STEPHEN RIGLEY discovers the perfect antidote to city living on a hiking and spa break in the Swiss Alps

THE SAUNA was filled with the scent of fragrant massage oil as the mercury edged up. I had just enjoyed a soothing Ayurvedic massage and was following my masseuse's instructions to the letter, sweating profusely as I sizzled on the wooden bench.

The only bit I hadn't adhered to was the dress code. A startled-looking Swiss man who joined me did not appear impressed as he looked down at my shorts: "You are supposed to be naked in the sauna." Spa etiquette is obviously a big thing in the Swiss Alps.

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I was staying at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel in Arosa, framed by the dramatic peaks of Weisshorn, Hörnli and moraine-streaked Schiesshorn.

A long-established ski resort, Arosa is fast gaining a reputation for its summer activities and year-round attractions such as the hotel's swanky Bergoase spa.

Designed by Switzerland's most famous architect, Mario Botta, using beautiful white granite, acres of maple wood and featuring glass "sails", it offers 54,000 sq ft of pampering space over four floors.

As well as indoor and outdoor pools there are 12 treatment rooms, open fires in cosy chillout zones, steam rooms and a mountain sauna where, in season, you can dive out on to a snow terrace in between heat blasts.

My sauna visit proved to be the perfect antidote after a hard day's walking. Arosa is the ideal spot for serious hikers.

Based at 1,800m above sea level and reached by a zig-zag road with a headache-inducing 365 hairpin bends (the
scenic train ride from Chur makes an ideal alternative), it offers access to nearly 50 miles of walking trails. On the first morning I tackled one of the most challenging, a three-and-a-half-hour trek up the Weisshorn, where I was rewarded with panoramic views and very sore feet.

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Occasionally I passed a mountain biker, horse rider or fellow hiker but most of the time it was just me and twittering birds. It felt a world away from the hustle and bustle of London life.

I could have taken a much easier route to appreciate the breathtaking scenery.

Last year the hotel opened a futuristic mountain railway, the Tschuggen Express, which whisks you 528m up into the Alps in a matter of minutes.

It's for the exclusive use of hotel guests, which makes you feel even more special. The skiers must love it; no jostling in the queue for the first lift of the day.

Still feeling a bit sore from my trek, the next day I stupidly decided a spot of mountain biking was in order. Even 10 gears on my state-of-theart bike didn't stop my legs hurting during my knuckle-whitening 500m descent from Hörnli to Arosa. A spot of thalassotherapy in the spa, involving a series of seawater jets, helped ease my aching muscles.

After all this exercise all I wanted to do was flop on my bed in my colourful bedroom, one of the hotel's 130 designed by interiors guru Carlo Rampazzi.

His flamboyance can be seen in the vibrant patchwork bed heads, which complement the elaborate hand-crafted Venetian stucco on the walls and ceilings.

I couldn't take my eyes off the view, however; large picture windows framed stunning verdant mountain vistas.
It was the only decoration I needed.

IN MY favourite hotel restaurant, La Provence, the decor is just as colourful, a riot of reds and greens and with a stunning terrace overlooking the Grison mountains.

I tucked into a delicious lunch of antipasti with Mediterranean breads and salad.

The elegant Grand Restaurant was more formal but did a cracking breakfast with, not surprisingly, a huge selection of cereals including the best Bircher muesli I have ever tasted and fresh fruit and yogurt.

I came away feeling much healthier and lighter than I had done for years, and not just because I'd sweated a bucketload in the sauna.

GETTING THERE:
Tschuggen Grand Hotel (dialling from the UK: 0041 81 378 9999/www.tschuggen.ch) offers seven nights from £1,325pp (two sharing), half-board. Price includes six spa treatments and free use of the Tschuggen Express.

Swiss International Air Lines (0845 601 0956/ www.swiss.com) offers return flights from various UK airports to Zurich from £89 return.

Swiss Travel Centre (020 7420 4900/www.stc.co.uk) offers return rail tickets from Zürich Airport to Arosa via Chur from £65.
Switzerland Tourism: 020 7845 7680/www.myswitzerland.com