The Old-Fashioned Cure.(International Edition; SPECIAL REPORT: TRAVEL)

Byline: Sameer Reddy; With Akiko Kashiwagi in Tokyo

Forget diamond massages. Spa resorts rediscover fresh air, exercise and eating right.

In the boom days, spa holidays centered on luxurious treatments, often involving extravagant substances: gold-leaf facials, diamond massages, vinotherapy baths. No excess was too great, no pampering too much. People felt justified in allowing themselves every indulgence, from caviar shampoos to hot chocolate body wraps.

No longer. Those seeking to relax, refresh and restore are increasingly returning to the old-fashioned approach: a combination of fresh air, healthy food, physical exercise and immersion in natural beauty. In the heart of Austria and Germany, visitors are flocking to the modern equivalents of the

restorative resorts that Europeans used to call "cure houses." Rooted in the Western healing tradition that emphasizes getting back to nature, the latest spa trend fits the no-nonsense recession-era ethos, which involves doing penance for past excesses by returning to the elements. A vigorous hike or immersion in an ice-cold plunge pool, the theory goes, offers a more tangible--and certainly less showy--benefit than slathering one's face with gold leaf.

At the Schloss Elmau hotel, nestled in Bavaria's Wetterstein mountains, oldfashioned peace and quiet is the prescribed approach for cultivating a revitalized body and mind. Built in 1916 by the philosopher Johannes Muller, the hotel still subscribes to his belief in the healing power of silence and natural beauty. It offers guests a comprehensive list of outdoor activities, including guided mountain tours, hikes, rowing, skiing, horseback riding and wind-surfing. For the less active, there are four distinct low-tech spas, including a hydrotherapy-centered Badehaus, a Turkish hammam, a family spa and an outdoor nature spa, which offer massage, and thermal and electro treatments (rooms from [euro]170 per night; schloss-elmau.de).

The idea that there's no place like home is severely tested at the Hotel Post, in Bezau, Austria, a former post office dating from 1850 that offers a nurturing perspective on hospitality. The hotel is intimately scaled to feel like a home, with sleek but warmamodernist interiors contrasting with the traditional cabinlike exterior. Guests can participate in an array of outdoor activities in the backyard, including some tailored to the Bregenzerwald area, such as river-rafting, wildlife spotting, and hunting. The Post's calling card, however, is its organic bent: the menu at its award-winning restaurant is built around freshly prepared meals incorporating local produce and game, and all products at the spa are distilled using ingredients harvested ...