Frances Geoghegan Road Tests Mount Med Resort

Our owner & founder Frances Geoghegan recently travelled to Austria to road test its newest Medical Spa, Mount Med Resort. We caught up with her to learn a little more about her experience there.

Mount Med Resort is located in Oberau, a pretty Alpine village just an hour northeast of Innsbruck, and is framed by towering snow-capped peaks, tranquil pine forests and meadows straight out of The Sound of Music. The original building dates back to the 12^th century, and over the last seven years it has been lovingly restored into a real Alpine Spa stunner. Besides its immense facilities, which include saunas, steams, a heated indoor/outdoor swimming pool and a state-of-the-art fitness centre, it has a very holistic approach to wellness, with food the building block of all their programmes. Unlike many wellness retreats, Mount Med’s meals include animal proteins — making up 60% of daily intake — with minimal fruit and no refined sugars, which promotes autophagy, the body’s innate process of cell regeneration. Guests may also indulge in coffee, a rarity in detox programmes. Vegetarians can enjoy the bespoke Green Local Hero menu, while athletes and those maintaining their physique can opt for double portions. The goal is to cultivate a sustainable eating plan that guests can embrace long after their visit, with optional cooking classes available to support continued wellness.

Breakfast was a daily box, which included cured meats or fish, eggs cooked to your liking, or avocado on a grain cracker. You could also have chia seeds with banana and a few raspberries. A protein shake followed at 10am, and then lunch was a daily bone or vegetable broth, followed by a salad of luscious leaves, some pulses and prawns. Then your main course is veal or some chicken, or a delicious stew with vegetables. A snack of a grain biscuit or breadstick was available at 4pm, and then your final meal of the day follows the same structure as lunch, but with a different protein.

The Chef Boris Meyer comes with real pedigree, and has worked in some of the top haute cuisine hotspots, including the world-renowned Noma in Copenhagen. He creates a masterpiece of food flavours, using techniques and textures to delight in every small morsel of food. Without doubt the food is one of the real highlights of Mount Med - I never once felt hungry, and dropped kilos without undue suffering.

Who are the faces behind the medical side

The Papp family’s legacy in medicine is impressive. The father, Professor Christoph Papp, is a celebrated plastic and reconstructive surgeon in Austria, and a distinguished Professor at the renowned Mayo Clinic. Alexander has followed in his father’s footsteps, focusing on aesthetic treatments. Having done post-cancer reconstructive surgery for many patients, he was determined to create a multi-prong programme to help patients prepare better for surgery, and to heal quicker. Driven by a desire to enhance patient recovery, Alexander developed a ground-breaking approach to optimizing pre- and post-surgical lifestyles. This method, refined over a decade and tested on more than 700 patients, culminated in the creation of the Mylife Changer programme at Mount Med. Alexander is a dream Doctor, funny and quick witted, oozing with charm, yet on-message and holding back no punches when delivering his conclusions on your health.  He has his own clinic separately, so is always up to speed on the best and most effective aesthetic techniques.

The older brother Stephan specialises in trauma surgery and sports medicine. He has represented Austria in the Olympics at fencing, he has his own clinic a few minutes’ drive away, and treats the numerous injuries from the nearby ski resorts. His clinic is a fully functional one, performing surgery and it gives all Mount Med guests swift access to medical services, including blood tests and MRI scans. At least 10% of the surgery he does each year is gratis, which tells you all you need to know about him. He is very impressive, and I would go to Mount Med just to see him.

All programmes start with thorough diagnostics to evaluate each guest’s biological age and overall health. The resulting data guides the design of a personalised wellness programme that addresses preventative care, sports medicine, aesthetics, sleep quality and biohacking techniques, all complemented by non-invasive therapies.

Favourite treatments & therapists 

Among the spa’s standout treatments is the Gharieni RLX Satori Wellness Lounger, a 25-minute sound therapy experience that induces a level of relaxation akin to the best sleep of your life. The MyGlow Aquafacial uses radiofrequency and hyaluronic acid to give you a lasting glow. Maria was the dream facialist, her facial massage alone was worth turning up for. For body contouring, the Emsculpt Abdomen treatment targets muscle toning, while the Emsella Chair uses electromagnetic currents to enhance pelvic floor strength.

I thought Sylvia had magical hands, and ironed out the knots in my shoulder with ease, and another stand out master was Harold, who was gentle but also very powerful in his techniques.

And don’t forget the Fitness Loft, where the latest Keiser and Milon machines are programmed for your use by your trainer. My fitness instructor was Alexander, who was a real master and someone you would dream of having in your daily fitness regime. He mixes Yoga moves with weight training, and Pilates to help you with stretching. His clear understanding of the body and each person’s abilities made each training session a real joy - and it’s not often I would say something like that.