I had been planning this trip to Vivamayr Medical Health Resort for months. Situated on the shores of Lake Wörthersee, one of Austria’s most beautiful lakes, the Vivamayr facility is located in Maria Wörth—a picturesque village straight out of a fairytale book.

First Impressions Starting Right from the Airport

As soon as I stepped off the plane and retrieved my luggage, the middle-aged, smartly dressed, and genuinely welcoming official Vivamayr driver greeted me warmly, proving that quality truly lies in the details. Just from this reception, I realized how well cared for I would be throughout my journey, and an instant feeling of happiness and relief washed over me as I settled into the car.

Secondly, what caught my attention was the vastly superior air quality and the radiant clarity of the sky. It hit me like a sudden realization just how much air pollution we are unwittingly exposed to in Istanbul. I knew I had to treasure every moment of breathing this clean air during my one-week stay here. Throughout the drive, endless lush green meadows, enchanting forests, the crystal-clear sky above, and the serene energy of the region deeply nourished my soul.

In less than an hour, we arrived at Vivamayr. Upon entering reception, a young staff member attended exclusively to me, politely answering all my questions and giving me a tour of the resort while my luggage was being sent to my room. Meanwhile, they explained my packed itinerary for the next morning, which included massages, doctor consultations, lab tests, and more for my detox program.

Just before I went up to my room, a lovely woman—clearly a senior manager—approached to ask about my special requirements. She led me into the relaxation lounge near the entrance. As I entered, the sleek, minimally designed faucets mounted on the crisp white wall on the right caught my eye, alongside glasses, steel thermoses, and porcelain teapots. Having never seen such a concept before, I didn't immediately grasp what it was. As I stepped closer, I noticed custom labels beside each tap.

I grabbed one of the small thermoses lined up nearby and filled it with Vegetable Bone Broth. Even before heading up to my room, I already began to feel relaxed.

The moment I entered my room on the 8th floor, I was greeted by a breathtaking lake view. The room, furnished in soft pastel tones with a large, crisp white bed, felt as though the deep blue lake and green forests outside were flowing right into the room. I stepped onto the terrace immediately and began sipping the Vegetable Bone Broth from the Hot Beverage Bar. Ahhh... after such a long journey, this warm broth instantly balanced my digestive system and my mind. I was already feeling so much better, and as an Ayurveda Instructor and Wellbeing Coach, I knew very well that this was no placebo effect.

Deep Silence

Living in a mega-metropolis like Istanbul and leading a highly demanding business life, I felt a fundamental shift in my mind—something I wasn't used to at all—as I sat on my balcony overlooking the lake. While pondering what was affecting me so profoundly, it suddenly dawned on me: it was a deep, profound silence!

Truly, I couldn't remember the last time in my life I had been somewhere this quiet, both in terms of micro and macro location. It was as if not a single sound existed for miles around.

How was I going to adapt to this silence?

After all, I had come here specifically because I needed complete silence; I was going through a challenging period in my life and preferred not to see anyone or engage in even the slightest conversation. I was at a point where I had zero capacity to listen to anyone. Yet, when these very special conditions—which I both desired and desperately needed mentally and spiritually—were realized, I suddenly felt like a fish out of water. I could feel in every cell of my body that this deep silence would begin healing me from my very first hour at Vivamayr.

The Restaurant and Dining Experience

Having caught a very early morning flight from Istanbul, I checked into the resort early. By the time I unpacked my luggage, lunchtime had arrived. Quite hungry, I went down to the dining room. At the restaurant entrance, a very polite head waiter wearing white gloves welcomed me and escorted me to the table where I would take my three daily meals throughout the week. This meant I couldn't just sit anywhere I pleased in the restaurant. In fact, I loved this concept because it reflected a refined sense of discipline.

I had come here to rest and regenerate within a scientific framework. I was familiar with this assigned seating system from the Ayurvedic Detox Hotels I’ve attended for many years. Each room has its own designated table, and on every table rest personalized notes written by the doctor for the kitchen staff—detailing medications, oils, elixirs, and specific dietary instructions to be taken during meals. The Vivamayr Restaurant arranged every guest's table in this exact manner.

The meal started with a beautifully presented pumpkin soup. Both the presentation and its delicious flavor were immensely satisfying. Next came an aesthetically arranged bouquet of steamed vegetables, accompanied by flaxseed oil to drizzle over them, and a small, round, dense flatbread. I realized this special buckwheat flatbread, served instead of traditional bread, was specially crafted in accordance with the philosophy of gut-friendly nutrition to encourage thorough chewing.

The portions were not large, yet the flavor and presentation truly engaged all five senses. While I initially wondered, "Will this be enough to fill me up?", my conscious practice of chewing every single bite mindfully and slowly ensured that I never left the table hungry throughout the entire week—and on some days, I even finished my meal feeling thoroughly satiated.

I checked in on Sunday, and my first appointment with the doctor was scheduled for Monday morning. I spent my entire afternoon sitting by the truly unique lake shore right beside the hotel and exploring the surrounding area. Having nowhere I had to rush to, combined with my digital detox for the day, did me a world of good.

Technically Starting the Detox

After breakfast in the morning, I headed to the medical reception for my initial consultation with Dr. Fischer. Faced with Dr. Fischer’s gentle, compassionate voice and wise demeanor, I felt completely convinced that I could entrust myself entirely to her care. Whatever she recommended for the week, I would gladly follow.

Following a comprehensive consultation, she analyzed my symptoms and needs to craft my one-week program, then sent me to the laboratory on the same floor for mineral and free radical assessments. My subsequent meeting was a dedicated session providing detailed explanations of the customized menu combinations prepared specifically for me for the week. As a professional who has worked in the holistic health sector for 15 years, I greatly admired this approach and decided to listen attentively to every procedure and session, adopting a zero-point mindset as if I knew nothing about the subject.

In the afternoon, there was a Nordic Walking activity led by Karl, one of the hotel's guides. This was an approximately two-hour trekking tour through the lush forests surrounding the village of Maria Wörth. I immediately signed up for the group. As an amateur trekker who has hiked parts of the Lycian Way over many years, this walking program was right up my alley. Moving through the woods surrounding the magnificent lake while inhaling the rich scent of trees, plants, and earth was going to do wonders for everyone in the group.

Before the walk, I stopped by Medical Reception again to collect my weekly schedule. Printed as an elegant booklet, the weekly program featured 5 to 6 different therapy sessions each day. It also specified my daily meal times. Three meals were served at the restaurant daily:

If anyone felt hungry in between, they could grab vegetable bone broth or various herbal teas from the Hot Beverage Bar.

Having been accustomed to eating only two main meals a day for years, I never doubted whether three meals a day might be too much for me. The served portions were smaller than what I normally ate, and I knew that during a healthy detox process, the physiology must be supplied with smart energy so the body can effectively purge toxins. Many so-called detox hotels worldwide make the grave mistake of starving the physiology completely; deprived of the energy necessary to eliminate toxins, the body starts displaying severe symptoms such as intense headaches, extreme fatigue, lack of motivation, or constipation.

The experienced Vivamayr doctors practicing Mayr Medicine understood that detoxification begins in the Enteric Nervous System, and that the body cannot execute an effective detox without first regulating the digestive system. As an Ayurveda Instructor who has personally experienced 7-to-10-day detox processes as a guest at Ayurvedic detox hotels every year for 15 years, I felt immensely relieved upon seeing this approach by the Mayr doctors; I was in a detox center that approached human physiology and the mind-body connection with genuinely accurate knowledge.

Therapies

Throughout the week, I received various therapies from specialized practitioners, including Osteopathy, Abdominal Massages to stimulate and soothe the digestive system, Bach Flower Therapy, Manual Therapy, Shiatsu, Emotional Detox Therapy, Reflexology, IHTT Oxygen Therapy, and Lymphatic Drainage Massages. In between therapies, I spent as much time as possible in the SPA area—enjoying the saunas, steam rooms, the indoor pool with its magnificent view, and the lake-view relaxation lounges. Among these therapies tailored specifically for me by Dr. Fischer, I would like to highlight two in particular that relaxed me deeply and made me feel wonderful.

I must say that the Bach Flower Therapy with Ms. Hildegard was a deeply healing session. I had previously been introduced to Bach Flower Therapy in Turkey through expert pharmacist friends and had relied on these special flower essences during a critical emotional trauma in my life. However, when I arrived at Vivamayr, I was suffering from genuine emotional burnout—going through one of the most psychologically challenging periods of my life.

The kinesiology test analyses Ms. Hildegard performed on different parts of my body using her golden pendulum felt nothing short of miraculous. The precision of her analysis was extraordinary! Based on the pendulum analysis, she selected and synthesized the specific Bach Flower essences that would bring me healing, handing them to me in a small blue bottle.

These special flower essences, which help harmonize imbalances in human energy and mental fields, work through the high-vibrational energy frequencies carried by plants. From the moment I started taking this blend, I began feeling mentally and emotionally much better. Combined with all the therapies I received throughout the week, it rapidly brought my central nervous system back into balance.

I also need to make a special mention of the Shiatsu Therapy. During and after the 50-minute Shiatsu session performed by Mr. Rudy, I felt both physically and emotionally lighter and truly more liberated. Mr. Rudy was a practitioner who truly poured his heart into his profession and possessed exceptional technical mastery. I am so grateful Dr. Fischer added Shiatsu therapy to my program. Upon my next visit to Vivamayr, I intend to ask for this therapy every two days.

As a Wellbeing Coach who has practiced meditation and pranayama breathwork techniques daily for 15 years, I was experiencing firsthand once again how crucial and comforting it is to receive support from fellow Holistic Health Specialists during challenging life phases. I was so glad I came to Vivamayr...

At the End of the One-Week Cure

Thanks to my doctor Dr. Fischer's vast holistic health knowledge, emotional intelligence, and compassionate approach, all the therapies she prescribed, the delicious and health-filled menu combinations served over three daily meals at the restaurant, gentle trekking tours through the forest, and the morning and evening rituals before bed; coming to Vivamayr during this period of extreme stress turned out to be an absolute lifesaver for me.

As a specialist who has regularly visited global detox centers across the world for 15 years and commands the subject both professionally and socially, I cannot describe how relieved I felt—both physically and emotionally—within just one week.

The knowledgeable and courteous professional team, carefully designed facilities, customized daily itineraries, and Vivamayr's macro and especially micro location possess all the attributes to fully support a detox journey. Nestled beside magnificent forests and Lake Wörthersee, the resort encourages complete inward reflection and purification through peace, tranquility, and deep silence.

"Until next time, dear Vivamayr Family!"