Picture a cedar sauna at 95°C, 25 naked strangers, rock music at full volume, and a clothed husband-and-wife duo whirling towels to fan hot air across the room. That's Aufguss — an Austrian sauna ritual that blends performance art with wellness, and it's booming. The writer experienced it on day one at Hotel Lürzerhof, a spa resort an hour south of Salzburg in the valley between Radstadt and Obertauern.
The 12-minute 'show' works like this: large ice balls infused with oils — lemon, strawberry, mint — are placed on hot stones. As the steam builds, the performers flick towels to circulate the hot, scented air in time with pounding music. Locals clap and cheer; the British guests, still coyly wrapped in towels, stand out. Spa owner Christina puts it diplomatically: for Austrians, nudity in the sauna is completely normal — Brits just haven't caught up. Between sessions, a plunge in an outdoor pool of cold mountain spring water followed by a hot shower apparently feels marvellous.
The hotel itself has just reopened after a €10 million refurbishment. Rooms grew only from 60 to 68, but the spa expanded to 4,500 square metres, with four outdoor pools (one clothing-optional), two indoor ones, and a 20-metre rooftop infinity pool with mountain views. It's adults-only and full-board: hearty breakfast, light lunch, and a six-course dinner with a daily-changing vegan menu alongside traditional Alpine fare. Guests spend the day in robes and sandals; dinner is smart — expect to clock your naked sauna neighbour studying the wine list an hour later.
Beyond the spa, the Radstadt Tauern mountains deliver 360-degree vistas, marked hiking trails, alpine lakes for the brave, and free paddleboards. In winter, the Obertauern slopes are a 15-minute drive, with a public bus stopping outside every half hour. Yoga and movement classes fill the gaps in between.
There's a genuinely impressive green angle too: owner Harald Habersatter had a 420-metre tunnel dug through the mountain to power the hotel with its own hydroelectric station. It generates ten times the electricity it needs, has run on 100% green power since 2018, and feeds the surplus into the national grid — a blueprint other Austrian hotels are watching.
For travellers, this is a useful intro to a wellness trend spreading across the Alps. If the idea of communal nudity makes you flinch, know that Austria's sauna culture is relaxed, non-judgemental and — once you get over the initial awkwardness — oddly liberating. The writer left converted, gutted only to miss the Highway to Hell-themed Aufguss session held hours after departure. Stays start from €217 per person per night, based on two sharing, full board.
