Bavaria’s Blissful New Escape

Words Vidula KotianDate 17 January 2022

Picture the most idyllic of settings, one perfectly placed at the foot of the Bavarian Alps, with pastures of green stretching infinitely in all directions, a clear cerulean lake reflecting the blue sky, and fresh air to be had in big gulps.

This is Chiemgau, where Das Achental, our latest member hotel in Germany and sister property of Hotel Kitzhof Mountain Design Resort, sits. Housed in a set of traditional buildings, the newly renovated hotel shines a spotlight on local craftsmanship, with aged wood, cozy fireplaces, and loden (wool from the region) framed by modern linear design.

The haunt of the nearby residents of Munich, Chiemsee has long drawn wellness enthusiasts from across the country and far beyond. It comes as no surprise then that Das Achental offers up 2,000 square meters of wellness space with indoor and outdoor pools, an herbal sauna, a stone sauna, a pine stone Finnish sauna, a brine steam bath, and “experience” showers from Dornbracht with alternating jet sprays and cascades. The treatments are underlined by a certified organic line from Dr. Joseph, whose products are made from plants specially collected in an herbarium for the purpose. Nature’s power is harnessed with the latest microtechnology to bring you highly effective therapies. The spacious relaxation room’s floor-to-ceiling windows afford majestic views of the mountains and the verdant garden invites you to linger.

As with the entire resort, the surrounding nature also makes Achantal’s 18-hole golf course an enchanted place—one plays through moorland with a view of the mountain scenery. After time spent on the challenging course, the hotel rewards you with excellent dining at ES:SENZ, helmed by two-Michelin-star chef Edip Sigl who serves you Chiemgau on a plate with all its diversity and quality, including a vegetarian menu. Also under his purview are Weißer Hirsch restaurant and the Hubertushütte, an original mountain hut from the Kitzbühel Alps.