Spas are all the rage in the United States and by now most of us seem to be familiar with terms like “watsu” and “glycolic facial.” But Europeans will tell you that spas aren’t just about a shinier, prettier you: Originally, they were designed for your health. After the Swiss Parliament decided in 2004 to allow same-sex couples to register their partnerships, and after Swiss voters approved civil unions last June (the first national vote on a gay issue anywhere in the world), gays and lesbians abroad began looking to Europe’s famously neutral country for more than just chocolate. If you’re seeking an authentic spa experience, try a wellness tour of southeastern Switzerland, a region of unparalleled natural beauty, outdoor activities and ancient healing mineral waters that together offer even the most shiatsu-weary among us a holistic travel experience that restores body and mind.

Get Serious in Davos
Switzerland is a small country, and you can cover a lot of ground without ever hopping on another plane once you land here. After flying into Zurich and boarding a rail shuttle to the train station, I pick up my Swiss Pass and within two and a half hours arrive in Davos, in southeast Switzerland.

C-SPAN junkies know Davos as the home of the World Economic Forum, the independent international forum that since 1971 has brought global leaders together to address social and economic issues. Davos has also been one of Europe’s premiere wellness destinations since 1853, when a country doctor recognized the health benefits of a high-altitude climate and established the Kuranstalt Spengler-Holsboer Health Clinic, which went on to spawn numerous hotels, guesthouses, sanatoriums and villas.

At the turn of the 19th century, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the creator of Sherlock Holmes) moved to Davos with his wife, who was dying of tuberculosis. Doyle, an outdoor enthusiast, ordered some skis from Norway, hit the slopes and helped christen Switzerland a skiing haven. After Europe’s first T-bar ski lift was opened here in 1934, Davos became a major winter sports destination: The Davos-Klosters area boasts five extensive winter sports areas; 50 mountain transport systems offer access to 310 kilometers of pistes; and Davos itself features Europe’s largest natural ice rink (more than 18,000 square meters). In warmer weather, 700 kilometers of hiking paths and mountain trails offer unparalleled Alpine views and flora for bicyclists and hikers, and the spectacular Swiss Alpine Marathon (which, with its 75-degree angles, is not recommended unless you’ve had some experience running at high altitudes — but the beer breaks are worth the risk).

Davos’ 700-year-old ArabellaSheraton Hotel Seehof [ http://www.ara bellasheraton.com ], situated on Davos’ most famous street, the Promenade, offers the biggest wellness center in town, with a solarium, numerous massage rooms, ayurvedic and beauty treatments, and the Turkish Rasul treatment, which incorporates a nourishing mud bath, light therapy, steam detoxification and a gentle finishing shower that gives new meaning to the word “peel.” The Seehof is also famous for offering a Cleopatra milk bath, a hayseed bath and thalasso therapy.

Three hundred meters above Davos on a sunny terrace at the tree line sits the Hotel Schatzalp Davos, an art-nouveau property reachable only via a four-minute ride on its own private funicular from the center of Davos Platz. Originally a sanatorium, the Schatzalp has converted its many rooms into charming hotel suites, many with original fixtures. The Schatzalp’s legendary Winter Party features 40 bands, and a spectacular botanical garden with 2,000 different species of Alpine plants, many of them medicinal, adjoins the hotel.
There would be no point detoxing at some of the world’s most beautiful (and rigorously clean) spas if you didn’t first indulge, so a tour of the Monsteiner Bier headquarters [ http://www.biervision-monstein.ch ] — a brewery south of Davos’ center — is a must. I’m more of a wine lover myself, but even I was charmed by Monsteiner Beir’s Andrew Aegerter, who proselytizes on the health benefits of Swiss hops and points out, “You don’t come to Davos for a burger and a Heineken.” Monsteiner permafrost makes for exceedingly clear water, and the sweet, full-bodied beer made me wish I could stay in the tiny brewing house’s cellar, snacking on beer cheese and hops bread forever. Several different beer tours are available; true aficionados should sign up for a six-hour brewer’s seminar, in which you actually lend a hand in making some brew.

Find Your Soul in Scuol
The lower Engadine Valley town of Scuol is possibly one of the most remote spots in Switzerland — at least, it feels that way to an American. Scuol at times looks like an untouched mountain village; a satellite television dish jutting out from a 17th-century home reminds me that I haven’t actually traveled back in time.

Linguistically, the Engadine region is a fascination: Five different dialects of Romansch (a language derived from German and Latin and one of Switzerland’s four national languages) are spoken in the valley, and my tour guide, an American immigrant who passed through Engadine on a backpacking tour in the ’80s and never returned home, tells me that schoolchildren from neighboring towns often use high German to converse because their native dialects are so different from one another.

At least one word is understood in any language, and that word is “spa.” (Another is “sauna.”) Scuol’s spa traditions date back at least to the 1500s, when two bathhouses capitalized on the region’s 25 natural springs, and bourgeois Swiss families visited the area’s mineral waters for bathing cures. You can still drink from several different streams in the town square; Scuol’s springs are recommended (via soaking) for heart disease, circulation disorders and liver function, and hiking trails out of town will take you to other drinkable sprints (ask a local, as some are not listed for tourists). But be forewarned, these waters aren’t like the bottles of Calistoga you keep in the fridge at home: The mineral waters in Scuol can be very strong-tasting and won’t be good for more than a few days in your Nalgene bottle.

A laid-back walk along Scuol’s cobblestone roads is excellent preparation for a visit to the baths. Scuol’s distinctive rounded, adobe-like houses were built to accommodate livestock on the ground floor and a family above, with large, four-part doors designed so that a bale of hay could be rolled inside. Delicate, Italian-influenced sgraffiti carvings adorn most of the houses, which favor bright flowers planted so that they appear to be spilling out of the windows. For a traditional meal downtown, order Rösti (a traditional Swiss potato dish) or Miscluns (a potato-apple dish) with Swiss white wine at the intimate and elegant Crusch Alba restaurant-hotel [ http://www.crusch-alba.ch ]. Italian dishes in the Engadine area are also delightful.

When Scuol’s bathing house was built in 1878, two mineral springs (the Sotsass and Vih) were pumped straight into the baths. The Engadine Bad Scuol now features multiple treatment rooms and therapeutic facilities and a kinetic pool, restaurant, drinking hall and more. Many hotels in Scuol offer “wellness inclusive” packages that give you free entry to the baths’ general areas, but for an authentic Scuol experience, book a two-hour Roman-Irish bath, which combines the Roman tradition of bathing in warm, humid air (steam baths) with the Irish preference for warm, dry air and emphasizes the ritualistic aspects of both.
This is a serious treatment consisting of 15 distinct phases. Once you’ve booked your bath and arrived promptly on time (staff limit the number of people going through the Roman-Irish treatment to ensure your experience is restorative, and the Swiss are very punctual), remember to bring a towel and swimsuit and check your American squeamishness at the door. While being nude in mixed company takes getting used to, you’ll quickly realize everyone’s immersed in their own ritual.

After being handed a terry-cloth toga that feels like the real thing, you’ll begin in a warm-air bath (sauna), then move to a hot-air bath, after which you’ll be given a soap and brush massage. The massage serves as a revitalizing interlude between the dry and damp phases of the treatment. After your massage, you’ll sit in four mineral pools and steam baths — large clocks posted on the walls will help keep you on schedule, which is good since it’s tempting to soak in those bubbly minerals as long as you can. Finally, you’ll take a dip in the cold-water pool. The exhilaration is well worth the plunge. An attendant will dry you, slather you in cooling skin cream, wrap you tightly in warm linens and lay you out to rest on a deck chair in the solarium. I doze for a cool 45 minutes before reluctantly leaving the sunny, warm room (a glass of champagne and dried fruit eased the pain). I feel buffed, purged and healed, an acolyte to the bathhouse’s elegant maze of rooms, ancient colored tiles and healing waters.

Play in St. Moritz
Davos and Scuol are favored by Europeans, but many Americans are familiar with the skiing playground of St. Moritz, south of Davos and Scuol and only 30 kilometers from Italy. Many Alpine areas are popular training sites for elite athletes, but St. Moritz is probably the most famous spot, having twice hosted the Olympic Winter Games; its 6,000-foot altitude draws athletes like Lance Armstrong to train here. But you don’t have to be a superstar to have fun on St. Moritz’s numerous hiking and biking trails, windsurfing and sailing spots, or golf courses. And if you like shopping, you’ll think the mountainous boutique district is the most beautiful outdoor mall on the planet. If you do a bit of research beforehand, you can even draw your own star map to celebrity villas in St. Moritz — Athena Onassis currently occupies Jackie’s husband’s abode.

St. Moritz’s famous “champagne climate,” where the air feels light, dry and suffused with bubbles, does take some getting used to — especially if, like me, you embark on a hike through the Alps on your second day. The biggest draw here is the powder: St. Moritz offers a cross-country and downhill skier’s paradise, with 350 kilometers of snow-covered runs at altitudes ranging from 1,800 to 3,300 meters above sea level.

I’m just going to go ahead and say it: The mountains don’t look real. They look like giant peaks of meringue or birthday cake, and it really does take me a while to believe there’s not a blue screen hiding outside my hotel window. Panoramic restaurants, ski huts and snow bars ensure you’re never out of sight of St. Moritz’s breathtaking views. My suggestion: grab a plate of buffalo mozzarella with fresh tomato, basil and olive oil on the patio at the stylish El Paradiso [ http://www.el-paradiso.ch ] midway through your hike. If skiing’s not your thing but you like the idea of racing outdoors in winter, book a bob taxi, which will whisk you 1,612 meters through the Olympic Bob Run natural ice canal from St. Moritz to neighboring Celerina.

I honestly didn’t think anything could top my Roman-Irish bath, but after my hike (Heidi’s Flower Trail and Hut are nearby, and a trip to the glaciers and a view of the Matterhorn should both be on your agenda), my 55-minute sea-salt peeling and algae pack at the Kempinski Grand Hôtel des Bains spa makes me feel like a queen. As I lie on the Caracalla-Starlight tub, the light therapy, music and gentle table massage help me forget I ever have to go back home, where wellness is a state of mind more than a mantra.

IF YOU GO
Pass Go: Book your ticket on Swiss Air. Miles are reciprocal with American Airlines and Swiss Air frequently offers specials to U.S. travelers, such as its 2005–2006 winter special, with fares starting under $500 (www.swiss.com). Then choose from among six varieties of affordable, versatile cross-country rail passes for visitors. The mother of all train passes, the Swiss Pass, offers unlimited access to the country’s rail system and public transportation systems in 37 cities as well as free or discounted access to many mountaintop excursions and scenic routes. Other popular passes include the Swiss Flexi Pass, valid for any number of consecutive or nonconsecutive days you choose within a one-month period; and the Swiss Youth Pass, a 25 percent discount for travelers 26 and under. http://www.raileurope.com

Find Some Family: Check out http://www.gayagenda.ch for tips for queer travelers in Switzerland. Like a lot of Europe, many clubs are mixed yet boy-heavy; check coffeehouses and restaurants for dyke activity.

LAY YOUR HEAD
In Davos: Visit the four-star Waldhotel Bellevue [ http://www.waldhotel-bellevue.ch ], a charming hilltop hotel overlooking the panorama between Davos Platz and Davos Dorf. In addition to its panoramic café and intimate bar, the property also features a Wellness Pavilion, with a saltwater pool, steam grotto, sauna, Turkish steam bath and massage services. Take an early morning hike on the scenic Hole track behind the hotel before a healthful whole-grain buffet breakfast.

In Scuol: For a local, homey feel, bypass the fussy resorts and check into the charming Hotel Gabriel [ http://www.hotel-gabriel.ch ], a friendly, family-owned bed and breakfast in the heart of Scuol’s old village. The restored furnishings, low ceilings and cozy restaurant will make you feel like a backpacker (assuming you’re not one already, of course).

In St. Moritz: The castle-like, five-star Kempinski Grand Hôtel des Bains [ http://www.kempinski-stmoritz.com ] is the hotel of a lifetime. Built in 1864 at the source of the Mauritius springs, this “designer hotel” offers award-winning restaurants, direct access to St. Moritz’s curative mineral spa, its own opulent beauty spa, daily live entertainment and even a casino.

In Zurich: The InterContinental Zurich [ http://www.intercontinental.com ] is just minutes from downtown and, yes, has its own sleek, urban-inspired yet nurturing wellness center.

SPRECHEN SIE DEUTSCH?
Yes, “everyone” speaks English in Switzerland — everyone in urban areas. In more remote parts of the Engadine valley, and particularly in spas, it’s a good idea to brush up on a few key German phrases (high German is understood everywhere, regardless of the region) and perhaps even a little French, Italian or, if you’re feeling adventurous, Romansch. I wound up with one massage therapist who spoke only Russian and Greek, but with a lot of elaborate hand gestures, we did fine. Key words: ja/nein (yes/no); bitte/danke (please/thank you); grütsie (a common greeting in southeast Switzerland); Bad (bath); Sprechen Sie englisch? (Do you speak English?). Shortened forms of certain phrases (e.g., morgen instead of guten morgen) are common in southeast Switzerland, whereas in Germany they can be impolite. Finally, click on the union jack at some Swiss Web sites for the English-language version.

WHILE IN ZURICH …
Southeast Switzerland doesn’t have a tremendous amount to offer the lesbian traveler, so for a boost of Euro-gay culture before you head for the hills, stop off in Zurich (tips at http://www.zuerich.com, www.gay.ch and http://www.zuerigay.ch ) and check out these top queer picks.

Lady’s First: This tony women-only B&B (the first of its kind in Europe) is worth a visit to its wellness center alone, even if you’re not able to book one of their popular rooms. Formerly a girls’ pension, the building now features a Moroccan-inspired spa, a biosauna, Finnish sauna, massage adventure showers and rooftop relaxation refuge. The hotel reserves rooms for women recovering from mental illness or abuse and even keeps a counselor on staff. http://www.ladysfirst.ch

Homosexuelle Arbeitsgruppen Zürich: Zurich’s gay and lesbian center is a treasure trove of queer Swiss culture, with a resource library, workshops and events. http://www.haz.ch

The Warm May Festival: Originally conceived in conjunction with the 2000 Zurich Eurogames, the LGBT Warm May festival (yes, in May) now includes more than 70 events, from performances to sports to community-building workshops. http://www.warmermai.ch

Christopher Street Day: Often held in May or June, with over 8,000 queers turning out for film, dance parties and more. http://www.csdzh.ch

Frauenzentrum : This stylish women-only center offers meetings, workshops and resources. E-mail lestalk@freesurf.ch for upcoming lesbian business events. http://www.frauenzentrum.fembit.ch

Labor Bar: Supposedly subsidized by the city, this cool mixed club features the cult favorite Sunday Trash party. http://www.laborbar.ch

Barfüsser: It’s the oldest gay bar in Europe and primarily for leather men, but the sushi makes it a favorite for brave lesbians. http://www.barfuesser.ch

Zuppamundial: A queer favorite, this soup restaurant offers much more than typical fusion fare. After you’ve tasted a variety of small bowls inspired by recipes from all over the world, you’ll appreciate Zuppamundial’s approach to soup as meditation. http://www.zuppamundial.ch

Les Halles: It’s a charming café in Zurich’s warehouse district. No! It’s a world foods market. Wait! It’s both, and thus a heaven for pure foodies. http://www.les-halles.ch

Johann Jacobs Museum: It’s not necessarily gay, but this coffee museum offers free tastings and lots of tchotchkes to satisfy your fascination with java. http://www.johann-jacobs-museum.ch

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