Best European Fitness Retreats

Prioritising fitness can have a wide-reaching effect, not just improving your overall fitness and physical self but also having a transformational effect on your mental health too. The positive impact of fitness can be attributed to how exercise impacts our brain chemistry – it increases the amount of happy neurotransmitters in our brain, including endorphins and dopamine. It also helps you as you age, pumping more oxygen to the blood stream, making your heart happy, as well as improving the mineral density of your bones.

So making fitness top of your Wellness goals for 2024 is the best present you can give yourself. Recruiting a personal trainer can be a great first step, but if you would prefer a fully-loaded approach with nutrition, one-to-one classes and invaluable tips, then we have some brilliant Fitness retreats in Europe lined up for you.

Palacio Estoril, Portugal

This chandelier-bejewelled seaside hotel and its award-winning Spa really hits the spot. There are the age-old traditional hydro treatments with jet massages and Vichy pampering, alongside Quantic medicine, where the efficiency of your vital organs are determined through electrical diagnostics. There are brilliant doctors to guide you through the minefield of hormonal imbalance, menopause and HRT, but for Healing Holidays it’s the physio and osteopathy that really makes Palacio Estoril shine - you will be stretched and mobilised, joints will soften, and shoulders will straighten.

Palazzo Fiuggi, Italy

There is no question that Palazzo Fiuggi has been the most talked about Spa since it opened in 2021, and it has certainly been a huge hit with our savvy spa-goers. Nestled within a private 8½ hectare park overlooking the medieval spa town of Fiuggi just an hour south of Rome, it marries the deepest holistic traditions with the most advanced Western medicine and the very best facilities, allowing you to totally rewind and bliss out. Palazzo Fiuggi excels across the board, but their fitness department is particularly impressive. We love their movement lab, a stunning 400 sqm gymnasium which is situated in the former ballroom. It houeses the very latest equipment, including Technogym and an Icaros VR machine. It is also home to some brilliant trainers who will create a challenging and fun-filled routine that will rock you to your core.

Euphoria Retreat, Greece

Nestled in the pine-clad hills of Greece’s Peloponnese peninsula, close to the fortified medieval city of Mystras, this holy landscape is home to the country’s first destination spa Euphoria Retreat. It perfectly blends ancient Greek and Chinese philosophies with therapies designed to promote vitality, to clear energy blockages, and to quieten the mind. Whilst you can do all the usual from here, including very effective programmes for De-stress and Detox, it is their fitness offering that particularly impresses us. We love their Spartan Spirit Of Adventure retreat which offers you the chance to train like the legendary Spartan warriors. Led by a team of experienced trainers, each day, you’ll enjoy two-three hours of outdoor physical exercise, with activities ranging between interval training, running, cycling, rock climbing and hiking, which will help you to become fitter and stronger.

Grand Resort Bad Ragaz, Switzerland

Switzerland is home to some of the finest medical spas in the world and the most cutting-edge medical techniques. Set against an imposing Alpine backdrop, in the heart of Heidiland, lies the state-of-the-art wellness centre of Grand Resort Bad Ragaz. Whether you want to address a specific health issue, want a full body MOT, lose weight or simply enjoy the thermal waters, Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is the perfect place for you. We particularly rate their fitness department, which is led by a team of experienced sports scientists, physiotherapists, fitness coaches, medical masseurs and medical specialists who will all support you on your journey towards a healthier you.

Lily Of The Valley, France

Open all year round, Lily of the Valley’s home is the gentle French Riviera. Close to ever-chic Saint-Tropez, it is set amongst rambling vines and has sweeping views of the Mediterranean. As well as a beautiful setting, it also boasts an impressive Spa and a whole host of wellbeing programmes including detox and anti-ageing, but it it is their Sport programme, which particularly grabs our attention. Available over various durations, it combines high-intensity fitness sessions and a protocol of treatments that support muscle recovery to help enable you to achieve your fitness goals and go beyond your limits in the very best conditions.

Marbella Club, Spain

Located by the sea on Marbella’s Golden Mile, the legendary Marbella Club Hotel oozes style and glamour, and a genteel service befitting its royal pedigree. It is the perfect spot for conflicting spa requirements – heavy duty fitness for him, good-ageing and calorie-controlled eating for her, with somewhere brilliant for the kids to be entertained whilst you both get on with it. Spa goers can laze in the hammam steam baths, wood-burning saunas and Thalassotherapy pool, while the fitness obsessed can enjoy golf, tennis, horse riding and much, much more. This is the total brilliance of the Marbella Club - it has something for all the family.

So there you have it, we hope you've enjoyed reading about the top fitness retreats in Europe and that it has inspired you to take the next step and book a fitness holiday.