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Vogue
7 days ago
- Health
- Vogue
Eriro
Welcome to the second iteration of Vogue's global spa guide, an index of the 100 best spas in the world, built from the expertise of our global editors and trusted contributors. There is a lot to choose from in the world of wellness, and no matter how far you're planning to travel—from a subway ride to a trans-Atlantic flight—we want to make sure it's worth the journey. Whatever your path, let us be your guide. Why go here? 'I want to live here' is the sentence I find myself saying over and over as I walk through the boutique hotel Eriro, nestled at an elevation of 1,500 meters among the peaks of the Zugspitze, Germany's largest mountain. Space, pace, and a fluid relationship to nature: These are the main motifs for this cozy nine-suite retreat surrounded by majestic mountains, lakes, and the dense pine forest of Seebenwald. It is not a coincidence that in ancient German the word eriro means 'forest entrance.' The chalet feels like a portal to a green aquatic world. All around, the presence of water is tangible. Down the hill from the hotel flows the Loisach river, which crosses an ancient mossland and separates Ehrwald and Lermoos. Up in the mountains above Eriro are the wonderful lakes Seebensee (Seeben Lake) and Drachensee (Dragon Lake). There is snow in the winter with skiing and in summer mountain bikes and hiking trails among the wildflowers. At the hotel the experience is visual, tactile, and sensorial: Wood, stone, wool, and glass are the dominant materials. Guests are encouraged to touch, smell, and engage with everything. This place feels like an actual dream home, a magical dwelling that is both familiar and wild. And the spa center certainly reflects this philosophy. Photo: Alexander Moling / Courtesy of Eriro What's the vibe? To reach Eriro, you park your car in the Austrian village of Ehrwald and ride five kilometers up the mountain on a gondola. Every bedroom comes equipped with a small wooden box, the place where phones go to die. Wi-Fi is present but not visible. The challenge is clear: Relaxation begins once we access our inner self, and this requires a true forfeiting of manic screen life. (Another great touch is each room's vinyl record player and collection.) The spa exemplifies Eriro's ethos of reconnecting to nature and disconnecting from the digital realm. It is situated on the bottom floor with all the larger suites, its architecture encouraging a grounding experience. (One of the guest rooms has a gorgeous, built-in sauna, and all the suites have bathtubs made from carved pine.) The floors are rough, the wood is only partly treated, and the water comes from a mountain spring collected from Eriro's own well. A feeling of freedom and fluidity runs through this very special place. The spa has no opening or closing hours. You're just as likely to see after-dinner guests in the spa with a mug of tea as a flute of Champagne. Photo: Alexander Moling / Courtesy of Eriro The history? The hotel is a collaboration between hoteliers Amelie and Dominik Posch, Christina and Martin Spielmann, and South Tyrolean architect Martin Gruber, who decided to renovate a 1936 Alpine hut and transform it into a refuge for the soul and mind. (A nice touch: Most of the wood here is recycled from old barns or the inn's first 1930s incarnation.) The inn's original owner loved this place so much that he wanted to ensure it would be sold to people who would maintain its original spirit. This means there is no grand entrance, no driveway, no arrival procedure. The official entrance is actually through the back door. The minute you cross the threshold, you are immediately in the main room, which is a kind of spacious yet cozy living room with stunning views of the valley below. It's all an homage to old-school Alpine tourism, as it was in the '30s. Photo: Alexander Moling / Courtesy of Eriro What should you try? The main idea for the spa is to access as many outside elements as possible, so you would be remiss to skip the water therapy. There are three hot-water relaxation pools, and the water from the pools and showers is all filtered in-house, without chemicals or chlorine. In the summer, the grasslands are visible from the large pool windows, giving the impression that you're floating over a wild field of flowers. Along with the pools and sauna is a so-called straw room, inspired by the stables used to store straw and hay for animals in winter. Here you will find the only television of Eriro, screening exclusively produced footage of the surrounding mountain peaks and lakes. Deerskin swings and infrared vibrations help the relaxation process. Photo: Alexander Moling / Courtesy of Eriro Every treatment at Eriro begins with a ceremonial foot bath followed by an intuitive holistic massage, a combination of energy work as well as physical work focusing on acupressure and energetic flow. My masseuse showed me a collection of mountain arnica, St. John's wort, and stinging nettle she picked herself. 'Everyone is so afraid of nettle,' she says. 'But it's one of the herbs with the greatest variety of benefits. It boosts immunity, controls inflammation, cures arthritis, and helps with diabetes.' The hotel purposefully chooses not to work with cosmetic brands, using local, natural products instead. An array of herbal teas—Alpine mix, chamomile, and mint—is served at all times; the herbs are collected in the summer and dried for the winter season. After the massage, I took a contemplative walk around a lake, followed by a breathing meditation on the water with a Tibetan bowl. The wind was the only sound I heard for hours, and I could feel my body begin to change. Photo: Alexander Moling / Courtesy of Eriro What else should we know? Before reaching Eriro I made a pit stop at a sister property, an Alpine hideaway called La Posch in the gorgeous chalet village Biberwier—and you might want to extend your trip at Eriro to include this spot as well. The idea running through both La Posch and Eriro is that the spa should be a seamless experience. Who can go? Eriro is for adults only. Children under 16 are not permitted as guests. Because of its intimate, almost domestic feeling, the spa is also open exclusively for hotel guests. Reaching the chalet is a romantic adventure in itself, so guests must keep that in mind when venturing up. Photo: Alexander Moling / Courtesy of Eriro Booking details for Eriro Address: Ehrwalder Alm 4, 6632 Ehrwald, Austria Read more from Vogue's Global Spa Guide. Read more about Eriro on the Conde Nast Traveler Hot List.
Wales Online
24-05-2025
- Wales Online
I found crystal blue waters and fairy tale village just one hour from UK
I found crystal blue waters and fairy tale village just one hour from UK The whole trip cost me just £200, an incredible bargain considering how much there is to do there I found crystal blue waters and fairy tale village just one hour from UK I flew 1.5 hours away from London and landed in a part of the world that feels so magical it is like you are inside a fairy tale - and the flights there cost me less than £50. Like me, you may not have ever considered flying to the tiny airport of Memmingen in the south of Germany. But when learned it was just an hour's drive away from some of the world's most iconic castles, as well as bright blue lakes, I thought I'd give it a go. Memmingen Airport, in Bavaria, is less than a one hour drive away from Neuschwanstein, the castle believed to have inspired the Disney princess castle you can see in their theme parks across the globe. So, naturally I got into a rental car and made my way straight there. Neuschwanstein Castle and Alpsee Lake The iconic castle is nestled in the Bavarian Alps. To get there you drive through the stunning mountain range located in the south-eastern corner of Germany, stretching along the border with Austria. You'll pass rolling fields, with views of the rocky mountains for miles. You will pass plenty of farmland on your travels through Bavaria (Image: Joshua Reynolds ) Article continues below Before taking a five euro shuttle up to the castle, you park in a little idyllic village called Hohenschwangau, near Schwangau and Füssen. The buses come every 10-15 minutes and take you to all the way up the mountain, dropping you off at a bus stop that is a five-minute walk to Neuschwanstein. It is truly breathtaking. Built in the 19th century, Neuschwanstein Castle has become an icon of romantic architecture and German cultural heritage. (Image: Joshua Reynolds ) When you've finished at the castle, you can hop on a bus back to Hohenschwangau and walk two minutes over to Lake Alpsee. Here you can rent a boat for 15 euros, walk around the lake, dive in the water off the jetty or grab a German beer and Bratwurst and enjoy them with the views of the mountains, crystal clear blue water and, of course, the castles. Lake Alpsee is the perfect place to swim on a summer's day About 45 minutes away from Hohenshwangau is the town of Grainau, home to the brightest blue lake in all of Germany, Lake Eibsee, as well as the highest mountain in Germany, the Zugspitze. It is also just an hour and a half's drive from the more well-known city of Munich. A stay in a chalet here overnight costs around £50 in May and the rental car cost £75 including insurance for three days, bringing the grand total of my trip to a mere £175. In terms of spending money, since all the amazing things to see are outdoors, almost all of them are free. At the foot of the German mountains are traditional villages such as Grainau and Mittenwald. After a good night's sleep in the guest house, it was time to explore Lake Eibsee and the Zugspitze. Zugspitze and Lake Eibsee Tucked away at the foot of Germany's highest mountain, the Zugspitze, lies one of the most breathtaking natural treasures in the Bavarian Alps — Lake Eibsee. With its crystal-clear waters, forested shoreline, and backdrop of rugged peaks, Eibsee is a destination that feels almost too perfect to be real. View of Lake Eibsee from the Zugspitze Formed during the last Ice Age and later shaped by a massive rock-slide over 3,000 years ago, Eibsee's dramatic landscape features eight small islands and several underwater ridges. These geological quirks add to its enchanting atmosphere and make it one of the most photogenic locations in the region. You can rent a boat or paddleboard here for less than 20 euros, and take it out to explore the eight little islands in the centre of the lake. Visiting the lake is free, and a full day of parking set me back 13 euros. Lake Eibsee is home to eight little islands (Image: Joshua Reynolds ) Often called the 'Caribbean of the Alps' due to its emerald green and turquoise waters, Eibsee is a popular year-round destination for nature lovers, photographers, and outdoor enthusiasts. (Image: Joshua Reynolds ) Eibsee's allure lies not only in its beauty but in the diverse outdoor experiences it offers throughout the year. In summer, the lake becomes a hotspot for swimming, paddleboarding, rowing and picnicking. The clear water takes on a surreal turquoise hue on sunny days, drawing photographers and nature lovers from across Europe. Lake Eibsee is one of the most beautiful and crystal-clear alpine lakes in Germany (Image: Joshua Reynolds ) For hikers, the Eibsee Rundweg — an 8 km trail circling the lake — offers ever-changing views and tranquil forest paths. It's a relatively easy walk and suitable for families, with benches and lookout points scattered along the route. Lake Eibsee also serves as the lower station for the Zugspitze gondola, which whisks visitors to the summit in just ten minutes. From the top, you're rewarded with panoramic views across Germany, Austria, and even into Italy on a clear day. Zugspitze is the highest mountain in Germany, standing at 2,962 meters (9,718 feet) above sea level. Partnach Gorge Nestled deep in the Reintal Valley near the resort town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, about 20 minutes from Grainau, is the Partnach Gorge, a stunning natural wonder that draws visitors from all over the world. Walking through the narrow gorge you can admire its thundering waterfalls, steep limestone walls and ethereal atmosphere and get a raw and immersive experience of the Bavarian Alps well worth the 10 euro entry fee. Stretching approximately 702 meters (2,303 feet) in length and plunging up to 80 meters (262 feet) deep, the Partnach Gorge was carved by the Partnach River, which still rushes and roars through its base. The gorge's walls are composed of dark, shell-bearing limestone deposited during the Triassic period, over 240 million years ago. As the Alps rose and the Partnach River flowed, the gorge was slowly sculpted into its current dramatic form. In 1912, the gorge was declared a natural monument, protecting its unique features and opening it up to safe public access via carved tunnels, narrow walkways and handrails along the cliff edges. Many hikers use the gorge as a starting point for more ambitious treks into the Wetterstein mountains or even a multi-day journey toward the Zugspitze, Germany's tallest peak. The gorge's walls are composed of dark, shell-bearing limestone (Image: Joshua Reynolds ) However, even as a standalone visit, Partnach Gorge is unforgettable — a place where geology, water, and time have conspired to create a truly awe-inspiring spectacle. Article continues below So for less than £200 I managed to see some of the world's clearest alpine waters and the most iconic castle, as well as some breath-taking displays of geology — and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
