DAS EDELWEISS Salzburg Mountain Resort

Das Edelweiss is a five-star resort in the beautiful region of Austria called “Salzburger Land”. Less than an hour south of Salzburg, the award winning spa hotel is located in Grossarl, a traditional Austrian village in the middle of a beautiful valley surrounded by mountains, picturesque villages and lush green pastures.

A winding mountain road takes you up 3000 feet into the foothills of the mountains to Grossarl in the “Valley of Alpine Pastures“, one of Austria’s most beautiful mountain valleys. Near the Hohe Tauern National Park, the valley is filled with lush green pastures and traditional alpine huts that are part of the hiking experience in Austria

Das Edelweiss Salzburg Mountain Resort is just over 40 miles south from the historic city of Salzburg, Austria. The hotel is conveniently located in the middle of the village, just steps from the valley station of the panoramic gondola lift.

Starting out as a small pension with 14 rooms and a cafe 40 years ago, Das Edelweiss is now a state of the art, third generation family run wellness hotel with 145 rooms and suites to choose from. Today the hotel is managed by Karin and Petter Hettegger and as many as thirteen of the family are actively involved in looking after their guests. While we were there, we had the opportunity to visit with Karin on two occasions.

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Arriving at the hotel by car, we drove into the underground parking garage where our luggage was swiftly unloaded. We were then ushered into the elevator and escorted to the large reception desk located in the beautiful wood and stone Alpine Lounge. We were warmly welcomed, registered and invited to enjoy a glass of rosé sparkling wine and a beer in the stylish lobby area while our room was made ready. We were then given an orientation tour of the entire hotel and shown to our room.

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We had reserved a Junior Suite “Arnika” that was on the 4th floor of the new panorama wing. The modern room was decorated with lots of wood, neutral light colors and Alpine custom wood furnishings. The room had a comfortable seating area, a kingsize bed, open closet area, a beautifully illuminated bathroom with twin sinks, a large rain shower and a separate high tech toilet room. The spacious balcony had a nice sun lounger as well as a small table and two chairs.

As in most wellness hotels of this caliber, a wonderful breakfast buffet, afternoon snack and dinner is included in your room rate. At Das Edelweiss, the first refill of the minibar was also included as well as the use of the spa and an underground parking space. 

The breakfast buffet is designed like a marketplace. There is a juice bar with freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, fruits and vegetables, a bread corner, sausage and cheese section as well as a made to order egg station and more. My favorite were the freshly baked, crisp and flaky pastries, they were outstanding

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At the EDELWEISS Mountain Cuisine restaurant, which consists of several different dining rooms, you start the evening dinner with a salad and appetizer buffet. Afterwards, you have the opportunity to order from three different four-course menus, “regional”, “international”, “vegan” or any combination from the three.

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In addition to the Mountain restaurant, there are various specialty restaurants from fine dining to steak as well as a sushi bar to choose from as an alternative.

If you enjoy wine, you might want to participate in a weekly wine tasting event in the Kork & Gloria, dedicated to fine wines. You can also buy wine and accessories there as well.

The huge Alpinbar in the lounge was great for a before or after dinner cocktail.

The incredible 7000 sq. meter Edelweiss Mountain Spa is one of the nicest my husband and I have encountered in all our years of traveling. It is on five floors and the sixth floor has an infinity pool with a wonderful view of the valley. The spa is divided into an adult’s only section as well as a separate family wellness area.

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‘The Adult’s Only Mountain Spa” has a large panoramic sauna, an aroma steam bath, infra-red cabin, hot tub, an outdoor brine pool and an infinity pool with views of the mountains. There are several relaxation rooms, each of which is more beautiful than the other. We especially enjoyed the whirlpool on the panorama sun terrace with its numerous sun loungers and umbrellas that was perfect for sunbathing after a sauna session.

The “Family Mountain Spa” has an indoor pool with a baby and toddler area, several saunas, an aroma steam bath, infrared cabin and a whirlpool. It has its own relaxation areas, outdoor sports pool and a kids club with games, crafts and numerous play options for children age three and up. The favorite feature has to be the water park with five huge water slides over three floors.

There’s a SPA Bistro on the 3rd floor that is the perfect place for a snack or refressing drink in the afternoon and what is nice is that you don’t have to change from you fluffy bathrobe. You can order waters, juices, wines and beers, soups and sandwiches, sushi, pastas and desserts.

If you can drag yourself away from the spa areas, Das Edelweiss is very convenient for day trips to Salzburg, the Hohe Tauern National Park and is known for its hiking and biking trails that take you through beautiful countryside filled with wild flowers, sheep, mountain goats and cows with their bells ringing. If you need a break while hiking, you can stop at one of the many atmospheric alpine huts in the area, where you can rest and enjoy lunch in the outdoors. Many of the traditional meals they serve, such as alpine cheeses, meats and freshly baked breads are from the hut’s own farm.

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My husband and I are always looking to discover special new hotels and Der Edelweiss Salzburg Mountain Resort was a delight. What we found is a very beautiful and tastefully designed alpine resort with excellent service, comfortable rooms and suites, freshly prepare mountain cuisine and a huge wellness area that is second to none. What is especially nice is that a member of the Hettegger family is always around to make sure guests have a memorable stay, whether you are a young couple wanting a romantic weekend, a family looking for an adventurous holiday or adults seeking the perfect relaxing spa experience.