I’m suspended in water in the Bavarian Alps, watching mist roll hypnotically across soaring, snow-dusted mountains as a mid-autumn sun rises. Steam radiates off the heated water around me, dissolving where it meets the early morning chill. Otherwise, all is still and I realise that despite the jet lag-induced sleeplessness that brought me here at dawn, I am, for once, perfectly at peace.
This utterly delights me as I’m not a “spa person”. Ironically, neither is the man behind Schloss Elmau, the renowned spa resort I’m in. Dietmar Mueller-Elmau, the sandy-haired 69-year-old who owns the regal property (schloss means castle in German), has made no secret of the fact that spas hold no appeal for him. Restless and endlessly inquisitive, he had no intention of returning to his family’s Bavarian hotel, having made his fortune selling his software company, which created leading hotel management systems Fidelio and Opera. But fate had other plans.
Schloss Elmau was originally built in 1916 by Mueller-Elmau’s grandfather, Dr Johannes Müller, an influential Protestant theologian, philosopher and author who vigorously advocated dissociating from self and desire. Postwar (during which the property was unlawfully seized by the state), the property passed to Müller’s children, under whose aegis hosted some of the world’s greatest performers, including Yehudi Menuhin, Alfred Brendel and Benjamin Britten. This built the hotel’s reputation as a cultural institution, one which Mueller-Elmau upholds to this day. Upon taking over in 1997, he introduced political and philosophical debates, refashioning Schloss Elmau as a “cultural hideaway” where high art could flourish, a process he likens to “putting new wine in old bottles”.
Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av The PEAK Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ?  Logg pÄ
Denne historien er fra March 2023-utgaven av The PEAK Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg pÄ
From Screen to Store
Heini Zachariassen, founder of global wine rating app Vivino on how its first retail store in the world brings data-driven curation to wine lovers.
In the Dining Spotlight
Renowned Dutch chef Sergio Herman, whose name has been associated with the Michelin Guide in the Netherlands and Belgium, is expanding his Asian footprint with his Singapore outpost, Le Pristine in Grand Hyatt Singapore.
All for One
How would you navigate a corner if you were hearing-impaired or enjoy school if you were on the spectrum? These architects posit that inclusive design must be part of mainstream standards to improve overall living environments.
Pods and Swirling Staircases
This quirky and playful home designed by Park Associates is shaped after its owners, a young family with three children.
Stories Behind the Kebava
Sufiyanto A. S., one half of the duo behind the Kebaya.Societe Instagram account, has had enough of seeing Malay identity erased and forgotten.
Good to Go
Driving classic Jaguars on the legendary Goodwood Motor Circuit is all the magic a motorhead needs.
Seasons of the Snake
Japanese architect Tadao Ando once again works his magic for Bvlgari, with the Serpenti Tubogas as an artistic canvas for nature's cyclical transformation.
Phoenix Rising
One gutsy retired pharmaceutical executive rescued two-century-old Swiss watchmaker Bovet, and today, its presence is stronger than ever in Southeast Asia.
Con Amore, Leggiero, Presto!
Chan Weitian injects new insights into Presto Drycleaners, blending operational innovation with time-honoured values.
Preserving Paradise
Gaya Island Resort takes eco-tourism beyond the expected, blending conservation efforts with authentic luxury.