Schloss Elmau

Set at 1,000 meters above sea level in a protected nature reserve beneath the Wetterstein peaks, Schloss Elmau is a five-star alpine retreat that operates as two distinct hotels sharing one resort. The Luxury Hideaway, originally built in 1916 and fully reimagined in 2007, offers 100 rooms, suites, and family apartments with warm contemporary interiors accented by Indian and Indonesian furnishings. The ultra-luxury Retreat, perched on a sunny hillside 150 meters east, adds 47 spacious suites ranging up to 200 square meters, with panoramic mountain views and a quieter, more refined atmosphere. Together they form a property unlike anything else in the Bavarian Alps, one that hosted both the 2015 and 2022 G7 summits. The now-iconic photograph of Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Barack Obama framed against these very peaks has become one of the most recognized images in modern diplomacy, and it captures exactly the kind of dramatic natural backdrop that greets guests every morning. With a 300-seat concert hall, a curated bookstore, regular author readings, political symposia, and an artist-in-residence program, Schloss Elmau layers intellectual richness into a resort stay in ways that feel organic rather than programmed.

For families, the logistics are remarkably well sorted. Three adults-only spas, including the spectacular Badehaus with its rooftop infinity pool and Oriental Hamam, are balanced by three family-friendly spa zones so parents can alternate between personal restoration and shared pool time without complicated scheduling. The Kids Club and Teens Club run daily programs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the edutainment workshops go well beyond standard craft tables, with AI creativity labs and professional soccer camps coached by trainers from top Bundesliga clubs like VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig. Dining options number seven restaurants across both hotels, headlined by the two-Michelin-starred IKIGAI for French-Japanese fine dining, alongside a dedicated family restaurant, a Thai restaurant, a fondue room for winter evenings, and a mountain restaurant reachable by a 45-minute hike. Complimentary BMW electric vehicles are available for sightseeing excursions to nearby UNESCO World Heritage sites, including King Ludwig II's castles. Schloss Elmau is the rare alpine resort where culture, wellness, and genuine family infrastructure coexist at the highest level, making it as rewarding for parents seeking quiet stimulation as it is for children discovering the mountains for the first time.