“Imagine a point where you could quietly balance Austria on the tip of your fingers. This point is where Bad Aussee is located: It lies at the geographical heart of the country!” Fellow travel writer Andreas Susana (Travelwriticus) and I indulge in our thoughts about the beautiful Aussee mountain district. Austrian movies, great poets and writers, Alpine kitsch & traditional folklore: No matter what your individual associations may be, the Aussee county really deserves to be called one of the prettiest spots in the entire country. Fascinating. Green. Mighty. Inspiring. And so romantic … famous Austrian Duke Erzherzog Johann, who almost 200 years ago fell in love with this mountain district, is quoted to have said: “Only here, I can truly be myself, is my soul able to breathe.”
And if today we do not manage to get a breather because of smart phone stress and really short short holiday breaks, then we shall all come here to relax at Hotel Erzherzog Johann. Luckily enough, my travel writer friends Monika & Petar Fuchs (TravelWorldOnline), Andreas Susana (Travelwriticus), Martin Foszczynski (Tripwolf), Angelika Mandler (Wiederunterwegs.com) and I have already been received by charming hotel manager Regina Stocker and her team: Pure & unspoiled like the Aussee district. This is hotel’s philosophy: We smell, feel, see and hear it. Sleeping in the hotel’s bedrooms completely furnished with aromatic stone pine wood. Indulging in a spa treatment at the recently opened Sky Spa. And of course during mealtimes, when we are served exclusively fresh, seasonal produce from the Aussee mountain district. Mh!
Having arrived at Hotel Erzherzog Johann at the heart of Austria, we are treated to a delicious five-course-menu …
Starters are this wonderful Beef Tartare served on seasonal summer salads …
… followed by home-grown Alpine fish from around Bad Aussee, carefully prepared in order to preserve all its flavours by the head chef Christian Spreitz and his team.
Austria is famous for its sweet cuisine, desserts and strudels … Looking at our beautiful dessert at Hotel Erzherzog Johann, I must say I am getting hungry again … you?
Following our beautiful meals, we are taken to the village of Altaussee in order to walk the “Poets Trail”, the so-called “Via Artis”.
Local storytelling expert Eva Hillbrandt (far left, in her Dirndl dress!) is there to fill us in on all the stories and and poems written by famous Austrian writers at the time.
Eva Hillbrandt is a great local storytelling guide and very open to all our questions and suggestions about exploring the Aussee district.
Here, she takes us to meet “the very locals”: Artist & painter Horst Jandl lives in this private home surrounded by paintings and inspiration from the Aussee mountain district. It is fascinating to listen to him and his life stories …
… he takes us into the heart of his studio, which according to Eva he specifically cleaned in order to receive us there!
I do get jealous of his perfect studio overlooking the famous Aussee mountains and serving as inspiration for many of his paintings.
The Aussee country really is a piece of paradise … peace & serenity at this pretty Alpine lake in Altaussee.
Hotel Erzherzog Johann – History, Authenticity & Wellbeing.
We learn to appreciate the many aspects of this exceptional hotel at the heart of Austria based on its links to the historical figure of Duke Johann. His ways, traditions and (quite progressive) beliefs have helped shaped the image of the entire Aussee destination, turning it into a heaven of Austrian pureness and authentic, traditional lifestyle. At the hotel Erzherzog Johann, we are only served fresh, seasonal meals whose quality really stands out. Everywhere around us, real flowers serve as decoration in the hallways and on our tables, the spa area uses traditional “Loden” & felt fabrics for its mural decorations and deck chairs. I can even feel the local flower and plant essences during my facial treatment at the spa … Beautiful. (It is really just the saltwater drink, proclaimed to be very healthy, that I cannot quite gather … is it really that good for you ?? 😉 ).
Be sure to check out the hotel’s so-called Sky Spa, too. Just over a year ago, the feeling of being able to “swim into the surrounding mountain landscape” in the hotel’s infinity pool as well as sweating from inside the panorama sauna looking out over the mountains has been opened up. Wow. I really enjoy my time here, and would recommend anybody to visit. Perhaps I may even settle down here, with my soul able to breathe?
PS: I turn my cell phone off now. Still the greatest antidote to relaxation I guess!
Peace & quiet: The spa of the hotel incorporates many elements rooted in the history of this romantic place in the Austrian mountains.
Right by the entrance to the spa, many cute little details such as the use of local herbs and plants for spa treatments, catch my eye.
The Johann Sky Spa covers an area of more than 1.000 m2 on the fifth floor of the hotel … Just beautiful up here.
This panoramic view high above the chimney tops of Bad Aussee is truly worth seeing ..
… and best enjoyed with your friends, family or partner(s) 🙂
In the evening, our happy travel writing group enjoys a literary event held at the hotel: Cornelius Obonya, who has played “Jedermann” in the famous Salzburg summer theatre, is here for an inspiring reading session of Austrian author Robert Gernhardt.
Afterwards, it is dinner (party) time … Thank you so much for such a beautiful day!
Disclaimer: We have been invited by Hotel Erzherzog Johann to travel to Bad Aussee and experience the hotel’s many cultural and wellbeing offers. All opinions are my own.