I've spent the last few years experiencing the best medical wellness clinics across Europe. Obviously, a number of the guests I met were women in the years before menopause, during and after : women in their perimenopause years.
These women aren't usually in wellness clinics for a specific diagnosis. They're there because something feels off, and their regular doctor either dismissed it or didn't have time to dig deeper, or simply was not able to accompany smoothly the deep change at work during menopause.
And there are those nasty changes alongside menopause too. I heard time and time again:
- "I'm doing everything I used to do, but I'm gaining weight"
- "I'm exhausted by 3pm no matter how much I sleep"
- "My sex drive has just... disappeared, and I don't know why"
If you're a woman too, you know these aren't minor annoyances. Your body is trying to tell you something is changing, and it has a hard time rebalancing by itself. After meeting with so many doctors and practitioners looking at preventive health from so many different angles, they all reckon that you start preparing for menopause at least 5 years before it occurs, if you want to prepare well.
And if you're well prepared, there is much less disruption with regards to your weight, to your emotions, to your sleep, to your skin and how you look, and - let's not forget - to your libido ...
But of course, it would be too easy if it happened for each of us at the same age. And it's difficult to know when you are actually 5 years from your menopause ... Thos things almost never shows up clearly on standard blood tests (maybe in the future ?) because it's characterized by fluctuations, not a "clean" hormonal drop.
For Menopause Wellness, why choose Europe?
You know how enthusiastic I am about wellness clinics in Europe. Although I love to travel the world. But honestly, it comes down to how these clinics are structured, the differences between health regulations, and also, fundamentally, the cost of health across continents and countries.
In the US, you'd typically see an endocrinologist for hormones, a nutritionist for diet, maybe a therapist for stress. Each of them, separately. All billing separately. And billing incredibly expensive prices.
Europe's best medical wellness clinics employ these specialists to work together. They truly task them to understand each patient, to reflect, to see the patient again if and when needed. And most importantly, they actually talk to each other. Even to other practitioners: what did the nutritionist learn? What did the osteopath "see"? How did this patient react to acupuncture? How is her stress level when she practices yoga or movement classes?
In the best wellness clinics, the physicians are looking at you as a whole system, different from anyone else: not a collection of symptoms that works like the literature pretends every human does. Actually, every metabolism is different. Every mind is different. Everyone reacts differently to treatments: sometimes the differences are subtle, but the compounding effects create significant divergences.
The other thing: you get time with the doctors. Real consultation time. Not 15 minutes with a doctor who's already thinking about their next patient. And you get their email address for follow-up questions. They remember you by your name. They truly look at you. A huge difference.
The Clinics Worth Considering
Not all medical wellness clinics are created equal, and the right one for you depends entirely on where you are in perimenopause and what's bothering you most, as well as what atmosphere suits you best to embark in this lifestyle transformation. There is no pill to "fix" perimenopause instantly. Some of us need hormonal supplementation. Others need diet adjustments and detoxification. Others need to finally learn how to manage stress.
ZEM Wellness Clinic (Altea, Spain)
This is one of the newer clinics, which actually works in its favor right now. Being new means they're not overwhelmed, and every guest gets significant attention. The attention and care that we women get in the years around menopause at ZEM is unparalleled. Dr. Tanya Álvarez leads the medical side and takes a genuinely personalized approach. She's looking at hormones, yes, but also metabolism, inflammation, how you're actually living your life. And the whole team is really excellent.
If you're in early perimenopause and things are just starting to feel weird, this is where I'd go. It's for women who want to understand what's happening before it becomes a bigger problem, and to make the relevant hormonal adjustments. ZEM is the most advanced wellness clinic to integrate the Mediterranean approach to health and longevity, and it's a great approach for us women towards perimenopause.
SHA Wellness Clinic (Spain)
SHA has been doing this for years, and it shows. Dr. Vicente Mera is well-regarded in anti-ageing medicine, with a deep expertise in bio-identical hormone work. Over the years, SHA has refined protocols because they've simply seen so many cases, and learnt from them.
If your symptoms are already clear and persistent - serious fatigue, obvious metabolic changes, libido basically gone - SHA's experience is valuable. Although it is preferable to start dealing with menopause 5 years before, SHA will "optimise" you again: they know what works.
Chenot Palace Weggis (Switzerland)
If you read my publications, you know how much I love Chenot, their level of care, the Chenot Method, and the incredible warmth of the teams. The Chenot Recover & Energise program is less about hormones specifically and more about metabolic reset. However, this is a fundamental pillar to prepare menopause.
I recommend Chenot to my menopause clients who feel stuck and need a cleanse and an energy boost to be ready to face this inside revolution. This is ideal when it's like your body stopped responding to everything you're doing. Weight won't budge, energy is flat, sleep is terrible. Chenot approaches it from a whole-system perspective: metabolism, inflammation, nervous system.
VIVAMAYR Maria Wörth (Austria)
It's one of the latest clinics I visited, and it may not be obvious why Mayr Medicine may also be a top choice for menopause. But in fact, for a lot of women in perimenopause, the main driver of symptoms isn't estrogen: it's cortisol and insulin resistance. From that perspective, VIVAMAYR's Rebalance & Energy program is great, because it focuses heavily on gut health and stress physiology. It sounds alternative until you realize how much your digestion and stress response affect everything else. Good for women with digestive issues, bloating, or stress-related symptoms, before, during and after menopause. But if you have the choice, it's always better to rebalance everything way before menopause starts.
In addition, VIVAMAYR is introducing in 2026 a whole range of new services in dermatology and aesthetics. Which of course, helps other aspects of our lives when we face menopause. Looking forward to share more about that as soon as possible.
Buff Medical Resort (Germany)
Another newer clinic, another place dedicated to Mayr Medicine, and with exceptional attention to detail. Actually, a very pure interpretation of Mayr Medicine, and where you're invited to take the most time to take care of yourself: some programs last 7 days, but most programs invite you to dedicate 10, 14 or even 21 days to your health and wellbeing. I think it is great: how can you adjust things resulting from 20 or 30 years of a certain lifestyle in just a few days? Instead, let the body cleanse, recover, rebalance, for all the time it needs, and be better prepared for menopause.
The BuffMed programs are very thorough diagnostically, and the doctors are some of the best. And the whole team collaborates to figure out the optimal program and treatments for you, from your massages to your food, from your exercises to your supplementation, from your lab tests to IV infusions and more. Buff is ideal for those looking for a more quiet atmosphere, more intimacy, and thinking long-term: bone density, muscle preservation, metabolic health for the decades ahead. Less about immediate symptom relief (although the effects start to be obvious after day 3-4), more about building a foundation.
Villa Eden (Merano, Italy)
The most elegant option on this list, and I mean that in terms of atmosphere and approach - you know my taste for luxury hospitality. The "Signature Better Aging" program at Villa Eden is gentle and refined. Hormones are part of the picture, but so is skin health, body composition, overall vitality. Less medical intensity than SHA (but Dr Emanuelle De Nobili is amazing), more experiential than Buff. For women who want support without feeling like they're in a hospital. And yes, you can even have a glass of wine at dinner.
I recommend Villa Eden to my clients who want to prepare for menopause, and have their partner come retreat with them in the same time; Although, of course, I suggest a different wellness program for their partner :)
Palazzo Fiuggi (Italy)
As you know, Palazzo Fiuggi is another of the best wellness clinics in Europe. But they are in my selection thanks to their dedicated menopause program. The package has a clear structure and good follow-up. It takes a 360° approach to improve our lives as women in those ages. And it's the only place in this list with such a great hydrotherapy offering, if you're into it: the Fiuggi water has fantastic healing properties.
Would I recommend a new Wellness Clinic like ZEM?
The experienced clinics (SHA, VIVAMAYR, Palazzo Fiuggi) have polished systems and have seen thousands of cases, and more importantly, learnt from them, by seeing the patients over the years, and some of them twice a year.
The newer ones (ZEM, Buff) are giving each guest extraordinary attention because they're building their reputation, and deal with relatively lower occupancy for now. Neither is better - it depends what you need. And I'm always here to help you find what's best for you - just contact me.
How to Choose
Ask yourself:
- What's bothering me most? Weight? Energy? Libido? All three? Or other aspects?
- Am I early in this, or are symptoms already interfering with my life?
- Do I want hormone replacement, or do I want to understand the full picture first?
The right clinic won't "fix" you in a week, to be honest. But it should help you understand what's actually happening in your body, and give you a strategy that makes sense for your specific situation.
Perimenopause is frustrating because it's invisible, and so many doctors would tell you: "you're just aging, accept it!" ... Ageing yes, but there are so many different ways to age, let's age in a good way!
Standard medical care isn't set up to help us women in our menopause journey. That's one of the areas where the wellness clinics I get to work with are outstanding, and unfortunately too rare to help every woman. Yes the programs cost more than a consultation with your family doctor, but they offer something invaluable: they have the time and structure to connect dots that usually stay disconnected.
For a lot of my women friends, just having someone take their symptoms seriously and explain what's happening makes a meaningful difference. The protocols and treatments matter, obviously. But so does being seen, heard, understood.
All the best,
Victoire
