An Apple a DayPasseier Valley, Italy
Hot Five European Saunas
While it may resemble a set from Lord of the Rings, we promise a visit to this little hidey-hole sauna is far more relaxing than a day spent in Hobbiton. Located in Northern Italy’s Passeier Valley, the luxe Applesauna is hidden on a green hill in the expansive apple orchard at farm-turned-three-star Apfelhotel Torgglerhof. Using a Finnish sauna method, stones are heated on a stove and water poured on top to create the warm and steamy atmosphere needed for guests to relax. Timber benches frame concrete walls and floor-to-ceiling windows welcome natural light. Best of all, guests steaming inside are treated to panoramic views of the hotel’s surrounding treetops and the ice-capped mountains of the nearby Sarntal Alps. When the steam has settled, a nearby cottage has been transformed into a rest area where cups of tea and fresh fruit (no doubt an apple or two) are served as body temperatures cool.
apfelhotel.com