The Best Spas in Europe That Mix Travel With Pure Relaxation

By Vogue

As summer comes to an end and the colder months loom, what better time to book yourself in for some pampering? With outstanding views, innovative treatments, and gourmet dining, Europe is home to some of the most rejuvenating retreats in the world. Take Royal Champagne Hotel And Spa, which nestled amongst the region’s rolling vineyards offers a picture-perfect sleep experience. After a full-body MOT and complete detox, while going offline in the beauty of nature? VivaMayr in the Austrian Alps has you covered.

Below, find Vogue’s pick of the best spas in Europe that deliver on luxury wellness.

Wind your way through the picturesque rolling vineyards of Champillon and eventually you’ll reach the elegant Royal Champagne Hotel And Spa—the region’s first contemporary luxury spa hotel. A wine-country retreat, Royal Champagne has two exceptional restaurants (including the one Michelin-starred Le Royal with a menu orchestrated by Paolo Boscaro) and 47 elegant rooms with magical views of the vineyards that stripe the hills of Epernay. The hotel is an easy Eurostar from London and just a 45-minute drive from Paris, making it the perfect weekend getaway to recharge your batteries. But the star of the show? The outstanding spa offering. For starters there is both an outdoor infinity pool and an indoor heated pool, decked out with sleek loungers that overlook the sprawling vineyards. Then there are nine treatment cabins, a state-of-the-art fitness room, steam room, sauna, jacuzzis, hammam, yoga studio, and a beauty bar. And of course, an impressively extensive menu of wellness treatments from custom-made Biologique Recherche facials to Kos Paris body treatments. We recommend you book yourself in for the Royal Sleep Experience—a wellness program that uses French beauty brand Aime’s products (the Sleep and Glow mist is a game-changer) combined with a bedtime menu (and Sleeping Beauty mocktail) that will clear your mind. Pure heaven.

A renowned favorite of the fashion crowd, VivaMayr offers a full-body MOT and complete detox within the idyllic setting (and refreshing climes) of the Austrian Alps. With a fully-staffed medical team on hand to design your bespoke seven-day programme and assess everything from your body’s acidity levels to your gut health; vitamin deficiencies to metabolic rate, it is impossible to return home without a new lease of life. The only thing not on offer? Gourmet dining. Their strictly-regimented meal plan consists predominantly of thimble-sized bone broth and teeny-tiny spelt crackers—and is a key component of the long-standing, medically-proven “Mayr cure.” However, any hunger pangs are quickly offset by the mountain air and lymphatic massage—and the end results are certainly worth it.

Portugal has become a hotbed of wellness activity in recent years, and with the arrival of Six Senses, it has made it onto the spa map. The group’s first European spa is set in a restored farmhouse in the hills of the Douro Valley, a Unesco World Heritage Site, with therapies offering a holistic focus. Integrated wellness checks can measure physiological biomarkers, and the Alchemy Bar workshop teaches how to make natural remedies. Beyond the spa are woods where you will find hiking trails and tree-hung meditation pods, and an added bonus is the wine library that takes full advantage of being in Portugal's wine region. Because who said wellness had to be all about deprivation?

With the most astonishing views of the island, Santorini's beautifully designed Andronis Concept Wellness Resort is the newest sister property to Andronis's other luxury hotels in Oia and Athens, situated just outside the picturesque village of Imerovigli. The spacious, light-filled rooms all have private plunge pools, whilst the main pool is large enough to allow you to get some proper swimming done. Don't miss the complimentary morning yoga sessions on the terrace, and be sure to book a massage at sunset, overlooking the sea. It's also the perfect base for exploring the island, if you can tear yourself away.

A short ride from Nice airport, winding through the olive groves, leads to Château Saint-Martin: the calmer, less flashy sister of Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc. Set in 34 acres of immaculately manicured lawns and with unrivaled views of the coast, treatments here are provided by La Prairie and focus on leaving guests restored, pampered, and rejuvenated. The signature treatment is The Haute Couture Rose Tango Treatment which is as indulgent as it sounds, and provides guests the opportunity to experience it al fresco amongst the plush rose gardens.

The Body Camp, Ibiza, offers holistic retreats in luxurious, Balearic surroundings. Fusing fitness sessions such as trekking and boxing with more mindful activities including life coaching, guided meditation, and yoga, this year you can try the Secret Sixth Sense Inner Power Programme. Run by head coach Rick Parcell, it's a soul-searching exercise to "free people from their inner critic" and teach the power of visualization. Each week-long retreat is bespoke to maximize the effects; the season runs from March to November.

Palace Merano uses Henri Chenot’s Biontology system, an anti-aging and detox plan based on Western, Chinese, and Ayurvedic medicine. Linking the mind, body, and unconscious being, the approach uses blood-oxygenating procedures, nutrition, and hydrotherapy in a package that's tailored to your needs and is as much an education as it is a remedy.

For anyone with a young family, spa breaks might seem an impossible dream. Not so at Borgo Egnazia. Its Trullalleri kids' club boasts activities as diverse as pasta making and puppet shows, in addition to providing somewhere for children to nap while you have a treatment. The Vair Spa is organic and earthy (massages are designed by local healers and use olive oil, lemon, and sage), with bathing rituals that go right back to the days of Roman baths.

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