Chilling out around the world

Our guide to the choicest destinations

What would you say to a tension-releasing massage, a rejuvenating facial or a soak in the healing waters of a thermal spring? Delicious, healthy cuisine and a lovely and comfortable room in which to relax at night? Mmmmmmmm... we thought so. Now the question is: which spa to choose? With TASCHEN's Favourite Spas Angelika Taschen saves you the agony of choice and presents a selection of the most inviting destinations worldwide for the perfect spa holiday. Her journey takes us to heavenly oases such as the historical Pädaste Manor on the island of Muhu on Estonia's west coast; the spa of the Grand Hotel Kronenhof at 5,900 feet, which delivers a picture book mountain view; to the Buddha-Bar Spa at the Hilton Évian-les-Bains in the classical French health resort, that combines treatments inspired by Tibetan medicine with modern east-meets-west design and the Shibui Spa in Robert De Niro's Greenwich Hotel, housed in a 250-year-old Japanese farmhouse relocated to New York. Further dream destinations include the fantastic Oriental Spa at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental with its panoramic view of the Hong Kong skyline, and the Verana Day Spa, tucked away on the Mexican Pacific coast south of Puerto Vallarta, that is only accessible by boat.

Editor:
Angelika Taschen studied art history and German literature in Heidelberg, gaining her doctorate in 1986. Working for TASCHEN from 1987 to 2010, she has published numerous titles on art, architecture, photography, design, travel, and lifestyle.

Texts by:
Christiane Reiter is a freelance author based in Hamburg. She studied journalism at the University of Eichstätt and worked as a travel editor for Ringier Publishing in Munich and Zurich. She then established the travel section of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.