Tauern Spa Kaprun news update

Location map of Kaprun and Zell am See in the Salzburgerland area of Austria, the spa is located between the two localities, close to the 36 hole Championship golf course.

Spa News Update Kaprun

The Tauern Spa World Kaprun website has recently been launched, the web site is marked as "still under construction" but it does give a good indication of the facilities that this new spa will have to offer.  Details provided on the site indicate that the 80 - 90 million Euro Spa complex is now expected to open in November 2010, a month earlier than originally anticipated.

The business address is given as 

TAUERN SPA WORLD BetriebsgesmbH & Co KG
Tauern Spa Platz 1
5710
Kaprun

With the web link given as   www.tauernspakaprun.com/ 


The Tauern Spa world  brochure can been downloaded by clicking here a German version of the brochure is also available for Tauern Spa world and can be found via this link.

http://www.tauernspakaprun.com/de/resort/index.htm

Spa to be located between Kaprun and Zell am See with views across the valley to the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier.

Index to the drawing as shown on their website is translated from German as follows:-

1) 4* Hotel of the superior standard consisting of 160 rooms and suites, all with private panoramic balcony, lobby with library, hotel bar with live music, restaurant and tavern, splendid terraces, spacious seminar and conference area, playground.

2)   Hotel spa, indoor pool, outdoor pool, glazed, panoramic saunas, steam baths, rest and adventure areas, fireplace lounge.

3) Spa Water World Indoor. Activity pool, relax pool, upland basin with water cascade, a place to rest with  various staged zone mattresses.

4) World of Water outdoor spa. Solo resting pool, activity pool, 25-meter Olympic size pool.

5) Spa Kidstein. Indoor and outdoor pools, kiddie pool, play park, 2 slides, games, creative and multi-media room, outdoor water park and volleyball court.

6) Spa cuisine, market, restaurant, sauna, bistro, summer bar, a café in the foyer.

7) Spa Saunas:- finnish sauna, oven-sauna, herbal sauna, bio sauna, brine to toe, aroma steam bath, spacious relaxation areas, saunas liquor in the garden.

 8) Spa Treatment. 17 rooms for pampering body and facial treatments such as beauty treatments, traditional massage, massage with herbs, wrap packages, and nourishing bath.

9) Spa Sport and fitness:- gym / fitness area with cardio and strength building equipment.

Based on the other spas in the Salzburg area, Tauern Spa World Kaprun promises to be something very special and will be worth visiting, and be an enhancement to any holiday in the area. 

Spa World Kaprun now due to open in November 2010.

Looking for somewhere to stay in the area then please consider Austria holiday apartment   sleeps from 3-9 in comfort and has the benefit of 3 bath / shower rooms.

Susie's Spa Blog Article:- Top 10 Spa Trends for the Past Decade 2000 - 2010

 Wellness and relaxation spas a place to unwind and refresh the spirit.

Susie Ellis has come up with a list of the top 10 spa trends. Here then you can judge for yourself as to  the top 10 spa trends of the past decade, it gives an American perspective but even so, it makes an interesting read:-

Susie's Spa Blog: Top 10 Spa Trends for the Past DECADE

1. Indigenous Treatments

While one would see the use of local ingredients and local customs on occasion at spas decades ago, during the past decade this became an almost unspoken rule. Not only do local ingredients and customs provide a healthy native flavour, they are a special experience that could not be easily replicated. From a lomi lomi massage in Hawaii to the Royal Javanese Lular wedding ritual from Indonesia, indigenous treatments gave spas a sense of place that made each spa-going experience around the world truly unique.

2. Medicine and Spa

In the early 90’s there was very little overlap between medicine and spas. That has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. With more doctors ‘discovering’ that spas add to health and reduce stress through their own experience (perhaps a massage after a round of golf at a medical retreat) the spa world and the medical world began talking. Then when Botox arrived in 2002, a new type of aesthetic/medical spa was born and the spa and medicine connection was solidified. Spas also got their act together, becoming more transparent and down-playing the ‘woo woo’ factor.

3. Organic

This was the big story in spa products for the decade. The popularity of organic and ‘green’ helped several obscure organic lines make it big, and nearly all spa product companies launched their own branded organic lines. The organic trend also helped open the door for a new eco-friendly, environmentally conscious zeitgeist in the spa arena that while it's not yet garnering universal praise, at least has gotten things going in the right direction.

4. Men

While the decade saw a range of new demographics enter the spa arena, from teens to pre-teens to babies and seniors, it was the steady stream of men who began making spa-going part of their lives that has had the greatest impact. While it took some doing to get men to try a spa for the first time, almost universally their first time resulted in a second and third, etc. Men found that there was more to this spa-going thing than just idle pampering – it was, in fact, the quickest way for them to reduce stress (something that there was plenty of in this decade) , help improve their sports performance and a healthy way to move from feeling poorly to feeling great.

5. Wellness

The word wellness was hardly used in the 90’s and did not really appear on the scene until after the millennium. Starting in Europe as a term that combined fitness and well being, it gained momentum because for Europeans the word ‘spa’ had a different connotation (water treatments for sick older people) and the newer spas (ushered in by the swanky Brenner’s Park Hotel and Spa in Baden Baden) were associated with expense and pretension. Thus the word wellness was a good word to describe places that offered fitness, massage, medical testing, and healthy nutrition – the very things that spas are known for.

6. Yin of Luxury, Yang of Discount

While the decade may have ended with more emphasis on the yang of discount, the decade definitely spent quite a bit of time in the yin of luxury. The reality is that with more than 80,000 spas in the world now, there is plenty of yin and plenty of yang to go around. One can find bargain-priced massages and other spa treatments in most countries alongside sky-high-priced options with bejeweled massage oils and exotic over-the-top settings to suit any taste and budget.

7. Spa Comes Home

The influence of spa on the home started at the beginning of the decade as a simple purchase of a candle to use in the bath and perhaps the addition of a loofah sponge. It has blossomed into an entire industry of spa-type products, services, and furniture experienced at home. Taking the trend even further was the birth of ‘spa real estate’ –luxury high-rises and communities with spectacular spas where one could purchase a residence and truly live the spa lifestyle. Spa-ing burst out of the confines of the walls of an establishment labeled 'spa', and the new term ‘spa lifestyle’ described a way of living for those looking for a healthy life.

8. Online Spa

I remember lamenting to my husband at the turn of the millennium that I wished there were more spas that had a website. His answer? Just wait, they will all have one soon. Well of course he was right. Today every spa – and even therapists and practitioners – has its own website and consumers can book spa appointments online, buy spa products, review spas and fully engage in spa-related social networking. And with technology solutions for wellness coaching and medical diagnosis, the entire spa experience is becoming available through the Internet. Only the therapists’ hands haven’t been brought online – yet.

9. Social Spa-ing

While spas put emphasis on the pillars of exercise, nutrition, body and beauty treatments, the social aspect of spa going was not often discussed until recently. Now we know that social spa-ing – just like spa programs for sleep health and brain health – is a recognized contributor to health. From the isolation of a massage therapy room and a whisper-friendly relaxation lounge, has come the idea that mingling and socializing is a healthy thing to do.

10. Gift Certificates, Vouchers, Cards.

And finally we come to a trend that was so gradual that we hardly noticed its importance and never even mentioned it in a top trend list. And yet it has probably had more to do with the explosion of spas and the number of spa-goers around the world than almost any of the other trends – or even all of them combined! That is the emergence and popularity of the spa gift certificate, card and voucher that introduced so many new people to the spa experience. (In fact, research has shown that approximately one third of all spa visits are a result of certificates and vouchers.) The spa gift whose reach was galvanized collectively by every spa which sells them as well as third party universal programs, not only gave people permission to pamper themselves, it also ushered in an attitude that gifting 'spa' was an expression of true thoughtfulness and care. To put it in perspective: while SpaFinder is the largest retailer of spa gift certificates, cards and vouchers in the world, we didn’t make our first certificate sale until 1999. Today over 5,000 spas worldwide are part of our gifting programs and our cards/vouchers are available in virtually every major drug and grocery chain.

Aspen Magazazine with smoking Sage

When Bad is good ? Austrian spas

Bad! Well in English bad means the opposite of good. You normally wouldn’t want to have everything go bad. But in Austria bad means spa. And a spa is a good thing. It sure is a funny thing the translation of one language into another. Bad Gastein is a rather small town in Austria. There are not quite 6,000 people living there in the hills almost 3200 feet above sea level. It is located in the state of Salzburg along the north rim of the national park, Hohe Tauern. There are many Bad Gastein hotels nestled into the steep mountainous slopes.

This town was originally a gold mine and was also along the trade route that crossed the Central Eastern Alps from Italy. Some time in the nineteenth century the natural hot springs brought in the noble visitors and thus a spa town was created. It was all the rage to be spending time soaking with the rich and famous in these green hills. Even the monarchs would come for a dip. The Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary spent time here. The last king of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi as well as Wilhelm I, German Emperor visited.

In the recent past the town has fallen off the spa radar. Since the 1960s it lost it’s luster and notoriety and have left many of the hotels empty. But that is going to change if they can build up the reputation once again. If they bring in the history of the healing tunnel and all who visited over the many years then they should have a good chance. The waters have been studied in pursuit of the secrets of its healing powers since Theophrastus Parcelsus. The discovery of Radon, a believed secret ingredient, was made by Marie Curie and Heinrich Mache. They believed that Radon helped with arthritis but later studies show that there really doesn’t seem to much difference between spa treatments with or without radon.

This article was copied from the from this linking blog,  the Gastein valley is about 30 minutes away from Kaprun and Zell am See by car, taxi or train. There are two fantastic thermal spas in the valley, the first being at Hofgastein and  further up the valley is the spa town of Bad Gastein ( previousely called Badgastein) both are worth a visit. Whether it be after a long strenuous walk, a day skiing, going for a pamper, or something to do on a wet day, you will have a fantastic time.

Decking out Ceremony marks the half way stage

"Tauern Kaprun SPA World"

The construction of the site in Kaprun have so far moved 55,000 cubic meters of excavation (which is about the excavation of 65 single-family homes), 45,000 metres drilled holes, 25,000 cubic meters of concrete used and 120 km cables installed.

The construction of Spa-world-kaprun has so far involved the removal of 55,000 cubic meters of excavation, which is the equivalent of 65 single family homes, 45,000 metres of holes have been drilled, 25,000 cubic meters of concrete laid, and over 120 KM of cables laid.

With the “Decking out Ceremony” it marks the half way stage of the construction process, with the spa due to be completed by December 2010. A 4* luxury hotel is also being constructed adjacent to the wellness and spa complex.

For further photographs on the decking out ceremony see the attached link

Win a Spa holiday!! & 14 things to do in a Spa!

Win a luxury holiday spa holiday for two? click on the link to find out more.

Enter this fabulous winter holiday competition to win a 3 night luxury half-board break for 2 people staying at the sumptuous 4* Gartenhotel Theresia in Saalbach-Hinterglemm valley, just up from Zell am See. The lucky winners will also benefit from a two day ski pass or three spa treatments!

Worth entering? For those who like spa breaks it is also worth coming back to the area from December 2010, when the new 90,000,000 Euro spa complex at Tauern-Spa-World in Kaprun opens its doors. There will be fantastic views of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, while you relax and soak up the luxury facilities.

What are Spas and Spa Holidays all about? ( or 14 things to do at a spa).



Spas, and Spa holidays mean different things to different people, but the wellness concept can include:-

1. Dipping into an indoor pool, exercising and stretching.
   
2. Swimming in an outdoor and taking in the view, and the contrast of the cold and heat.
3. Loosening up with a variety of massage techniques, getting rid of those aches and pains.
4. Enjoying a beauty treatment, a facial, a pedicure, a manicure, a back or face scrub.
5. Letting the body purify itself with a body wrap treatment.
6. Topping up your sun tan in the solarium.
7. Relaxing and snoozing on heated stone beds.
8. Relaxing and unwinding with an aromatherapy treatment in a Sanarium.
9. Warming the muscles in a infra-red heat cabin.
10. The cleansing affect of the steam room, taking in the varied aromas.
11. Relaxing in Cleopatra's bath!!
12. Sweating it out in a Finnish Sauna at different temperatures.
    
13. Find relaxation and wellness in the recovery area, while reading a book.
14. Dipping into a ice cold pool to feel the contrast of heat and coldness.
    

To sum up Austrian spas and wellness allow you the opportunity, to relax, unwind, recuperate, to de stress and look after your self. Not all spas offer all facilities, but as part of the concept going to different spas is all part of the joy of an Austria spa holiday.

Tauern-Spa-World-Kaprun is scheduled to open its doors in December 2010. Worth the wait?

Austrian Media and Internet Coverage Kaprun Spa World.

With the completion date just over a year away, there is the start of media publicity for the new spa, roads have been renamed, street signs have been erected, showing the locality, tourist maps of the area now show the locality of the spa world. From the internet there is publicity surrounding the "topping out" ceremony, the link gives an explanation in German.

Tauern Spa World Kaprun (Pinzgau "topping out" German article)

In the meantime if you are looking to stay in the area? please consider staying in Kaprun at www.austria-holiday-apartment.com from 3-9 guests with the benefit of 3 bedrooms and 3 bath / shower rooms.

Spa World Kaprun update

Progress on the construction of the new Spa-World Kaprun complex continues at a pace as the picture demonstrates, it planned cost comes in at around 85-90 million Euro to build, and promises to be something very special. It nestles in the bottom of the valley close to Zell am See and Kaprun. It is a dazzling setting looking out on the Kitzsteinhorn where its glacier glacier, and mountain restaurant standing at over 3000 metres in height can be clearly seen. The area forms part of the largest nature reserve in the Alps National Park Hohe Tauern.

Adjacent to the site in a gorgeous setting is the golf course of Kaprun and and Zell am See , across the valley watching the the activities in the valley is Kaprun Castle or in German Burg Kaprun It is worth a visit in its own right, and events and activities are held throughout the year.

The Tauern spa world complex is due to be completed ready for Christmas in 2010, and will enhance the facilities offered by Kaprun and Zell am See even more, making it even more of an all year round resort.

To find out more about Zell am See and Kaprun please see our sister blog about Zell am See and Kaprun click on the link. For starters there is an article 30 reasons to visit Zell am See, which gives you some idea on what the area has to offer.

If you are looking for somewhere to sleep please consider for your holiday staying at www.austria-holiday-apartment.com, the apartment consists of 3 bedrooms can sleep 3-9 in luxury and comfort and has the added benefit of 3 bath and shower rooms. The apartment is only a 10 minute level walk from the village centre of Kaprun.

Krimml Waterfalls declared a Health Spa!

A visit to Krimmler Waterfalls stimulates a sustainable, functional, symptomatic and immunological improvement in people who suffer from asthma, this clinical study is based on 1803 findings!

Dr Paul Oberlechner, the then chief medical officer of Zell am See, described the waterfalls as follows:-

"The Krimmler Waterfalls as a remedy for city life and sensibility" 

.... because the spa surpasses all the medication under the sun for nervous debility, caused by city life, sedentary habits, headache, stress, grief, strong coffee, excessive medication or bloodletting, poor diet, insomnia, abstinence of meat dishes, strict diet, pubescent or excessive lust, self abuse and menstruation, where reading novels and sensibility arise. Those who love simplicity will find the health spa a worthwhile experiment – and anyone not familiar with it should visit at the first opportunity. Here you can experience weak and strong forces, the gentle and the powerful, yes, and I would even say, the mild and the radical, which not only serve to alleviate the previously mentioned nervous symptoms, but also act as a source of healing in the case where such debilities are, in part or full, the result of some mechanical cause". (Source: Salzburger Landes¬chronik).


For the full story please see the attached link 


The Krimml waterfalls are still worth visiting,  and claim to be one of the highest waterfalls in Europe.