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AUX GAZELLES

PLACEText: Christina Merl

Aux Gazelles, Vienna’s first oriental day spa, offers comfort and well-being for icy days in January. January is always tough here in Vienna. Christmas spell has gone and there is a cold wind blowing over the city. Those who can afford try to escape and catch some sun in warmer regions or one of Austria’s famous skiing resorts.

However, this year Vienna provides at least one good reason to stay: Aux Gazelles, Vienna’s first luxury Hammam and probably largest-scale lifestyle project in the heart of the city, has opened its doors and allows to escape reality and flee into a warm and cosy dream world – any time of the day.


The Hammam is a classical oriental bath house with warm and cold water baths, hot stone benches, a relaxation room with natural daylight flowing in through skylights. All accessories needed as well as massages and body care are provided by Hammamci. 1999 © Photo: Aux Gazelles

“I wanted to create an oasis of peace in the middle of a busy European metropolis”, says Christine Ruckendorfer, founder of Aux Gazelles. “By combining oriental lifestyle with contemporary elegance I’ve tried to create a meeting place for men and women of diverse social and cultural backgrounds and interests, to meet their high expectations for quality, service and entertainment.”

The vision of the Aux Gazelles project came to Ruckendorfer in 1998 when she discovered this large abandoned storage space in the heart of Vienna. “The uniquenss of the place, together with the size of the complex inspired me to realise a long-held dream – establishing a lavish, large-scale oriental day spa in the heart of the city. A place for relaxation, idleness, and bodily care in a warm and cosy atmosphere.” A trip to Morocco and a stay at the “Jardin de Gazelles”, a 500-year-old royal palace, actually contributed to the name and shaping of the atmosphere. “Aux Gazelles is synonymous with relaxation and a sense of well-being.”

While adults can relax after a long working day in the Cocktail Bar with its wonderful arches, luxury tapestries and indirect lighting and soft music as well as sofa cushions and paffts, kids can have fun in the kids’ lounge with video and games.

Whereas French-Maroccan cuisine – exquisite selected wines, patisserie, biological and seasonal cuisine – is offered in the Brasserie, Cafe Deli, a contemporary interpretation of a Moroccan cafe provides “FastDeluxe”, delicacies with an international selection of cold and warm specialities.

Art and photography literature, international newsprint and magazines await those who visit the Lounge with its leather furniture, luxury carpets and wooden interior.

Last but not least a multi-purpose room for business meetings, press conferences, lectures, presentations as well as marriages, exhibitions and events is provided in the upper floor Business Lounge.

As the large glass doors and French balconies open over the cafe on the front side of the building natural daylight comes in and the room provides a nice view of the picturesque Rahlstiege. So why leave Vienna behind and escape to warmer regions …

Aux Gazelles
Open: 11:00 – 21:00
Address: Mariahilferstrasse 1b, Rahlgasse, A-1060 Vienna
Tel: +43 (0)1 585 6645
http://www.auxgazelles.at

Text: Christina Merl

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