Marienkron: Where health tourists get hydro-blasted by Austrian nuns and love it

Being blasted with jets of hot and cold water by a 70-year-old nun may not be everyone’s idea of fun, but it has some firm fans. They return year after year to Marienkron, an Austrian health resort 3km from the Hungarian border.

The regular guests relish the tranquil yet disciplined atmosphere fostered by the Cistercian nuns who run the Kneipp hydrotherapy centre, look after the visitors and offer opportunities for prayer and life-coaching.