To date no actual research on the effectiveness of cryotherapy has been published, however the feeling of wellbeing after the chamber seems to be the primary driver – I would have to say that the feeling of wellbeing is indeed strong, as at those artic temperatures in a bikini, just being alive at the end of it is a bonus.

The hotel has a new contemporary design, with glass features and a minimalist approach to the rooms. The Seyrling family own and manage the hotel and have done so for five generations, it has 71 rooms and suites and highly skilled chefs in both restaurants. The first restaurant sits within the hotel itself, with reknowned chef Johann Pichler at the helm,  the second, Kracherle Moos,  is a five minute walk away, it was constructed from two old barn houses, two hundred years old, deconstructed and rebuild in Seefeld.

The centrepiece of the spa is the magificent indoor pool, with a section for swimming and jacuzzi beds, benches and a wild water channel with massage jets. The sauna area has wonderful views and a Roman steam bath. The fitness suite also offers courses in Qi Gong, and back and muscle training.

The Alpen Med Hotel Lamm, is at the forefront of medical spas in Europe and hosts some of the top European football teams as guests. If you want to have a break that you leaves you feeling totally relaxed through channels that you never thought possible then a visit to Seefeld is well worth it.

www.wiesenhof.at

www.alpenmedhotel.com