An Alpine family retreat with a difference
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From mountain breakfasts and sumptuous spa treatments to biking and hiking expeditions, the Gastein Valley’s first entirely organic resort, Grüner Baum, offers a wide range of wholesome experiences for families who appreciates the good life, writes TDUK editor Gemma Greenwood
It is not every day you can wake up to Alpine valley views, fresh mountain air and tuck into an al fresco organic breakfast before you embark on a hike-and-bike experience, a swim in a thermal spring pool, topped off with a mare’s milk facial in the spa.
And all the while the children are swinging from ropes in the forest, going for nature walks with the kids’ club staff, checking out the petting zoo and if they’re lucky, finishing the day with a ‘Gummy Bear’ bubble bath and a fish finger dinner made from the catch of the day, fished from the resort’s very own pond.
This is just an average day at the far-from-average Hoteldorf Grüner Baum – the Gastein Valley’s first 100% organic resort where good wholesome fun for all the family is top of the agenda.
This unique four-star resort village, located in the heart of Austria’s Salzburg Alps, boasts a truly stunning location in a picturesque valley where rugged mountains meet thick green forests that scream pure Oxygen.
But the property, which has been run by the Blumschein family for more than a century, only took the decision to go organic a few years back.
It was a decision spearheaded by Grüner Baum’s current managers, Maximilian Blumschein and his wife Sigrid, who are the fourth generation of the Blumscheins to operate the family resort.
Recognising the growing global demand for organic and back-to-nature travel experiences, the husband-and-wife duo with extensive hospitality industry experience, embarked on a EU500-000 (£354,000) 18-month makeover of Grüner Baum and while extensive renovations to both the rooms and exterior were underway, they orchestrated the property’s transformation to a fully organic resort.
Hoteldorf Grüner Baum re-opened last year and has since proved that a traditional family-run hotel village with its roots as an 1800s hunting lodge can retain its authentic Austrian charm while running an entirely organic business that appeals to a multi-generational crowd.
For foodies
Grüner Baum’s Chef Endre pulls out all the stops to offer a tasty and wide-ranging menu of taste-the-difference organic options.
The extensive breakfast buffet offers everything you could wish for, from freshly prepared Bircher Muesli to omelettes prepared at the live cooking station. In-season fruit is so sweet you’ll never eat the non-organic version again. This is all washed down with organic juices, tea, coffee and water from the resort’s very own spring, which you can even drink out of the tap in your room – or out of the stream itself should you wish.
When Grüner Baum took the plunge to organic it focused on quality over quantity and scaled back the dinnertime menu from six to four courses, but this compromises nothing. Instead guests start with a delicious salad from the buffet; followed by the choice of two starters, typically soups; then three mains (one meat, one fish and one vegetarian); and a desert of the day. An organic cheeseboard is served upstairs in the bar for guests who would like a post-dinner, locally sourced dairy indulgence.
The emphasis is seasonal dishes using local organic ingredients where possible and Grüner Baum buys only from suppliers whose organic products are guaranteed and certified by Bio Garantie, the Austrian market leader in inspection and certification of organic products.
Since last August, every consumable product in the resort’s kitchen and cellar has been certified as organic by Austria Bio Garantie, from wine, soft drinks, tea, coffee and salt and pepper, to flour, vegetables, chips and ice-cream.
The hotel has also committed to using fish from its very own on-site pond, wine from vintners with certified sustainable agricultural practices and beer made at the local Gußwerk brewery.
There are now more than 120 organic wines from which to choose and the hotel has sourced enough organic spirits to create a unique cocktail menu. Concoctions range from a ‘French Horse’s Neck’, ‘London Mule’ and a ‘Grüner Baum Gimlet’, to a ‘Gentleman’s Delight’, ‘Coconut Kiss’ and even a ‘Sex in the Valley’.
Behind the scenes so to speak and all cleaning products are organic too, while in its quest to become as environmentally friendly as possible, Grüner Baum recently converted to eco-electricity using water and wind power as a renewable energy source.
As attestation of its commitment to enhancing its eco-credentials, the hotel has become a member of ‘BIO HOTELS’ – a pan-European group of more than 50 hotels that all agree to adhere to stringent criteria of energy-efficient construction, organic cuisine and environmentally-sound waste management.
For spa-goers
Like many Alpine resorts, the spa retreat is popular with guests of all ages and since it’s biotransformation, has introduced six treatments that exclusively use certified organic skincare products from a Salzburg-based firm Marías Organic Care. Products from US-brand A Natural Difference and Tyrolean brand Alpienne are also used.
Choose from a menu of facials that use special anti-ageing ingredients, including mare’s milk; eye treatments incorporating lymphatic drainage; body scrubs made from natural salt and oils; and massages where compresses are packed with wild flowers and other natural ingredients. The spa also offers thalassotherapy, hot stone massages and shiatsu, as well as local product-based treatments (hay, apples, goat’s milk and honey) and healing radon baths (radon occurs naturally in the resort’s thermal waters).
Aside from the spa’s unique natural products, what stands out from other facilities is the fully immersive Alpine experience it offers.
Listening to the cows ‘moo’ and the sheep ‘baa’ is as effective at lulling you into a slumber as the massage itself, while in between treatments you can’t beat the mountain and valley views through the window – a far cry from many urban underground spas where even daylight itself is often scarce. This spa gives a sense of place like no other, which contributes to the holistic Alpine resort experience Grüner Baum has sought to achieve.
In-room amenities, from soap to shampoo, are organic too, sourced from FLORALUXE Bio, which only uses natural ingredients.
For kids
Thanks to the naturally radon-infused waters of the Gastein Valley, Grüner Baum has always been popular with older guests who have visited the resort to take advantage of the curative effects of the area’s thermal waters. However, the recent renovations to the 84-room hotel, which comprises five converted hunting lodges strewn across the Blumschein family’s 78-acre private valley, have seen new additions designed to appeal to multi-generational families, while retaining its spa hotel heritage.
The recent work has focused on enhancing the resort’s appeal to families with young children and teenagers and highlights of the makeover include:
- Four segways have been added for excursions into the 1,836km2 UNESCO-listed Hohe Tauern National Park in which the hotel is located (the biggest national park in Austria and Central Europe’s largest nature reserve);
- A playground plus an adventure playground have been added by the outdoor pool;
- The thermal water (28°C) outdoor pool has been upgraded, replete with the ‘Club 1060’ snack bar (offering cold drinks and snacks);
- A park area has been created where outdoor Kneipp treatments are administered in thermal water;
- There are 15 new iPads with their own Lederhosen cases, loaded with apps to help inform guests about local food, wine weather and shopping. They are complimentary for guests and can also be connected to babycam;
- Free Wi-Fi has been extended throughout the entire property;
- There’s now an outdoor giant chessboard, a petting zoo (with mini pigs, goats, rabbits and guinea pigs) and family crazy golf area;
- There’s a new chill-out lounge for teenagers and older children with Nintendo Wii, Sony PlayStation, table football and board games).
There’s also a special kids menu offering traditional favourites, from Spaghetti Bolognese and sausage and mash to chicken or fish and chips, and of course, it’s all made from organic produce. Each night there’s a special kids’ dish available too.
For children aged three and over there’s a Mini Club open six days a week where qualified staff offer age-appropriate programmes. Treats include a visit to the new petting zoo, bike, trike, go-kart and Bobby car rides and in the winter, there’s a ski school. Babysitting services are available for an additional charge.
The spa also caters to children with a pampering menu offering massages, a range of baths and to the delight of little girls of all ages, a Hello Kitty manicure and pedicure. Teenagers can try their first facial to get to grips with their skin type or try an anti-stress massage if they’re suffering from pre-exam nerves or perhaps a touch of the moody adolescents!
For the adventurous
Kids or no kids in tow, Grüner Baum is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts and the summer activity list is extensive. Try:
- Horse and pony riding and horse-and-carriage rides through the national park;
- Rope courses in the hotel’s forests;
- Mountain climbing instruction for beginners for the whole family;
- A mountain breakfast in ‘Fuchs Farm’ (Fox Farm) chalet, led by a member of the Blumschein family;
- Raft-building on the Gastein swimming lake;
- Fishing, campfire and torch-lit hikes;
- Guided mountain biking in the valley;
- Alpine picnics (accompanied by the hotel’s goats if children wish;
- Tandem paragliding, via ferrata and archery can be organised too.
The hotel boasts a big shed packed with bikes suitable for all ages and abilities and a bike ride up the mountain track is a must. You can also take a walk or hike up one of the surrounding mountains to get valley views that beg for a ‘Kodak moment’.
For the famous
Grüner Baum has a long and colourful history. The foundation stone of the original building – a hunting lodge – was laid in 1831 and its use as an inn and restaurant dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The Blumschein family bought the property in 1913 and the hotel has since attracted a wide range of high-profile lodgers.
Famous guests who have stayed at the property over the past 100 years include the Shah of Persia, the Pope and Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria and Princess Margriet of the Netherlands who celebrated her Ruby wedding anniversary at the resort village in 2007. Last but not least, British actor Jude Law took a week’s ski holiday at Grüner Baum in 2008 and if you don’t believe me, check out the photo on the wall of the bar.
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