Living a Healthy Fit Life under the Tuscan Sun at Adler Thermae...
What is Adler Thermae?
Built 10 years ago in the small village of Bagno Vignoni in Tuscany, and a 2 hour drive from Pisa or Rome airport and 40 miles south of Siena, Adler Thermae Spa & Relax Resort represents a typical Tuscan Villa, soft cream interior to rich green cypress trees with the real feature being their healing thermal springs. The luxury spa and wellness centre is beautiful with splendid views of the Tuscan countryside. Adler Thermae offers a range of wellness programmes from detox, Ayurveda, weight balance to yoga, fitness, anti-ageing and anti-stress.
Living a Healthy Fit Life under the Tuscan Sun at Adler Thermae...
Built 10 years ago in the small village of Bagno Vignoni in Tuscany, and a 2 hour drive from Pisa or Rome airport and 40 miles south of Siena, Adler Thermae Spa & Relax Resort represents a typical Tuscan Villa, soft cream interior to rich green cypress trees with the real feature being their healing thermal springs. The luxury spa and wellness centre is beautiful with splendid views of the Tuscan countryside. Adler Thermae offers a range of wellness programmes from detox, Ayurveda, weight balance to yoga, fitness, anti-ageing and anti-stress.
A modern luxurious resort with 90 rooms, that looks authentically like a true Tuscan home, so you feel like you’re entering an older property with charm and character. The hotel boasts panoramic views of the d’Orcia valley to be enjoyed from your private room terrace or one of the thermal heated pools. I have to credit their architects, two brothers from Austria and Italy called Hanspeter and Hugo Demetz for creating something visually astounding, a place that will always stay in my memory.
Paul at breakfast with a view (left) The outdoor gym (right)
Entering an elevated driveway with cypress trees and then under a tunnel to come into the courtyard entrance, and be greeted by the helpful and friendly concierge staff. The moment you enter reception, there is a real calming and relaxed atmosphere which is not always easy to find in many hotels; very few in the world capture my attention immediately on arrival as much as Adler Thermae did.
I enjoyed yoga most mornings (daily classes at 8am) with teachers Tushar and Babu. Try the yoga in Thermal water as it’s so invigorating and therapeutic. The Adler Sports & Fitness Programme has a range of classes and activities from Nordic walking to Hydro Bike, TRX Basic & Advanced, Pilates, Stretching, Abdominal and Posture gym. I also tried a new workout called Staby (worth trying); an exercise class to strengthen the upper body muscles, through a special staby bar.
If you choose the Fusion Fitness programme, you can enjoy a tailor-made option with personal coaching such as fat burning, private yoga, golf training, Posture & dynamic gymnastics, Pilates Reformer and general fitness training, along with spa treatments; perfect for those wanting a fitness holiday.
The included Adler guided tour excursions for biking and walking were a highlight; the summer programme features 5 different walking tours and 4 mountain biking tours per week (varying in intensity from 22km to 50km), with an opportunity to discover the surrounding areas so don’t forget your camera. I was also impressed by the mountain bikes which were great and all the excursions offer an opportunity to keep fit whilst experiencing beautiful scenery and culture. If you like running, try the 13.5km jogging trial and there’s also an outdoor sport playground for soccer, volleyball, basketball and badminton.
Paul doing the Staby Workout
The resort’s main attraction is the thermal pools (you can’t miss them), with various private gardens and relaxation areas over two floors with waterbeds to recline. Home to various different natural heated pools with varying degrees of temperature and strength of jets, with salt-based healing mineral waters (some with strong jet pools).
The main pool which connects to the rapids is where you can take part in daily underwater Hydro Bikes; a fun alternative workout that puts less pressure on the muscles. The Wild River channel is where strongly flowing water creates the feeling of a flowing river (I loved it). Try the underground salt cave in which your body floats to the sound of running water – this was so relaxing. All the other cabins are fantastic with an authentic olive-tree wood Finnish sauna on the lake, along with salt and herbal steam rooms and a Turkish steam bath in the outside grotto. After an afternoon in all the various pools and cabins, I felt noticeably re-energised and so relaxed.
The luxury spa has 21 treatment rooms with a range of specialised treatments for men and women. The therapists are very knowledgeable and I was impressed by the quality of treatments I had. My medical consultation with Dr. Michele Bianchini was comprehensive with a full diagnostic of my entire body following a report to take away. With useful guidance (including taking mineral salts for producing too much stomach acid), I left with good intentions and armed with information.
The Ayurveda Centre is impressive with a selection of therapies to suit your body type and the Thalasso and Aqua Wellness treatments are superb (try Watsu or the Grotta Salina). Having experienced some neck and shoulder discomfort I had a massage with their physiotherapist who was fantastic in locating the area of pain to relieve it. I was left looking radiant after my deep cleansing steam facial with extraction – there is a good selection of various facial treatments tailored to suit your skin type; making this a perfect destination for a luxury spa holiday.
The fitness center and exercise studio are well equipped with beautiful views; don’t miss a workout in the outside gym area with treadmills and stationary bikes and a view of the Tuscan hills (yes it’s strange to be on a treadmill outdoors but you get used to it).
The food is amazing with light and enjoyable cuisine to suit your well-being. I particularly loved some of the Tuscany specialities which changed daily (try the veal ragout and pan fried sole). As well as menu options, dinner can start with an invitation to visit the buffet with a wide range of fresh salads, different cheeses and delicious desserts. They also cater to lactose gluten and wheat-free diets and any other requirements. For breakfast don’t miss the daily juicing with fresh fruit and vegetables, I normally started at the egg station where one of the chefs cooked me a delicious omelette, followed by the yogurt and fruit bar and a freshly squeezed orange juice. For those with a sweet tooth, visit the crepe station.
For the extra health-conscious guests undertaking a detox holiday or weight-loss programme, stay on the Adler Balance health menu consisting of low-calorie, vitality and diet meals. The restaurant has a lovely relaxed atmosphere with good service and an open retractable rooftop to emulate a typical Tuscan Piazza (take your sunglasses in the morning).
Healthy breakfast options at Adler Thermae
The service is impeccable and the staff are so approachable, nothing was ever too much trouble and they anticipated your needs without being over bearing. I was always made to feel so welcome and I salute all the staff at Adler Thermae for making my stay so wonderful.
The scenery is simply beautiful with views of cypress trees and picturesque rolling hills, built into a hillside within the San Quirico d'Orcia region of Tuscany, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site thanks to the striking landscape, inspiring relaxation and restoration.
They have their own wine cellar and the wines are outstanding.
The guided walks and mountain biking are memorable.
Spend a few afternoons or early mornings in the thermal pools and cabins.
The jogging trail and outside gym will keep you fit.
If you have time, discover Pienza; it remains a blueprint for Renaissance Italian towns and is picture-book pretty with its colourful cathedral, fountain and shadowy back streets. Siena, the capital of Tuscany is also worth visiting for its rich culture; a fourteenth-century city in a beautiful setting. Both places are a fair walk from Adler Thermae, so hire a car from reception or order a taxi.
Whether you fly into Rome or Pisa, you may want to consider an Italy Discover Recover holiday so you can stop off to discover one of these vibrant cities first for a couple of days before you recover at Adler Thermae. Finally don’t forget to visit Bagno Vignoni local village, only a 5 minute walk from the resort with a handful of restaurants, small shops and some nature historic ruins to explore.
08:00 Yoga
09:00 Breakfast
09:30 Nordic Walking or Mountain Biking
12:30: Thermal Pools and cabins to relax
13:30: Lunch
14:30: Spa treatment
16:00 Hydro Bike or Pilates
17:00 Stretching
18:00 Gym, Swim or relax
20:00 Dinner
If you want a healthy hideaway in the beautiful Tuscan countryside which is laid back and unpretentious, then Adler Thermae Spa Resort is a wellness holiday which will go beyond your expectations. I ended my stay happy and healthy, and not wanting to leave.
For more information visit Adler Thermae Spa & Relax Resort
Talk to one of our Travel Specialists on 0203 397 8891 or contact us here to discuss tailor-making your perfect wellness holiday.
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