When the world grows quiet: Why the autumn mist on the Bartholomäberg offers pure relaxation

here are days in late autumn when a gentle stillness descends upon the Bartholomäberg. Thick wreaths of mist drift silently past the windows, enveloping the fir trees in fine droplets and causing the familiar mountain scenery to vanish for a moment into a muted white.

In the past, fog was often regarded as unpleasant. But anyone who has ever experienced the world outside sinking into a gentle haze knows this: fog is not bad weather – it is nature’s most beautiful invitation to finally press the pause button.
Especially up here at an altitude of around 1,100 metres, this mystical atmosphere takes on a quality all of its own.

The healing effects of fog

In everyday life, we are bombarded by countless impressions, colours, screens and sounds. The human brain is constantly busy processing visual stimuli.

When fog rolls in, something fascinating happens:

• Acoustic dampening: Fog absorbs sound. Every step on the soft forest floor sounds more muffled; the world seems as though it’s wrapped in cotton wool. An almost meditative silence descends.
• Visual relief: As the distant horizons fade, your gaze automatically turns to the here and now. There is no longer any urge to fix one’s gaze on this or that distant peak. Nature gently compels us to simplify.
• A sense of security: When the outside world becomes blurred, the inside feels all the more precious. Fog awakens a primal need for warmth, cosiness and retreat.
   

The moment the sun prevails

What makes the Bartholomäberg special: even on days when the mist dances around the house, you can feel the proximity to the light. As the Montafon’s famous ‘sunny balcony’, the slope often lies right on the threshold between the cloud layer and the clear sky.

And then those magical minutes happen: the mist begins to shimmer. A golden ray breaks through the damp grey, feeling its way over the damp treetops, and suddenly the blanket of mist parts for a few moments or hours. The interplay of swirling mists, damp forest floor and warm autumn light bathes the landscape in a scene usually found only in fairy tales.

Nothing is more atmospheric than a stroll along quiet paths when the forest is shrouded in mist, the Swiss stone pines give off an intense fragrance and the autumn sun keeps casting little patches of light onto the mountain.

Warm water, cool air: wellness in mystical autumn

It is precisely this weather that provides the perfect backdrop for our Me(e)hr_blick Spa. After all, saunas and baths are at their most enjoyable when the cold and mist reign outside:

• The steam rising from the outdoor pool: Let yourself glide into the warm water whilst the cool, misty air brushes against your face. As the boundaries between the rising water vapour and the wispy mountain mist blur, you’ll lose all sense of time and space.
• Snuggling up with a view: Sit by the panoramic window in the relaxation rooms with a cup of herbal tea, watch the mist creeping gently along the slopes, and lose yourself in a good book.
• Soothing warmth after a walk in the woods: After a stroll through the crisp, fresh autumn air, a Swiss stone pine bath or a sauna session warms you up twice as intensely.

A plea for quiet days

You don’t always have to chase the perfect postcard sky in autumn. The quiet, mist-shrouded days often offer the deepest relaxation, because they free you from any obligation to be active.

Put on a thick jumper, breathe in the crisp, damp mountain air and let your thoughts drift away like the wispy mist on the hillside. We’ll brew the tea, heat up the saunas and have a cosy spot ready for you in the warmth.

Cover image: Janina Wenzel