A well-earned break after life has asked a lot of you: Health & Wellness at Hohenwart
Some holidays are not about doing and seeing as much as possible. You take them because life has already asked enough of you. Weeks filled with work, months of tension or a period that has required a great deal of strength, physically or emotionally. At times like these, you are not looking for the next experience. You simply want to sleep well again, move your body, feel warmth, eat well and, for a while, not have to make any decisions.
Hotel Hohenwart enjoys a sunny, elevated position in Schenna, South Tyrol, above the spa town of Meran. Coming here means doing something good for yourself. Finding calm. Feeling cared for. Gradually bringing body and mind back into balance. Nor do you need to wait until you are completely exhausted. It is just as valid to step away before it comes to that, before your reserves have run dry.
For us, a Health & Wellness getaway does not mean following a rigid health programme. It means creating the conditions in which genuine rest and recovery can happen: with movement that strengthens without pushing too hard. With water, warmth and touch. With nature, good food and enough space for yourself.
Everything is possible, nothing is compulsory
There is very little Hohenwart does not offer. And yet there is nothing you have to do.
You might begin the day with aquafit, swim a few lengths and join a yoga class in the afternoon. Or sleep a little longer, linger over breakfast and only then decide what you actually feel like doing. Perhaps a massage. Perhaps a book in the garden. Perhaps nothing at all.
This is not about fitting in as many activities as possible. Relaxation should not become the next task to complete. Each day can take a different shape, depending on how much energy you have and what feels right at that particular moment.
Movement, yoga and aquafit for a renewed sense of wellbeing
Movement runs gently through the holiday week. It is accessible, varied and suitable for different needs and fitness levels. Sometimes energising, sometimes calming. Always with the understanding that it is not about performance, but about feeling good in your body.
The day might begin with aquafit in the warm water of the indoor pool. Soft, flowing movements awaken the body and ease you gently into the new day. If you feel like doing more, you can swim a few lengths in the 25-metre sports pool in the Hohenwart garden. Fresh morning air, pleasantly warm water and birdsong. Sometimes that is all it takes to feel truly awake.
In the afternoon, yoga, Pilates, fascia training or a back-strengthening class invite you to notice your body afresh. During yoga, your attention turns to your breath and movement. For a while, what needs to be done next no longer matters. All that counts is how a posture feels in that moment. Pilates strengthens the muscles in a focused way, while fascia training works on mobility, stretching and flexibility. During the back-strengthening class, our physiotherapist shows you how to strengthen the muscles supporting the spine correctly and with greater awareness.
Another special experience is the guided walk along the Schenner Waalweg with our physiotherapist Stefan. Along the way, he explains how to practise the Kneipp method correctly. The cold water has an immediate invigorating effect, waking up the body and providing a refreshing contrast to the gentle pace of walking beside the historic irrigation channel.
Those who prefer to train independently will find high-quality Technogym equipment, free weights and space for functional training in our fitness room, which is accessible around the clock. Outside, the calisthenics park awaits. Something of a playground for grown-ups, where you train using your own body weight. In the fresh air, in the sunshine and surrounded by the greenery of the garden.
After movement comes deep relaxation in the VistaSpa
Then the body can let go.
The adults-only VistaSpa extends across three floors and uses wood, light and glass to draw the landscape indoors. At the very top is the rooftop terrace with its 34°C infinity saltwater pool. Here, you can let the warm water carry you while gazing across Schenna, Meran and the mountains. The lasting impression is one of openness: a 360-degree panorama and a sense of freedom.
Beside it is the panoramic sauna, where our sauna master Roland hosts the daily sauna infusions. Warmth and the scent of essential oils fill the room as your gaze travels across the landscape. A very personal form of meditation begins to unfold.
Those who like their heat more intense can retreat to the Tyrolean sauna. The bio sauna “Ifinger”, with its milder temperature and higher humidity, offers a gentler alternative. The rose steam bath and saline steam bath envelop the body in warm vapour.
Afterwards, three relaxation rooms invite you to rest a little longer, each with an atmosphere of its own. The bright panoramic relaxation room is designed like a theatre, yet the panorama takes centre stage: Schenna Castle, the church hill, apple orchards and the Texel Group beyond. In the dark relaxation room, external distractions all but disappear, allowing for profound relaxation. In our lounge, meanwhile, warm teas, homemade juices and fruit from the surrounding area await.
The singing-bowl relaxation session in the panoramic room is especially meditative. Deep vibrations spread gently through the body, filling it with sound.
The restorative power of touch: massages and treatments in the VistaSpa
At the VistaSpa, our massages and treatments focus on mindful rituals, intuitive touch and the quality of the ingredients used. Each treatment follows a clear yet flexible rhythm: time to settle in, a treatment tailored to you and a gentle conclusion with enough time to rest. Techniques, intensity and products are selected according to what feels right at that particular moment.
Gentle touch, essential oils, subtle fragrances, different textures on the skin and calming music in the background create an atmosphere in which letting go feels almost effortless. You can simply place yourself in the experienced hands of our VistaSpa team. Gradually, the body softens, movements feel freer and tension begins to ease. What remains is a sense of lightness.
Food that makes you feel good
Food is part of a restorative break too. It should be a pleasure and leave you feeling good afterwards.
At Hohenwart, we do not cook for effect, but for how it makes you feel. What matters are products with character, recipes with a story and flavours that linger. Alpine roots meet Mediterranean influences; regional ingredients meet fine craftsmanship; familiar dishes meet new ideas.
We are particularly fond of the lamb from our own flock at the Gsteier mountain farm, the beer from our family brewery, Pfefferlechner, and the herbs from our garden. Vegetarian dishes are always available. We are also happy to prepare vegan options or dishes adapted to specific dietary intolerances, provided you let us know when booking.
Most guests choose our ¾ pampering board. The day begins with a generous breakfast that, for once, you are encouraged to linger over. In the afternoon, the Hohenwart Marende awaits, with homemade cakes, fresh salads, soup and regional specialities. In the evening, we serve a five-course menu with an Alpine-Mediterranean signature.
The individual courses are carefully composed to complement one another. After all, pleasure should satisfy, not leave you feeling weighed down. Those who would like a little more are, of course, welcome to order another helping. And anyone unable to choose between two dishes can simply enjoy both.
Slowly regaining your energy
Rest and renewal look different for everyone. Some find them while swimming early in the morning, others in the warmth of a sauna. Some want to move; others need to sleep first. Some seek company and genuine conversation. Others need time to themselves above all.
A break cannot undo what came before. That would be too much to promise. It can, however, provide some necessary distance. It can give the body time to find its balance again. And it can remind us how it feels when not every moment comes with something that must be done.
And, at its best, you return home not only rested, but feeling a little lighter and a little more like yourself again.
The place that lasts.