At the end of our last trip to Europe, we were treated to a lovely few days at Hotel Ronacher – Luxury Thermal Spa Resort in the austrian alps! Austria not Australia! This resort uses the natural thermal water, which flows beneath the ground, in their pools and spas. After a few days in this little corner of heaven, we were mentally and physically rejuvenated and our skin felt lusciously soft and smooth! It’s a popular resort for skiers during the winter and for those who just want some down-time and pampering during the summer.
Luxury Spa, Pools & Sauna – life is good!
The resort had everything which anyone would need to unwind. There was a large spa pool, a heated outdoor pool (where we tried water nordic walking with the world nordic walking champion!), a heated indoor pool, a gym, a steam room, a private bio-sauna (for two) and several larger saunas at different temperatures!
The salt water pool was located in the nudist friendly quarters of the resort. Wanting to enjoy it without stripping off, we ventured in with our bathers on. We don’t know who was more self-conscious – us or the nudists! There is a sunbathing area purely dedicated to nudists as well (sorry … no pictures 😉 )
There were also other activities on offer to guests, such as a guided hike up the Alps – something we would have loved to have taken up if we had more time.
Resort life – relax!
Our day started off with a work-out in the gym. Staying at a resort such as this, where a sumptuous breakfast and a seven course dinner was included, calls for a daily work-out! We’d then book the bio sauna for the two of us where we got to choose our preferred scent and the colour of lighting to put us in the right frame of mind. The spa followed the sauna and then it was off to breakfast.
We had some hours to roam around during the day. One day we went up Kaiserburg mountain and another was spent at a spot nearby, sipping on champagne while doing a spot of bird watching. When we were tired of sight-seeing, we napped. Before dinner, it was a soak in the salt pool and some time for meditation on the cloud bed in the meditation room.
Seven Course Meals – indulge!
Did I mention the seven course dinner? If there was nothing else other than the seafood salad from their entire buffet, I would have been happy. But unfortunately for my waistline, it was only the appetiser. While the courses were not huge, there was a lot of food! Far more than what a little lady needs! And I enjoyed every single course in this fine dining experience – hence the reason why I must hit the gym each morning.
Wellness pure – relax!
The whole resort is just fabulous but we did love the bio-sauna. Wellness pure! This sauna is constructed from large boulders which makes you feel as if you were sitting in a cave. The heat is just amazing with a nice scent added to the coals and mood lighting. And after that just meditate and relax on the swinging suspended lounge-beds. There is nothing here in Melbourne or even Australia which compares to it!
The hotel itself could do with a bit of a facelift and some modernisation. The Spa area got already a major facelift and is just stunning. It’s a comfortable place with great facilities which makes it a favourite with many Germans and Austrians who return there regularly.
We would love to get back there one day but there’s so many different resorts we would love to venture to. Hotel Ronacher is highly rated in our books.
