Hurtling down the slopes is exhilarating and amazing, but after a few days of hitting the pistes, you find yourself physically zonked. If you’re keen to visit the Alps but looking for a trip a little less full on, Le Grand Bellevue, a luxury boutique hotel in Gstaad, Switzerland has designed your perfect package: a 4-day yoga, ski and spa break – the dream deal for those wanting to ski, but also come back feeling relaxed and pampered.
The Yoga, Snow and Spa Retreat runs from the 14-18 March (in association with Formentera Yoga) and is led by Nike Yoga Brand Ambassador and fulltime yogi, Jax May Lysycia. Each morning you’ll start your day with a morning mediation session to stimulate the body and mind, which will be followed by a dynamic yoga class to help with posture and muscle strength. Afterwards, a wholesome and alkalizing ‘yoga-brunch’ will be served to get those energy levels back up, ready for a day on the slopes if you fancy it. But, if you’re seeking something less full on there are plenty of other things to do from exploring the local shops, to kicking back with a book on one of the hotel’s heated waterbeds, to seeing the snowy region on a husky ride!
Back at the hotel, there are plenty of opportunities to kick back and relax. Le Grand Spa is a hub of complete pampering and offers personalised spa programs along with a range of holistic treatments that will leave you cleansed, purified and never wanting to go home! There’s also a Turkish steam bath and a Brine Grotto (with dissolved natural sea salt) that are both perfect for soothing muscles that are tired from the slopes, along with a Finnish outdoor sauna, an rejuvenating ice grotto and a Kneipp indoor pool – great for circulation and for banishing cellulite!
However you’ve chosen to spend your day, you’ll be encouraged to join the breathing workshop in the evening, which will help you release tension, wind down and remove toxins from your body. Afterwards, you’ll sit down to enjoy a much-deserved dinner at the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, Leonard’s — talk about a trip with special treatment!
If this sounds like your kind of trip (it definitely sounds like ours!), the four-night retreat costs CHF 2854 per person and includes accommodation, brunch and dinner, 2 yoga classes a day, a 2-day ski pass and two 3-hour ski lessons, plus unlimited access for Le Grand Spa. Enquire online at: www.bellevue-gstaad.com