Luxury Wellness Retreat in the Bavarian Alps: Yoga, Ice Bathing & Michelin Dining for Adults

The resort sits at 1,000 metres in a protected high valley between Germany's Zugspitze and the Austrian Karwendel mountains. It's split into two hotels — the Hideaway and the Retreat — and guests can use everything across both. There are six spas in total: three adults-only (the Bath House with its 35°C salt-water pool and 12°C cold plunge, an Oriental Hamam, and the Shantigiri Spa with a Japanese onsen) and three family-friendly ones. Yoga runs twice daily in the Jivamukti Yoga Center, and there are regular retreats led by visiting teachers, plus a dedicated Yoga Summit in May. The Gaga movement language sessions are open to all and focus on the joy of dancing rather than technique.

The longevity programme is the most structured option: it combines ice bathing, TCM, Taiji, QiGong, Pilates, and fitness training with spiroergometric testing and a personal trainer. You can also book treatments like massages and acupuncture, or just use the gyms and pools. Sports Unlimited means you can jog, mountain bike, road cycle, hike, rock climb, swim in Lake Ferchensee, play tennis on clay courts, try archery with a champion, or go stand-up paddling and kite-surfing on nearby lakes. In winter, skiing is available on the Zugspitze glacier and in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Dining ranges from the two-Michelin-starred Ikigai by Chris Rainer (French-Japanese, 28 seats) to family restaurants and a Thai option. The resort also has a bookstore curated over four generations, libraries, bars, and a concert hall that hosts up to 160 concerts a year. The architecture is a mix of natural materials from around the world, with golden light fixtures and an elephant motif on Indian linens. It's a place where you can be active all day and then sit in a concert or a book talk in the evening.

What's included

- Accommodation in your chosen room category - Daily breakfast - Access to all six spas and nine pools - Daily yoga, Pilates, Taiji, or QiGong classes - Guided ice bathing sessions - Use of fitness gyms and sports facilities - Participation in cultural events (concerts, book talks) subject to availability - Wi-Fi throughout the resort - Access to the bookstore and libraries

What's not included

- Travel to and from the resort - Airport transfers (can be arranged for a fee) - Lunch and dinner (unless half-board or full-board is booked) - Alcoholic beverages - Spa treatments (massages, TCM, etc.) - Personal training sessions - Michelin-starred dining at Ikigai - Ski passes and equipment rental - Laundry service - Travel insurance