Review: VIVAMAYR Maria Wörth spa review

Set the scene

There is an almost religious devotion to the Mayr principle, with guests from around the world flocking to VIVAMAYR in Maria Worth, Austria in search of the holy grail of holistic health. There are soul-stirring views of Lake Worthersee, and between medical appointments, guests can swim in the crystal-clear lake, hike in the surrounding forests or share stories by the herbal tea station about how Modern Mayr medicine has helped everything from chronic fatigue to stress and diabetes. Despite an abundance of highly qualified doctors in white lab coats and cutting-edge medical equipment, the atmosphere here is cosy and cosseting. The scenery helps, as does the weekly program of shopping excursions to nearby towns, group-painting classes and guided meditations. But perhaps the most comforting thing is knowing your time at VIVAMAYR will be transformational.

What's the backstory?

The VIVAMAYR philosophy is rooted in the belief that good health starts in the gut. Programmes combine innovative scientific methods with the founding principles of Austrian physician Franz Xaver Mayr, who devoted much of his work to investigating the links between nutrition, digestion and health. Dr Mayr observed his patients during periods of fasting and noticed improvements in digestive function, posture and hormonal regulation, among other things. His revolutionary research looked at the preservation of health, rather than purely the treatment of disease. The ideal of restoring the body to optimal health is ribboned through each guest’s personally devised programme. The minimum recommended stay is a week, though many stay longer and nearly all vow to return.

What’s the wellness concept?

The Mayr Cure is built around four basic principles: rest, cleansing, training and supplementing. It differs from other programmes by seeking to understand individual reactions and intolerances to certain foods through conventional techniques like lab tests as well as less conventional diagnostics like kinesiology testing. The Classic Program forms the basis of every stay – while everyone’s experience is unique, there are common building blocks around which everything is anchored. Days start around 6.30am with either a drink of epsom salts or magnesium citrate for intestinal cleansing, followed by 7.30am group exercise for anyone able to actually leave their room. Meal times are strictly set and all meals are taken in the serene dining room, where phones are discouraged and head chef Emanuela Fischer does extraordinary things with local, seasonal and organic vegetables, lean proteins and the famed “trainer bread” – a spelt or buckwheat bread given to guests twice a day to teach them how to chew properly (30-40 times per mouthful is optimal). Evenings involve a base powder alkaline drink, liver press and lights out by 9pm.

What are the signature treatments?

The team of medical experts at VIVAMAYR are equipped to support all manner of illnesses or chronic health conditions. Via the online platform guests can upload medical results ahead of and after their stay so all doctors involved in their care can have an accurate view of recent results. There’s a new diabetes programme for guests with prediabetes and type 1 and 2 diabetes and a day clinic in London for follow-up care. On the first day, each guest is assigned a doctor they see every week-day for a check-in and abdominal massage (when my stomach gurgles during this, my brilliant doctor, Dr Eva-Maria Fischer, proudly declares that’s the “soundtrack of Mayr”). Throughout my stay we tweak my programme depending on how I am responding and feeling. I have additional sessions with Jurgen Kahlammer, Head of the Sports Department, as I’m fascinated by the impact of exercise on the body, and cathartic emotional detox sessions. Applied kinesiology tests show I’m intolerant to wheat and dairy, so Head Chef Emanuela Fisher and nutritionist Helga Poschinger create a meal plan devoid of those, adding in tinctures and supplements as well as practical guidance for returning home without reaching for the Dairy Milk.

Which therapist should I book?

There’s no star therapist here, they are all exceptional, but “Have you booked your sessions with Mauricio?” is the question I am asked most by fellow guests. Mauricio Keller is a capoeira expert turned yogi, breathwork expert, meditation master and mushroom forager. An hour with him is as good for tight shoulders as it is for weary souls. A three-hour long guided forest walk in the afternoon is part educational as he identifies local mushrooms and explains how best to cook them. It’s part meditative, with lots of deep breathing, and part invigorating.

What makes VIVAMAYR different?

It’s hard not to get seduced by the VIVAMAYR magic. The regime is restrictive but supportive, comprehensive and practical; it all starts to click quickly. By day three, most sugar and caffeine cravings are abating and by day five you’re enjoying unprecedented levels of mental clarity and vowing never to ingest impurities again. But you probably will and that’s okay. The access to innovative technology and scientific methods is in itself incredible, but what I find most valuable about my time at VIVAMAYR is having daily access to my doctor who can explain in simple terms what the findings all mean for me and, crucially, how to factor them into my daily life at home. It is extremely empowering to begin to understand how your body works and how best to support it through different phases of life.

What else do they offer?

There are all manner of therapies available for detoxing, weight loss, restoring mobility, preventing disease, improving resilience, diabetes, post-covid recovery and many other conditions. Guests float between medical appointments, cryotherapy, meditation and breathwork sessions, salt scrubs, massages, facials, nutritional consultations, swimming, saunas and steam rooms. Cooking lessons are fun and the forest walk with Mauricio is a must, as is a bracing swim in the lake.

Where do you stay?

There are 46 rooms and suites of varying categories, as well as apartments and a lake-view villa. Rooms are simple yet supremely comfortable with floor-to-ceiling windows and balconies putting the striking scenery centre stage. The 1000m2 medical area on the 1st floor is a hive of activity during the week with guests moving between medical appointments, personal training and Kneipp therapy. The weekend is a slower pace of life with fewer medical appointments and more time spent languishing in the saunas and steam rooms or gently floating in the pools.

Accessibility

All areas of VIVAMAYR are accessible for those with disabilities or requiring wheelchair access. Additionally, the team can organise specialised nurses or medical assistance for guests if necessary and requested ahead of the visit.

Final word

This is a world-class medical spa worthy of its exceptional reputation.

Healing Holidays (healingholidays.com/condenast; 020 7843 3592) can arrange a 7 night Classic programme from £3,819.00 per person sharing, including transfers, full board accommodation and inclusions of the programme