Yoga and Mountain Air at a Family-Run Alpine Hotel in Bad Gastein

A typical day starts with whatever is on that week's programme. Yoga sessions are listed with a time and meeting point, and you register at reception beforehand. If the weather is kind, the class is on the sun deck — a wooden platform at the forest edge, around five metres up, with soft meadow in front and the Hohe Tauern peaks behind. If it isn't, the session moves into the Fit & Relax room, which is bright and quiet and set up for yoga, Pilates, stretching and relaxation.

Between guided classes you can use the Fit & Relax room yourself, as long as nothing else is scheduled in it. Mats and various props are kept there, so you can run through your own mobilisation routine or sit for meditation without bringing equipment. The sun deck is also open for quiet exercise and relaxation in good weather when it isn't reserved for a guided session.

The programme shifts with the season and can include Pilates, stretching, fascia training, breathing exercises and other relaxation sessions alongside the yoga. That variety is what separates this from a single-style yoga week: you are not locked into one discipline for seven days, and you can pick the sessions that suit how you feel each morning.

What makes it different from a standalone yoga retreat is that everything else is in the same building. The wellness area uses Gastein thermal water for regeneration, there is a light-filled indoor fitness room, and the hotel's own kitchen and comfortable rooms serve the same guests who roll out mats in the morning. You are not travelling between a studio and a separate hotel.

The setting does a lot of the work. Bad Gastein sits in the Gastein Valley, with clear mountain air, quiet surroundings and long views. The sun deck faces the Hohe Tauern National Park, and the position at the forest edge means the immediate surroundings are meadow and trees rather than street. The hotel also positions itself as a location for groups running their own retreats, with a dedicated enquiry route for organisers.

What's included

- Overnight stay at Hotel Sonngastein - Many yoga, exercise and relaxation sessions in the regular weekly programme at no extra charge - Use of the Fit & Relax room for independent practice - Yoga mats and props in the Fit & Relax room - Access to the sun deck for quiet exercise and relaxation when not reserved - Access to the wellness area with Gastein thermal water - Access to the light-filled indoor fitness room

What's not included

- Travel to Bad Gastein - Special events, workshops and sessions with external instructors (separately priced) - Dedicated yoga retreats run as separate offers - Treatments and services not listed as included - Travel insurance