After writing about beautiful and sustainable wellness hotels in Northern and Central Germany in last week’s first part, we now turn our attention to Southern Germany. In case you didn’t know, Southern Germany is one of the most famous wellness destinations in Europe. This is due to its natural thermal springs and excellent air quality. You will find several certified climatic health resorts and spas here, such as the town Bad Herrenalb in the Black Forest.
SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA, Bad Herrenalb, Black Forest | Baden-Württemberg
Bad Herrenalb is a climatic health resort known for its healing waters. The SCHWARZWALD PANORAMA has its own thermal swimming pool. Here, the mineralized groundwater comes out of the ground at over 20°C. As a “Bioland Gold Partner”, more than 90 percent of the food is organically grown.
Highlights
- 1000 square meter spa area with saunas, steam bath and sun terrace
- Indoor mineralized thermal swimming pool
- Selfness Center with meditation, yoga, forest bathing and TCM therapy
- Fasting cures
Hotel Das Rübezahl, Schwangau | Bavaria
The Das Rübezahl Romantic Hideaway & Spa is located in the romantic surroundings of Neuschwanstein Castle and other royal castles. If you are planning a wellness vacation as a couple, this is the perfect address. A new spa garden has just opened in the spring of 2023.
Highlights
- 2,500 square meter spa garden
- Natural swimming pond
- Massage tent
- Heated outdoor pool
- Bavarian Salt Grotto
HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu, Balderschwang | Bavaria
At 1044 meters above sea level in the foothills of the Alps, you will find an architectural gem at the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu. Here a holistic approach to physical and mental well-being is taken.
Highlights
- “Mountain Spring Spa” with various saunas
- Infinity pool with a fantastic view of the Alps
- Yoga platform and yoga retreats (including special offers for men)
- Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Ayurveda
- Beauty and massage treatments
Klosterhof • Alpine Hideaway & Spa, Bayerisch Gmain | Bavaria
In this family hotel, you will find a special health concept. Owner and hotelier Dr. Andreas Färber runs the Artemacur Health Center, which is directly connected to the Klosterhof – Alpine Hideaway & Spa. The focus here is on diagnostics and a holistic approach that also includes nutrition and the psyche.
Highlights
- 1,500 square meter spa area
- Heated outdoor pool, sauna area
- Indoor pool with fireplace
- Brine bath (saltwater) for floating
- Artemacur Health Center
Naturresort Gerbehof, Friedrichshafen | Baden-Württemberg
Located in the beautiful Lake Constance region, you will find both a sustainable country hotel and vacation apartments at Naturresort Gerbehof. The special offer includes bioenergetic meditation according to Viktor Philippi. This meditation is said to have physical effects (e.g. stimulation of the immune system and metabolism) in addition to mental relaxation.
Highlights
- Indoor spa with sauna, sanarium and brine grotto
- Outdoor spa with sauna, Kneipp pool, sunbathing area
- Beauty treatments with natural cosmetics
- Bioenergetic meditation
- Forest meditation and meditation walks
STURM, Mellrichstadt | Bavaria
Located in the middle of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Rhön region, the STURM offers an ideal place to unwind. Outside, there is a 30,000 square meter nature park with a snack garden, fruit trees and herb beds. The fruits are used in the kitchen and guests are welcome to taste them directly from the tree or bush.
Highlights
- RHÖN-SPA with sauna, steam bath and fresh air grotto
- Cosmetic treatments with natural cosmetics
- Massage treatments
- Barefoot path
- Natural swimming pond and large garden landscape
Sustainable wellness hotels – a contradiction?
At first glance, sustainability and wellness don’t go together. Sure, pool and sauna consume a lot of energy. And energy not only consumes resources – it also costs money. As hotelier Marc Traubel of HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio tells us in an interview, the motivation for saving electricity used to be purely financial: “Now it’s saving resources, before it was saving money.” Back then, when his father started implementing various measures in the hotel to save energy, Greta Thurnberg was not yet born.
The German Wellness Association or the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) also entice their members, especially with the money savings that come with switching to LED light bulbs, economical toilet flushing, less towel washing and less food waste.
But while saving money may have been the start (or still be a good motivator), it’s long past being the only factor. On the contrary, many of us are even willing to spend more money – for example, on green electricity instead of coal power.
The German Wellness Association has the following tips on how wellness can be made healthier, more environmentally friendly and less expensive:
- Already during construction, attention is paid to environmentally friendly construction methods (insulating materials, PVC-free pipes, ecological paints, joint adhesives, etc.).
- For wood and furniture, natural materials from the region or with the FSC seal are used.
- Technical systems for heat recovery
- Technical systems for water recovery
- Use of daylight and LEDs
- Energy supply via renewable energies
- Reduction of laundry
- Environmentally friendly cleaning
- Certified natural cosmetics
What we also find important: The health idea is not limited to a spa area, but is further pursued at all the above-mentioned partners in southern Germany. The optimum is that you get in harmony with yourself and nature and thereupon generally become more conscious in your everyday life. What do you think?
Missed the first part? Here you can find the most beautiful sustainable wellness hotels in Northern and Central Germany.
Save these hotels for your next wellness getaway!
