A new flagship Buchinger Health Resort will open in 2029 in Roquefort-les-Pins on the Côte d’Azur, France.

The signature Buchinger Wilhelmi approach to longevity via therapeutic fasting will be on offer for the first time in France, reflecting the family’s desire to establish a European ecosystem of clinics specialising in integrative medicine.

The new property will follow the family’s well-established clinics at Lake Constance in Germany (opened in 1953) and in Marbella, Spain (since 1973).

Leonard Wilhelmi, great-grandson of the company’s founder Dr Otto Buchinger and CEO of Buchinger Wilhelmi, Lake Constance, said: “We are proud to bring the Buchinger Method to the Côte d’Azur, a place which reflects the Buchinger spirit – beautiful natural surroundings, the Mediterranean Sea, cultural offerings in art and music and biodynamic agriculture.

“The French culture and language has long been ingrained into our family,” added Wilhelmi. “French is one of the most spoken languages in our Lake Constance and Marbella clinics, so we feel a deep affinity with the French people and are proud of our ongoing collaborations with French universities and research institutions.”

Read an interview with the Wilhelmi family in Spa Business here.

Design and facilities

Designer Mattheo Thun will work on the interiors and architecture will be by Gomis et Associés from Nice. Already, the 95-key clinic’s plans have been awarded the gold standard in the sustainable construction certification system for the region, the Bâtiment Durable Méditerranéen. Construction will include the fitting of 400sq m of solar panels and the resort’s blueprint has been praised for its commitment to outstanding air quality – especially as a silent car-free area.

Within a 44-hectare plot, the total building area will range 18,000sq m and a 1,500sq m biodynamic farm will supply the kitchens.

The spa and wellness space will measure 3,400sq m and there will be a medical centre staffed by eight doctors.

The property will feature four pools, including a 25-metre outdoor pool, separate indoor pools for aqua fitness and relaxation as well as a Kneipp basin.

The development will also have four private fully-serviced villas, an art and sculpture park, a large concert hall and art atelier.

Buchinger Method

Guests will experience the Buchinger Method of fasting at the new resort, with activities throughout their stay that foster a sense of community and creative expression. French and international artists will collaborate with the resort to enhance the guest experience.

The company’s story began in 1920, when Dr Otto Buchinger, who was a young naval officer at the time, sought relief from crippling rheumatoid polyarthritis. Conventional medicine didn’t provide a solution so he turned to fasting, which he claimed saved his “life and existence.” This experience formed the basis for the Buchinger Method of medical therapeutic fasting.

Today, Buchinger Wilhelmi clinics welcome guests from more than 70 countries worldwide, with a repeat rate of more than 70 per cent.

The clinics are also centres of research that work in close collaboration with leading universities such as those of Milan, Strasbourg, Charité Berlin and King’s College London. An in-house team of four research specialists conducts and publishes regular studies about the safety and efficacy of the Buchinger Method.

Over four generations of family leadership, the Buchinger Method has developed to provide guests with personalised programmes focused on optimal weight, metabolic health, longevity and systemic reset.

These programmes combine physical, mental and spiritual regeneration within a collective medical context and are delivered under the supervision of a multidisciplinary team of medical doctors, nutritionists, psychologists, therapists and coaches.

A typical stay at a Buchinger Wilhelmi resort lasts from 10 to 21 nights.