My name is: Renate De Mario Gamper.
My stomping ground is: Merano, South Tyrol, Italy.
I’m known for being:
Manager of the first alchemistic healing spa, Castellum Natura of the Relais & Châteaux Castel Fragsburg, a modern alchemist, an expert in natural healing, incense and holistic nutrition and a loving wife/mom of four.
I'm talking about:
Our alchemistic healing spa, the first of its kind in the world. It’s inspired by the ancient knowledge of herbal medicine and the almost-forgotten teachings of alchemy. We offer harmonizing full-body treatments, massages and healing baths and create personalized beauty treatments, tailored to our guests’ needs.
You can find it at:
Before I started this retreat work, I was:
I come from a South Tyrolean clan of women attuned to nature.
My interest was sparked when:
This happened gradually, first with my parents while collecting herbs in our mountains. I playfully became aware that herbs and nature are medicine and, then, as a little child, I was brought because of health problems to the father and healer Thomas Häberle in Müstair.
The idea behind it is:
In nature, we can find all the secrets of healing, well-being and a long, fulfilled life. So, we unite the knowledge of cures of my forbearers and of the medieval polymath Hildegard von Bingen with the latest insights of science and energy medicine and our unbridled love and reverence for the earth and its gifts.
What makes it different is:
We summon the strength and gain inspiration from the fertile flora of South Tyrol that surrounds us with its beauty. We use it to create exquisite essences for our sensational alchemistic wellness concept: many of our beauty products are freshly prepared by the Castellum Natura team and contain hand-picked elements from nature.
We have spent three years devoting ourselves to the development and preparation of effective products made of hand-picked essences. From this, we have created a 100% organic cosmetics range, the Fragsburg Beauty Care, exclusively for our hotel guests.
My favorite lesser-known detail is:
I recommend the Biophilia experience. The term biophilia comes from ancient Greek—“bios” means life and “philia” love. I take our guests on a magical hike that conveys the love of life and of natural healing, showing them how they can harness the power of nature, medicinal herbs, flowers and trees to boost their everyday health and well-being. Furthermore, I reveal the secrets of age-old treatments and alternative medicines made from family recipes.
I hope the guests walk away feeling:
Recovered, inspired and looking forward to the next visit.
Retreating is so important because:
To get other thoughts, to get distance from everyday life.
My favorite retreat I ever went on was:
Every single day spend in nature.
The words I live by are:
Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything, including yourself, better.
One truth that is so important, but people don’t always remember is:
Happiness comes from within.