A stay at Forsthofalm pairs rooftop spa time, mountain hiking and thoughtful food with a rare ability to make switching off feel easy.
Some hotel stays are relaxing, some are adventurous, and some are memorable for the food, the views or the service. Very few manage to bring all of those things together so naturally.
Holzhotel Forsthofalm, perched at 1,050 metres above Leogang in Austria, just over an hour from Salzburg, somehow does exactly that.
The journey to the hotel is the first sign that this is somewhere different. As the road winds upwards through the mountains, there are countless moments when you simply want to stop and take in the scenery. It’s like a postcard everywhere you look.
Then the hotel appears, a beautiful wooden structure nestled into the landscape. It feels less like you have arrived at a hotel and more like you have arrived somewhere you can properly switch off.
That feeling continues from the moment you walk through the door. Online check-in makes arrival effortless, and we were greeted with a glass of bubbles before being shown around the hotel.
The welcome was warm, personal and incredibly thorough. We were given a tour, shown the daily schedule and introduced to everything from the restaurant and bar to the gym, yoga and activities around the hotel.
Our Hillside Room had the wow factor. It was spacious, spotless and simply breathtaking, with the balcony being a highlight. Sitting outside with the mountains stretching out in front of you is pure tranquillity.
It is the sort of view that makes you forget to check your phone. If you do need to stay connected, it is also a fantastic place to work remotely. With the scenery right outside the window and such a peaceful environment, it would be very easy to combine work with a genuine sense of escape.
Wellness is clearly at the heart of the Forsthofalm experience, but it never feels forced. The Mountain Life programme offers daily yoga, meditation and fitness sessions. We tried Pilates, yoga and breathwork during our stay. Each was fantastic and the instructors were superb.
Clearing your mind, stretching and breathing while surrounded by such beautiful scenery added to the experience, both mentally and physically.
The classes were a brilliant way to start the day or unwind after exploring the mountains, and there was always something different to try depending on how you wanted to feel that day.
Then there is the Sky Spa. Two saunas, relaxation areas, a steam room and a rooftop pool all come with panoramic mountain views. Both the 90 and 60-degree saunas were a particular highlight, but the real joy was simply lying back and watching the mountains.
Each space in the spa has the most breathtaking views. The outdoor rooftop pool was another highlight, with the temperature just right and the mountains providing an incredible backdrop. There are also peaceful relaxation areas where you can simply lie back, switch off and take in the surroundings.
After an active day, it was the perfect place to slow down, and genuinely felt like a place where you could completely disconnect from the outside world.
The word I kept coming back to throughout our stay was balance.
Forsthofalm can be as chilled as you want it to be, but it can also be lively. There is music, DJs and events each week, alongside quiet spaces for reading, board games or a game of pool. You can hike, cycle, take the cable car or simply sit on your balcony and take in nature.
One day, we chose to hike into the mountains, walking through peaceful woodland and eventually reaching over 1,700 metres, with incredible views across the surrounding landscape.
@forfitnesssake Holzhotel Forsthofalm in the Austrian Alps… WOW 🏔️🇦🇹 #forsthofalm #austria #leogang #fyp #travel Full review coming soon for Sustain Health Magazine ✍️ @Forsthofalm HOLZHOTEL ♬ orijinal ses – 𝓂𝓏
The hotel provides clear hiking maps, bike hire, guided options and easy access to the mountain, so there is plenty to explore.
Even better, the cable car is included during your stay, with the hotel providing a ticket that lasts for the duration of your visit. It can be easily added to your phone or digital wallet, making it incredibly simple to use whenever you want to head up or down the mountain. It’s a fantastic addition and makes exploring the surrounding area even easier.
Food is another major strength. Breakfast is packed with fresh produce, with eggs and pancakes cooked to order. The afternoon snack is fresh, varied and beautifully presented.
Dinner is where things really come alive, with multiple choices across meat, fish, vegetarian and vegan dishes, plus a house menu. The sharing-style approach adds to the relaxed atmosphere, while local Austrian beers and wines are a perfect accompaniment.
The hotel’s Essential-Elements-Kitchen focuses on fresh, regional ingredients and sharing-style dining, with plant-based options at its core.
Most importantly, the staff truly made the experience. They were incredibly attentive, friendly and helpful. Each showing a genuine understanding that the little things matter.
From the moment we arrived, the team was present without ever being intrusive, always happy to offer local recommendations or answer questions. Nothing felt like too much trouble, and their heartfelt hospitality made a world of difference to our overall stay.
The surrounding area of the hotel is absolutely stunning. You could easily stay local for your entire trip and enjoy every moment, with the mountain itself offering so much to explore, from hiking and cycling to mountain restaurants, incredible viewpoints and plenty of outdoor activities.
But if you want to adventure out a little further, Zell am See is just a short journey away. This beautiful alpine town, set on the shores of the crystal-clear Lake Zell and surrounded by the Austrian Alps, was genuinely magical. We hired a boat on the lake, walked around the town, the water and enjoyed trying some of the local food along the way.
Spotlessly clean and incredibly scenic, it felt like the perfect place to spend a few hours exploring, before returning to the serenity of Forsthofalm.
Forsthofalm is not simply a hotel with a spa, a restaurant and a mountain view. It is a place that allows you to choose what wellbeing means to you: movement, stillness, great food, fresh air, adventure or simply doing absolutely nothing.
I left feeling rested, recharged and already thinking about when I could return.
If you are looking for a mountain escape where wellness and adventure genuinely sit side by side, Forsthofalm is very easy to recommend.
Coming up at Forsthofalm:
Orange Mountain Days runs from September to November 2026, combining an autumn mountain escape with wellness, food and the Sky Spa.
As the Alps turn shades of amber, gold and crimson, autumn transforms Leogang into one of Austria’s most enchanting wellness destinations.
Perched at 1,050 metres, the sustainable timber hotel Forsthofalm in Austria celebrates the autumn season with its signature Orange Mountain Days, inviting guests to embrace crisp mountain air, colourful hiking and biking trails without the crowds, twice-daily yoga, panoramic spa experiences and farm-to-table cuisine showcasing the best of the autumn harvest, including dishes cooked over Austria’s last remaining hotel charcoal grill.
From rooftop DJ sunsets and cheese fondue evenings to the traditional Kaiserschmarrn cookery and signature orange cocktails, the season combines outdoor adventure, wellbeing and cosy alpine charm, making it the perfect nature escape for couples, wellness lovers and active travellers alike, all without the crowds.
Wine Weeks return in January 2027, bringing Austrian winemakers, tastings and wine-paired dining to the hotel.
Nearest airport: Salzburg
