Castel Badia Review: A Dolomites Monastery Turned Wellness Hotel

When an email lands in my inbox with the subject line ‘New Opening in the Dolomites’, I’m mentally already there. I can picture the scenic trails, hear the gentle clang of cattle bells and taste the buttery canederli dumplings that fuel any great hiking trip. The dumplings may not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of wellness, but time spent in the mountains certainly is. Ever since I began writing about wellbeing, I’ve found myself returning to the Dolomites countless times. It’s a natural fit: a destination where physical exertion and mental restoration go hand in hand.

While much of that restorative magic happens outdoors, in the crisp alpine air, the region has also experienced a wave of new hotel openings in recent years, many with luxurious spas designed to soothe tired limbs after a day in the mountains. Castel Badia is one of the latest additions to this growing collection.

My stay followed a familiar formula: hiking, foraging, massages and generous helpings of canederli. There was, however, one notable difference. Instead of the timber-clad mountain lodges I’d grown accustomed to, I found myself, as the name suggests, staying in a former Benedictine convent.

Dating back to the 11th century, Castel Badia began life as a medieval fortress and seat of justice before becoming home to a community of Benedictine nuns, who occupied it for the next 800 years. Although the monastery was dissolved in 1785 and the building transformed into a hotel in 1971, it retains many of its defining architectural features, from the chapel’s thick stone walls to fragments of centuries-old frescoes.

In December last year, Castel Badia entered its latest chapter following a three-year restoration led by local architecture collective Null17. Working alongside archaeologists, the team carefully preserved the character of the property while giving the former monastery a new lease of life as a 28 room hotel with a separate exclusive use chalet. 

The sense of history is immediate. Check-in, conducted by front-of-house staff dressed in heavy wool habits, feels almost ceremonial – as though you’re making a quiet vow to spend the next few days surrendering to ritual, rest and the hushed rhythms of monastic life. And that’s exactly what I did.

Wandering the candlelit corridors, I felt relieved to have traded the UK heatwave for cool stone walls and a subterranean spa. Without realising it, I’d booked Vigor, an abdominal treatment that couldn’t have been better timed for the first day of my cycle. It began with a gentle massage designed to support digestion – much needed after indulging in the hearty Tyrolean diet – before a warm hay cushion was wrapped snugly around my abdomen, easing any discomfort.

My therapist then turned her attention to my feet, using reflexology to draw me into an even deeper state of relaxation. Afterwards, I retreated to the relaxation area, where views stretched across green pastures and old farm buildings. Lying there in the quiet, I felt as though my wellbeing prayers had been answered. I was, as they say, cool, calm and collected – a persona that had been difficult to maintain on London’s Underground as the city became feverish under the pressure of the heat.

Though I could easily have spent my entire stay within the comfort of Castel Badia, delving into the history embedded within its walls, I did venture beyond the hotel. Just a 30-minute drive away, an easy hiking trail leads to the three waterfalls at Riva di Tures. Known as the Contemplation Trail, the well-marked route passes ten meditative stations before reaching the St Francis and St Clare Chapel. With benches for quiet reflection at each station, the hike felt perfectly suited to my stay at Castel Badia – and to the quiet vow I’d made at check-in. 

Another trail well worth taking is the 3.5km loop around Lago di Braies. This turquoise alpine lake, framed by a dramatic mountain backdrop, draws visitors from far and wide. It’s around a 40-minute drive from the hotel, so it’s worth setting off early, with a breakfast picnic prepared by Castel Badia, and completing the loop before the crowds arrive.

Arriving at Venice airport after three nights away felt like a stark wake-up call. Suddenly, I was back in the modern world, with its relentless noise, queues and constant connection. It’s no wonder that, in a world increasingly distanced from the rhythms and rituals of centuries past, we find ourselves drawn to practices that offer moments of stillness, silence and escape. 

BOOK IT

Rates for Castle Badia begin at approx. €540 in the Low Season and €780 during Peak. For more information visit castelbadia.com