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The more I travel with wellness in mind, the more I see how much countries across the globe prioritize wellness in their cultures and daily lives. Wellness in Austria is no different – especially wellness in Vorarlberg!
During my one-week stay in the province for the Propel Conference, I mindfully sought out Vorarlberg wellness activities. Lucky for me, they were around every corner: perfect for a DIY wellness vacation!
Disclosure: I visited Vorarlberg, Austria for the invite-only Propel Conference. As a result, some of the activities/hotels mentioned in this guide were comped as part of my attendance.
From countryside landscapes, hiking trails and Umgang village walks, to sustainable farm-to-table dining and spa saunas… attention to wellness is abundant in Vorarlberg and throughout the Austrian alps.
If you are planning your own Vorarlberg wellness getaway, or seek alpine wellness as part of your Austria vacation itinerary, use this in-depth guide to plan a rejuvenating wellness holiday in Vorarlberg.
What is Alpine Wellness?
The Alps are located in Europe and are the tallest mountains solely on the continent. The mountain range crosses 8 countries, including Austria.
In order to experience the best of wellness in the Alps, it is important to understand the meaning of wellness in the Alps.
Alpine Wellness goes beyond luxury vacations, fitness classes, or massages – it integrates with nature to nourish and rejuvenate the body, mind, and soul.
The benefits of Alpine Wellness:
According to Austrian Moderate Altitude Studies (AMAS), “Active vacations at moderate altitude are associated with a variety of positive health effects”; “There were significant improvements of obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance […] after the vacation.”
To experience Alpine Wellness, I recommend:
- Book a trip to the Alps (this guide will highlight the Austrian Alps)
- Secure a hotel that includes a spa sauna and other spa services
- Try outdoor activities and soft adventures that are low/medium-impact
- Dine locally sourced foods
- Take advantage of nature’s healing
Wellness in Vorarlberg and Austria
If you’re headed to the Austrian Alps for ski season, you’ll naturally expect a sauna lifestyle to come with it. But did you know you can indulge in Austria’s wellness activities year-round?
Austria is one of the pioneer countries to officially integrate alpine wellness with leisure tourism in Europe.
They’ve not only prioritized holistic wellness across the hospitality industry but have also published studies on the benefits of hiking and being in nature.
Austria’s western state, Vorarlberg is the perfect place for wellness activities, as its popular alpine activities call for the outdoors and use of spa and sauna facilities.
Vorarlberg Wellness Hotels
Choosing the right hotel is key in planning a wellness getaway anywhere, Austria included.
Vorarlberg makes it easy to do that since Alpine Wellness is naturally part of their tourism and hospitality culture.
Recommended Vorarlberg Wellness Hotels to Stay In
When planning a Vorarlberg wellness trip, you’ll want to secure a hotel that has sufficient spa facilities and wellness hotel amenities.
I visited three of the six regions of Vorarlberg, Austria (Bregenzerwald, Lech Zürs am Arlberg, Bodensee-Vorarlberg) so can definitely recommend a couple of hotels from my own experience:
Hotel Bären in Mellau
(Sustainable hotel with sauna and dining)
Hotel Bären offers a large sauna and terrace with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Their relaxation room is one floor above the sauna and includes a tea station, a skylight with a telescope, and numerous chaise lounges.
I love the wide variety of breakfast options — filling! Check out my Instagram video for a peek at my breakfast at this Mellau hotel.
And best of all, if you stay 3+ nights from May thru October, you also get a free Bregenzerwald Card. The Bregenzerwald card covers access to public transit, swimming pools, and cable cars (the closest cable car is 10-15 minute walk away).
Hotel Sandhof in Lech Zürs
(Sustainable hotel with sauna and restaurant)
Each room in this 4-star hotel is beautifully decorated with its own unique style and theme. You can enjoy gorgeous alpine views from the rooms, and many suites have balconies too!
At the Hotel Sandhof, the wellness centre in this hotel is amazing: steam room, sauna, showers, relaxing waterbeds, and more.
There is also a restaurant onsite with a weekly fondue night and a top-rated seasonal dining menu.
- Pet travel tip: Pets are allowed at the Hotel Sandhof for those seeking wellness with their furry friends.
- Pandemic travel tip: I’ll also add since we are traveling in a new reality, it was really easy to get my COVID-19 test done before my return home to the US. I did it in Lech at the doctor/pharmacy and it was about a 7-minute walk from Hotel Sandhof and cost 20 euros.
Check out the above Vorarlberg wellness hotels and let me know if you end up trying them! I loved staying at both of these spots and literally slept like a baby.
Other Top Wellness Hotels to Consider in Vorarlberg:
In addition to the top-rated hotels I recommended above (both rated about 9/10 on Booking), here are some of the other best spa hotels in Vorarlberg, according to TripAdvisor.
- Hotel Arlberg Lech
- Hotel Haldenhof
- Hotel Bellevue
- Das Naturhotel Chesa Valisa
- Travel Charme Ifen Hotel
Wellness Activities in Vorarlberg, Austria
The moment you arrive in Vorarlberg you can truly feel alpine wellness surrounding you.
From the serene mountain landscape and crisp air to the relaxing sauna lifestyle, it is truly a restorative experience. Save this list of wellness things to do in Vorarlberg:
Lech Zürs Wellness Activities
1. Hike to enjoy the landscape of Lake Formarinsee. The glowing teal water surrounded by alpine green in the warmer months will soothe your senses.
Keep an eye out for soaking pools with benches along the hike for tired feet.
2. Take the bus or plan a light trek to the forest swimming pool as one of your summer activities; it is located between Lech and Zug am Arlberg.
3. After any Lech hike (or whenever, really) indulge in a spa session with a hot sauna followed by rest on floating beds.
I enjoyed my spa session at the Hotel Sandhof, but there are many options.
4. In the evening, experience the stars at Skyspace Lech: an art exhibit that alters your light perspective.
Bregenzerwald Wellness Activities
1. Enjoy the farm-to-table cuisines throughout the region and practice mindful eating – engage your senses!
2. Take a relaxing ride up a mountain on a cable car and take in the scenery. Practice meditation or mindful sitting once you reach the peak. I took the nearby cable car in Mellau.
3. Visit a beautiful waterfall and let the sound of rushing water quiet the noise. Mellau has a pretty waterfall just a short walk from town.
4. Take in mountain views from an alpine outdoor infinity pool, like the one at Hotel Alpenstern. According to my friend Sally at Passport & Plates, this is right at the lift for ski slopes if you are visiting for winter activities.
5. Stroll along an UMGANG trail: a German word roughly meaning to look around and embrace how we care about things – nature, architectural materials, etc. There are informative posts along this trail.
6. Indulge in a wellness getaway at the acclaimed four-star Wellnesshotel Warther Hof in Warth am Arlberg for a holistic spa experience with ski-to-door access.
Wellness Activities in the Bodensee-Vorarlberg region
1. Visit the beautiful Lake Constance year-round; the beautiful lake crosses four countries, including the Bodensee-Vorarlberg region of Austria. Visit a bathhouse on the shore.
2. Enjoy scenic trails for hiking during warmer months, and cross-country skiing in winter.
3. Secure a stay in Fritsch am Berg, a modern, adults-only spa hotel (coined “Mental Spa Resort”) with stunning panoramic views of the lake and an abundance of spa services.
4. Embrace nature at a thrilling height with a gentle hike at Rappenloch Gorge; this gorge is in the city of Dornbirn which is also part of the Bodensee-Vorarlberg region. There is a beautiful waterfall in this area too.
5. Spend a day trip perusing the medieval village of Feldkirch. There are lovely flower markets and produce stands if you’d like to pick up anything.
Finish the day with sunset drinks at Montforthaus rooftop bar.
Montafon Wellness activities
If exciting outdoor adventures are your ticket to wellness, you’ll love a stay in Montafon.
While the other regions are all wonderful places to visit for Alpine Wellness and outdoor soft adventures, you can count on Montafon to bring an extra thrill.
1. Ever heard of a Ferrata? If you like climbing and don’t have a fear of heights, you should try a via ferrata.
It is a climbing route along steep terrain that uses cables and harnesses to help you get to the top. (Check it out in my friend Lora’s video for a closer peek.)
2. If that doesn’t sound like it’s your jam, you can also hike around Lake Silvretta and up to Muttjöchle viewpoint
3. It wouldn’t be a Vorarlberg wellness trip without a spa session after a long day.
The Alpenhotel Montafon is located right in the ski center and has a hammam, indoor pool, sauna, and steam bath.
Brandnertal Wellness Activities
1. Enjoy a moderate trail to Lünersee. The surrounding dramatic peaks and beautiful lake will definitely help you slow down and appreciate the great power of nature.
For many people, experiences like this are key for spiritual wellness.
2. Indulge in a honey body peel at Hotel Sarotla in Brand, which is an exfoliating experience in their extensive wellness center, according to Veronika at Travel Geekery.
This beautiful wellness hotel has a panoramic mountain spa area with an adults-only Finnish sauna, massage services, and more.
3. Go cycling in the Brandnertal Bikepark. There are many trails, including mountain biking trails if you want to add a more physical challenge to your Vorarlberg wellness trip. Bike rentals can be found across from the hotel.
Vorarlberg Vacation Logistics
How to get to Vorarlberg
Vorarlberg is in western Austria and borders Switzerland and Germany.
Transit to Vorarlberg varies based on the region you are staying in so I recommend you choose your dream wellness hotel and bucket list activities first so you can pinpoint a town or city you want to be in. Here are your transportation options in general:
How to get to Vorarlberg by plane
The best way to get to Vorarlberg by plane is to fly into the Zurich airport in Switzerland, or Munich airport in Germany — I recommend Zurich.
From there you can take a train to Vorarlberg, a bus, or a rental car or private transportation. Again this depends on what city you are staying in.
Average distance from Zurich International Airport to Vorarlberg:
- 1.5+ hours by car
- 3+ hours by bus
- 2+ hours by train
How to get to Vorarlberg by car
If you are close by, you may want to rent a car to get to Vorarlberg. Driving is the fastest way to get to Vorarlberg locally.
Driving is also the fastest way to get to Vorarlberg if you are coming from Zurich or Munich airports.
I recommend you use Priceline rental car to find rental car deals. There are also private transfers but these will likely cost over $500 because of the distance. You can check Jay Ride for some options.
How to get to Vorarlberg by train
Trains are a comfortable way to get to Vorarlberg, but there aren’t stations in every city. Here are the train stations in Vorarlberg’s 6-holiday regions:
Lech: Langen am Arlberg is the closest train station, which is a 20-minute taxi ride away. Follow my in-depth travel guide to Lech with detailed transportation options.
Bregenzerwald: Bregenzerwald is large but there aren’t train stations there; the closest train stations are Bregenz and Dornbirn — a lot of busses drive to Bregenzerwald from there.
Bodensee: Bregenz is a great city for train transportation if you’re staying near Lake Constance. Feldkirch is good too if you are more south of the region. There are many, many other train stations too, which this map would be great to pinpoint.
Brandnertal & Montafon: Bludenz is the best train station to catch — there are local busses to Brandnertal. To get to Montafon change trains at Bludenz. From there the Monterfonerbahn train offers lots of stops in whole Montafon is the right choice.
How to get to Vorarlberg by bus
You’ll find the most public transit options across Vorarlberg if you opt for country and city buses.
While trains are easy for transit between countries, buses will be key to getting around in Vorarlberg—luckily they come in abundance! Here is the map of Vorarlberg’s bus routes.
Transportation tip: if you are staying for more than a couple days, definitely get a regional exclusive card during the summer for free access to buses and cable cars. In the winter, ski buses are included free with your ski passes. You won’t regret it! And some hotels provide it for free if you stay long enough.
Enjoy your Vorarlberg Wellness vacation!
Planning a wellness holiday shouldn’t be overwhelming (because the whole point is find wellness, not stress—right?)
But the truth is, when you are planning a trip to a new place, let alone a new country, it is difficult to wrap your head around it all!
I hope this Vorarlberg wellness travel guide helped you learn more about Alpine Wellness, how to plan a wellness vacation in Vorarlberg, and amazing places to see and wellness hotels to stay at for your well-being.
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