Before wellness retreats were a luxury, they were a medical order. In 19th-century Switzerland, doctors prescribed travel and fresh air as medicine, and Swiss mountain resorts were often the cure.
The era of the prescribed vacation
The crisp Alpine climate and mineral-rich springs were believed to restore balance and treat a range of conditions, from “nervous exhaustion” to tuberculosis.
European physicians routinely wrote “prescriptions” for mountain air, sunshine, and thermal waters: the beginnings of what we now call wellness tourism.
Switzerland’s first official Health Insurance Law was introduced in 1914, laying the groundwork for the universal system that exists today. In a poetic twist, this system would later reimburse certain “prescribed” spa therapies, the very idea born from these historic mountain cures.
The historic sanctuaries
From lakeside promenades to steaming thermal baths, Switzerland’s spa traditions live on, as do the views. These legendary towns are where the era of the prescribed vacation was born.
Montreux
Montreux’s Old Town (Les Planches) climbs a hillside above Lake Geneva, lined with cobblestone lanes and pastel Belle Époque houses, and the same crisp alpine air that once drew poets, royals, and patients from across Europe, thanks to employer-sponsored health funds or private societies that covered travel for prescribed rest in the Alps (long before full medical insurance existed).
How to get here
Take the Swiss Federal Railways train from Geneva (about 1 hour and 10 minutes) to Montreux. From Montreux station, you can walk or hop a local bus up to Les Planches (the old town).
What to do
Wander the narrow, steep alleys of Les Planches (Old Town)and stop in cafés tucked between historic homes.
Climb up to the hilltop Église Saint-Vincent for panoramic views of the lake and the Alps, stroll along the flower-lined promenade to Château de Chillon, or stay in a grand Belle Époque hotel (many were initially health retreats).
What to try
Pick up handcrafted Swiss chocolates from a local shop and enjoy a croissant with a lake view – once considered part of the “breakfast cure.”
Davos
Perched at 1560 m, Davos’s thin, dry mountain air was long thought to cure respiratory illness. In the days of sanatoria, stay costs were sometimes underwritten by mutual aid societies or trade guild ‘sickness funds’, so patients could travel to the mountains through early social-insurance networks.
One famous clinic, Schatzalp, is now a luxury hotel, but in 1900, it was built as a state-of-the-art sanatorium. Davos gained fame as Europe’s ‘open-air sanatorium,’ inspiring Thomas Mann’s The Magic Mountain.
How to get here
From Zürich, take the train to Landquart, then connect to Davos Platz or Davos Dorf.
What to do
Tour the Kirchner Museum (showcasing the expressionist painter who lived here), stroll the alpine promenades once lined with sanatoria, and visit the Schatzalp – now a hotel, once Europe’s most famous lung clinic.
What to try
A mountain herbal tea, a sauna session at one of Davos’s wellness centers, and the high-altitude calm that still feels medicinal.
Bad Ragaz
Hidden in the Rhine Valley, Bad Ragaz has been bubbling since 1242, when monks discovered its 36°C thermal waters in the Tamina Gorge.
By the Belle Époque, Bad Ragaz had grown into a grand spa town; even Russian nobles flocked here for months at a time on doctor’s orders. Today, the Tamina Therme continues that legacy in modern luxury.
How to get here
Catch the train from Zürich (about 1 hr) to Bad Ragaz. The Tamina Therme is just a short walk from the station.
What to do
Soak in Tamina Therme (they’ve been fed by the same hot springs since the 1800s), hike to the gorge to see the dramatic waterfall, or book a wellness treatment at the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz: still one of Europe’s finest medical spas.
What to try
A mineral-water bath, and a spa massage that feels like a royal prescription.
Leukerbad
Leukerbad, perched high in the Valais Alps, is Europe’s largest thermal spa town. Its 28 public baths (and countless private springs) are fed by dozens of hot-water veins reaching up to 51 °C.
Romans once bathed here, and by the 18th century, “taking the waters” became a prescribed treatment for everything from gout to melancholy.
The idea was simple: immerse the body, heal the soul. Goethe visited in 1779, and later celebrities, such as Mark Twain, came for the “water cure.”
How to get here
Take the train to Leuk, then transfer to the PostBus, which winds for 30 minutes up the mountain valley to Leukerbad.
What to do
Bathe in the thermal pools at Leukerbad Therme or the Alpentherme (modern spa complexes built around the natural springs), surrounded by snow. Hike the Torrent Trail or up toward the Gemmi Pass for mountain views.
What to try
A dip in the 51°C mineral pools and the strange joy of soaking in warm water while snow falls around you. Afterward, reward yourself with a rich Valais cheese fondue or a slice of Engadiner Nusstorte (the local walnut cake).
St. Moritz
Long before it became a jet-set ski capital, St. Moritz was renowned for its iron-rich mineral springs, which were discovered over 3,000 years ago. By the Middle Ages, these “soda springs” were famous far and wide; even Pope Leo X and the physician Paracelsus praised their healing powers.
The St. Moritz Cure spa opened in the 19th century, and a legend of good health has endured. Today, St. Moritz is known for luxury hotels and winter sports, but its village center and spa culture still pay homage to that heritage.
How to get here
Ride the famous Rhaetian Railway through the Albula or Bernina Passes (UNESCO routes) to St. Moritz.
What to do
Visit the Forum Paracelsus cultural center to experience the authentic spring water and learn about its history. Enjoy a spa day at Badrutt’s Palace or the Kempinski Grand Hotel (both have luxe wellness facilities).
Walk the lakeside Promenade of St. Moritz, 19th-century visitors often took such “water walks” as part of their cure.
What to try
A sip of the mineral spring water, a detox spa ritual, and Engadin nut cake for dessert – doctor’s orders, of course.
Switzerland may no longer issue medical notes for mountain air, but the legacy lingers. Basic Swiss health insurance still offers a small reimbursement (CHF 10 per day, up to 21 days a year) for doctor-prescribed spa treatments at recognized thermal resorts.
More comprehensive rehab stays can be covered under medical insurance if prescribed after illness or surgery. It’s a modern echo of a 19th-century belief: that nature itself can heal.
From Montreux’s pastel balconies to Leukerbad’s steaming baths, the cure is the same as it was a century ago: slow down, breathe deep, and let the Alps do their work.
