Located deep in the Dolomites, at 1,800 metres above sea level, Forestis floats in a sea of towering pines and frosty peaks. It’s the site of a former sanatorium for tuberculosis patients; the spring water, fine weather, clean air and sunshine were thought to work wonders for lung diseases.
Today, the healing powers of the mountains have been harnessed by this chic retreat, including in its spa treatments like the signature “forest tree circle ceremony”, a pagan-esque holistic do-all for the face and body. This involves activating the healing properties of four “healing woods”—mountain pine, spruce, larch and stone pine—from surrounding trees, four healing stones and four tree frequencies, with music mimicking the trees’ acoustics playing throughout your treatment, bringing sound therapy into the mix.
The spa also has seven (yes, seven) saunas, an indoor pool and an outdoor pool with sun loungers that face soothing views of the Dolomites.
Should you want to channel your primal self, the fitness programmes pay homage to ancient Celtic tribes that once roamed the area, with activities ranging from from Wyda, a mind-body exercise often referred to as “the European answer to yoga”, to druid-inspired guided meditation.
Forestis’s sharp, eco-friendly, carbon-neutral design is the work of South Tyrolean architect Armin Sader. The property is also powered entirely by renewable energy, reflecting the resort’s close connection with and utmost respect for the natural world.
Fun fact: it is in these mountains that Roger Moore engages in an epic ski chase in the 1981 Bond film, For Your Eyes Only.
See also: A Food Lover’s Guide to Milan, Italy
