Nineteenth-century European aristocrats knew a thing or two about vacationing for the sake of one’s health. They weren’t weekend warriors squeezing deep tissue massages in between road bike races and power lunches. They took entire months off to seek whichever “cure” they were predilected towards. (Does Baden-Baden sound familiar?) But even today’s wealthy have found themselves sick with busy-syndrome, with fewer people capable of amassing the ultimate currency: time. So, for a modern destination that offers an all-in-one approach to health and well-being, from fitness, diet, spa, sport, and the kind of natural beauty that soothes existential angst, look to Lech in Austria’s western Alpine region of Voralberg.
While far from overcrowded, the beautiful valley of Lech holds numerous resorts from which to choose. One in particular, the 5-star Burg Vital, stands out. Why? Because the multi-generational Lucian family, helmed by wife-and-husband team Hannelore and Thomas, boast one thing others can’t: longtime collaboration with Austria’s most creative whole-foods focused chef.
Whether staying at Burg Vital for its outdoor sports offerings – world-class skiing, biking, and hiking – or its expansive spa facilities and treatments, the complementary dining program is unparalleled. Not only does Thorsten Probost, decades-long veteran behind the hotel’s kitchen and Michelin 2-star Griggeler Stuba, personally tailor meals to fit health and lifestyle needs, he has sourced and foraged for hyper-local foods long before the advent of “new Nordic” cuisine.
During a visit last summer, I joined Probost on one of his two-hour foraging hikes. Practically from the hotel’s front door, we traversed undulating hills and storybook meadows to hunt herbs and mushrooms. While I munched on edible weeds that tasted of carrots and chocolate, Probost explained his methodology. Every day during the short summer he reserved time for his collection circuit. What he found, he used in medicinal teas, oils, and recipes. Radical seasonality, he said, defined his ethos. These meditative working strolls, of course, helped fuel his creativity and lent calm during chaotic moments in the kitchen.
That night I dined in the hotel’s heavily-awarded alpine restaurant Griggeler Stuba. Probost accompanied each plate, explaining which flavors in the dish came from the basket we’d carried back that afternoon. From a flower that mimicked the spice of black pepper to the “chocolate” herb I’d sampled earlier, Probost created complex layers of flavor with local mountain-top edibles. It was food that deserved good regional wine. Fortunately, Burg Vital had the inventory. Young and mature selections representative of the family’s deep love of Austrian and European producers, were offered at competitive prices; doubly so for a 5-star resort.
While I wasn’t on a diet during my stay, I’d probably try one on my return. Although, diet wasn’t a word Probost used. “People come here to be taken care of. I’m able to cook for them on a high level without them feeling like they are dieting or restricted.”
When booking a stay at Burg Vital, guests have the option to select a half board (breakfast and dinner) or full board (B, L, and D). Lech has a slew of charming huts and local restaurants to try, especially when out skiing or hiking. For those with serious health goals, however, choosing full board allows for full customization. “We’ve had guests with cancer, allergies, and others coming to recover from illness. Why? Because therapy is 80 percent nutrition” said Probost. While neither chef nor the Lucian family claim to cure disease, they believe firmly in the power of food to heal.
Probost didn’t formally study food as medicine. He didn’t need to, he said, because he “learned through doing.” Starting in 2002, grandmother and then matriarch Helga Lucian, and a community of elder women, started inviting Probost on valley walks to teach him the uses for nearby flora and fauna. He joked about being the only man in a club of ladies, but he took seriously the knowledge they relayed. The tea recipes used across the hotel’s dining venues came from Helga. That initial realization — of how much of what we need can be found in the bio-diversity around us — set off his process of discovery that continues today.
Of course, Probost believes many modern ills derive from the food we eat in the first place. He recounted myriad guests, suffering gluten or lactose intolerance back home, whose allergies dwindled or disappeared at Burg Vital. He linked that result to the quality of products served at the hotel. All breads and pasta come from ancient grains that have evaded mass industrialization. Local cows who spend summers grazing nearby fields provide unpasteurized raw milk and dairy. And the bulk of remaining ingredients are sourced from low-impact traditional farms and artisans.
At night, guests not splurging in the Griggeler Stuba, can sample a spread of local foods in the main dining room as cold appetizers, cheeses, butters, and fresh-baked breads. The all-inclusive menu served as a sit-down affair, allows diners to try multiple dishes. New menus are distributed each night. The first page lists a half-dozen vegetarian plates; the second page details local meats; and a third page accommodates those who demand out-of-season, from another region cuts of protein. Those patrons will pay for eating outside the house philosophy, of course, with a significant surcharge added. During both breakfast and dinner, I appreciated how the composition and plating of dishes were as careful and beautiful as those in the Michelin-star dining room.
Since my visit, the Lucian family has added 14 new guest rooms for a total of 69 rooms, suites, and apartments, all decorated in classic Austrian wools, plaids and wood. A new restaurant, “Wirtshaus,” serving traditional Alpine food, has just opened, and Griggeler Stuba has been renovated with a wood-fired showcase kitchen and an even greater emphasis on regional provenance. An outdoor bar with a chef’s table, where guests can order lunch al fresco from a daily grill menu of dry aged cuts of meats and a selection of regional sausages, has just been installed. The Lucian’s wine-knowledgeable son Maximilian and his fiancée, New York sommelier Lauren Brooke, have also joined the team, bringing a touch of metropolitan charisma to the mountain setting. Together they’ve helped debut a new wine cellar replete with 3000 selections.
While winter is high season, I recommend visiting as I did during the summer. Take one of the complimentary guided hikes offered each morning. Relax post-outing in the outdoor heated pool. Study the breathtaking views of the Alps. Conclude each afternoon with a turn through the extensive wet and dry spa facilities, followed by a soothing deep tissue massage. Dine on the patio under the twinkling stars. And don’t worry if you can’t spend a few months at Burg Vital like an upper class Victorian — a week will do wonders.
When she’s not in a vineyard or the ocean, Lauren Mowery covers drinks, food & adventure/luxury travel. Follow her around the world on Instagram and Twitter.
