“It looks like a train set,” I say to my friend as we gaze at the hills across the valley below. Looming above the dainty village of Grossarl, Austria, these slopes don’t just call to mind the ones Julie Andrews sings on in The Sound of Music — they are part of the same region, just an hour outside Salzburg where the classic film was set.
After a week of summer rain, the hills glow an electric green so vivid it almost seems unreal, like a child’s paintbox turned up a notch. From our vantage point the ground looks velvety and smooth, more like felt than grass. Trees, nearly identical in shape and height, form tidy rows across the landscape. If model train sets were inspired by any real place, these gentle, ordered hills would be a strong contender.
Children are present in the valley, but I rarely see or hear them from up here. We are lounging on a submerged bubble bed in the adults-only pool of the rooftop hydrotherapy area at Das Edelweiss Salzburg Mountain Resort. Below us, five floors of spa facilities unfold: an adults-only sauna area with seven distinct saunas, including Finnish and bio saunas, infrared chambers, steam baths and a panorama sauna that overlooks the village. Outside, a cold plunge, hot tub and a sundeck offer more places to relax with enviable views. Over the next few days I return to this retreat time and again — between meals, after hikes and bike rides through the hills, and before a massage — a small oasis within an already idyllic panorama.
© Das Edelweiss
It would be tempting to come here with the single aim of doing nothing for days — and some guests do just that — but Grossarl usually draws an active crowd. In winter it’s a ski town; in warmer months it offers countless trails for hikers and bikers. Visiting in late summer, we pick up e-bikes from a hut in front of the resort and set out on a trail billed as moderate and scenic. Reality proves steeper: an hour of uphill pedaling and a fair share of grit bring us to a summit that suddenly feels solid and earned. By the time we roll back into Edelweiss, a massage sounds perfect.
I choose a lomi lomi nui treatment, where the therapist uses gentle pressure and extended stretches along with generous amounts of scented oil. I’ve had lomi lomi before in places like Tahiti and Hawai‘i, but never so indulgent. Afterward I’m not ready to rejoin the world, so I slip into a sprawling relaxation room with plush loungers and daybeds piled high with pillows. Low, soothing lighting deepens the sense of calm and I drift into a nap.
At meals I notice many families and wonder how I’ve remained in such quiet, even when I’m not using adults-only spaces. Curious, I explore a network of corridors and elevators and soon find an indoor pool reflected in a dark glass ceiling, creating a disorienting, suspended effect. Hanging nest chairs sway gently above; only a few children splash in the water. A little further on, I discover the resort’s multistory indoor waterslide park. It’s impressive — popular but orderly, with cheering and excitement rather than chaos. There’s no age limit on the slides, which only adds to the fun.
© Das Edelweiss
Exploring further, I find dedicated spaces for younger guests: a teen zone with virtual reality setups and an interactive iWall; a pre-teen area with a bouldering wall, trampoline-plus-digital sports screen and a suspension bridge; a children’s zone featuring PlayStations and a kids’ cinema; and a baby-and-toddler area decorated in gentle spa tones rather than loud primary colors. Each zone is thoughtfully designed and well equipped, showing the resort’s commitment to guests of every age. The result is a premium experience whether you travel as a couple, with friends, or with family.
DAS EDELWEISS SALZBURG MOUNTAIN RESORT
Unterbergstraße 65 5611 Grossarl, Austria
tel 43 6414 3000