PureandCure review: Claudia's visit to Austria

Ayurveda Resort Mandira — Bad Waltersdorf, Styria

The road to Mandira is lined with large, busy thermal spa hotels. Mandira is deliberately the opposite: sixty rooms, quiet, with an Asian aesthetic and a clear focus on combining ayurveda with the therapeutic thermal water of the region. I stay in a standard room on the ground floor, with a terrace leading out to a lawn. I can hear birds. Nothing of the hotels nearby reaches me here.

The first day the sun is out, 23 degrees, and I explore the area. Styria's thermal region is wine country: Mandira sits surrounded by vineyards and orchards, with walking routes in every length. Good to know if you'd like to get outside alongside your programme. In the evening I head to the spa, an Asian-styled complex of 1,760 m2. Worth noting: swimwear is not permitted in the sauna area. Three pools are filled with medicinal thermal water from the resort's own source. Bathing in this soft water is gentle on the joints and has a detoxifying effect, which ties in well with an ayurveda cure.

The second day it rains all day. Fourteen degrees, grey, proper stay-indoors weather. As it turned out, ideal. In the morning, a consultation with the ayurvedic doctor, a physician from India. He asks about my symptoms and goals, examines my pulse and tongue, and determines my dosha type. I mention migraines. He prescribes two treatments: nasya karma, a nasal treatment in which saline water is drawn through the nose, and shirodhara, in which warm oil is poured slowly across the forehead. The treatments are spread throughout the day rather than grouped into a single block. This gives the stay a quieter rhythm than a programme in India, and works well for a shorter cure in Europe.

Ayurvedic meals are prepared to order based on the consultation, using seasonal produce from the region. Fully vegetarian ayurvedic eating is available across four levels, tailored to your programme and preferences. In the evenings there's also a salad buffet and a cheese counter for guests not following a strict ayurvedic diet. As a cheese enthusiast, I'm not complaining, even if it doesn't strictly belong. It's practical too: if you're travelling with someone who doesn't want a treatment programme, they can eat from the full-board menu without any issue.

What makes Mandira special?

What sets Mandira apart from other ayurveda hotels in Europe is the combination of ayurveda and thermal bathing under one roof. Treatments during the day, floating in the thermal pools in the evening. It doesn't feel like a programme you're working through, but like a day that finds its own pace.

Practical:

• Nearest airport: Graz (GRZ) or Vienna (VIE)
• Transfer time from the airport: Graz - 40 minutes or Vienna - 80 minutes
• Travel time from Utrecht: around 13 hours
• Suitable for solo travellers, couples and friends
• Recommended stay: five to seven nights for a full ayurveda cure
  

Mount Med Resort — Wildschönau

Driving through a valley with snow-capped peaks in the distance, I arrive in Wildschönau. A small Tyrolean village in the Kitzbühel Alps. Mount Med Resort opened here eighteen months ago as an adults-only five-star resort offering medically grounded programmes, a team of doctors and specialists, and a comprehensive diagnostic offering. A completely different proposition to Mandira, and a different price point to match.

On arrival, a welcome cocktail is waiting: alcohol-free, sugar-free, and surprisingly good. I stay in a Junior Suite Mountain Peak, in one of the ten buildings that make up the resort. Tastefully decorated, Austrian in character without feeling heavy. The paths between buildings become familiar quickly. By the end of the first day, I know the route from my room to the spa, the restaurant, and the medical wing.

The programme is called MyLife Method and food is central to it. Two levels: without carbohydrates (850 to 1,100 kcal per day) or with (1,300 to 1,400 kcal). Full board includes three balanced meals a day plus two protein-rich snacks. Most dishes feature meat or fish; vegetarian is available on request. You won't go hungry. I join for dinner straight away: a starter, broth and I choose the halibut. After that, the spa, which is open until 10 pm. At 3,500 m2, it has an indoor and outdoor pool, an extensive sauna area, steam rooms, Kneipp baths, an ice cabin and panoramic rest areas with open fireplaces. Swimwear is not permitted in the sauna area here either. The therapeutic mattresses are part of the programme, designed to help the body recover during sleep. That sounds promising and the following morning I already notice the difference.

The second day begins with a body wake-up session: gentle movement to ease the body into the day. Then breakfast. A small, wooden box arrives: trout fillet, a green juice, a muffin and cucumber. Plus an egg dish of your choice. My heart lifts when I spot poached eggs with smoked salmon on the menu. After breakfast, I get a tour of the medical spa. Every door opens onto a different piece of equipment: lymphatic drainage machines, vibration plates, body scanners and a full MRI machine. A breathing mask is used to determine biological age, supplemented by blood and urine tests. All of it preventive, or available when something has already developed. The level of diagnostics surprises me. This goes well beyond what a typical wellness resort offers.

The treatments that day: a facial with lymphatic drainage that produces visible results in my cheeks almost immediately; a powerwave session on a vibrating chair to the sound of the sea, during which I briefly drift off; a relaxing session with color therapy; and a signature massage with Harald, a German therapist. I mention head and neck pain. "Nicht die Rücken?" he asks. No, not the back. He looks mildly unconvinced. A few minutes in: "Nicht slecht." I finish the day with smovey, an Austrian movement method in which you train coordination and muscle sensitivity using tubes containing a rolling ball. After forty minutes of what feels like gentle exercise, I'm surprisingly tired.

What makes Mount Med special?

After a few days, I feel the shift: more energy, better sleep, a clearer head. Mount Med is designed for people who want to work seriously on their health, with or without existing conditions. The quality of the diagnostics, the treatments and the accommodation sit a level above most wellness resorts. That comes with a price tag, and that's as it should be.

Practical

• Nearest airports: Innsbruck (INN) or Salzburg (SZG)
• Transfer time from the airport: Innsbruck - 75 minutes or Salzburg - 120 minutes
• By car from Utrecht: about 9 hours
• Adults only. Suitable for solo travellers and couples. 
• Recommended stay: at least four nights; the longer the stay, the greater the benefit.
  

Conclusion

Two hotels, two entirely different approaches. Mandira for those who want ayurveda in Europe, guided by a doctor who knows the practice, with thermal bathing as a welcome addition. Mount Med for those seeking medical precision at five-star level. In both cases, the same applies: you don't come for the setting alone. You come because you want to do something about it.

About Claudia

This blog is written by Claudia, who has been with PureandCure since 2018 and now works as Marketing & Product Manager. With an international background and strong attention to detail, she is a valuable part of our team. Claudia regularly visits Puurenkuur destinations—health resorts, spas and retreats—and shares her experiences in these blogs.