Spa Review: Clinique La Prairie, Switzerland

Worried about diminishing brain power? Clinique La Prairie boosts body and mind, says Lucy Cleland, as she reviews. 

Review: Clinique La Prairie, Switzerland

It’s no surprise that men of a certain type are attracted to Clinique La Prairie. Switzerland does health well. World-beatingly so. And the sense of order – the staff in head-to-toe white uniforms, the glossy, glass medical centre, the manicured gardens – that pervades one of the country’s most renowned clinics is palpable. Not that it’s anti-women, of course – it’s just the way it plays out currently, with around 70 percent of guests being men: high-powered, super-stressed execs, only addressing their health needs when it has become all too apparent that they need to. You can spot them on the terrace over lunch; well dressed, playing with their smartphones, brows intensely furrowed. They’re also worried about their brain power – and how to maintain it as they grow older.

To cater for those whose professional performance depends on excellent memory and razor-sharp mental acuity, Clinique La Prairie has recently launched Brain Potential, alongside its most popular (and effective) Master Detox and Revitalisation programmes – all are based on the clinic’s four pillars of medical, nutrition, wellbeing and movement. This one though is specifically designed to take an accurate snapshot of where your brain health is currently (the list of tests is long, but starts with an MRI) – and how it’s possible to decelerate its deterioration. 

Brain Potential is designed to educate guests around prevention; once there is real cognitive decline, intervention has to be clinical and pathological. The programme is packed, with a doctor’s appointment each day, more tests than you can shake a stick at  from CogniFit, a brain-based learning platform that uses brain research and cognitive science to create exercises to boost brain health, DNA and epigenetic testing (looking at how your lifestyle affects your biological age), and checking that your gut bacteria is flourishing. There is no other clinic in the world where you can be tested so comprehensively.

Test your new breath skills in the pool…

When you’re not in the cryotherapy booth (a great metabolism booster) or having an AudioVitality session (low frequency soundscapes induces deep relaxation and can help with everything from stress reduction to tinnitus relief), you might well be having a breathing session with free-diver Phil Simha. Learning to breathe effectively is really one of life’s greatest gifts, he says, because it’s not only free but can extend your lifespan by years. A 45-minute session with him is worth its weight in gold. 

You needn’t worry about thin broth and stale bread rations either; the food at Seeds, helmed by chef David Alessandri, is exquisite. Think spiny lobster, stuffed vegetables and risoni; or black rice risotto with mixed carrots and cardamom. Learning about neurotrophic nutrition – ‘brainfood’ – is part of the programme, and you’ll meet with nutritionist Adamantia, to discuss it.  

If you have a spare hour and the weather is good, then a dip in Lake Geneva is a cold-swimmer’s delight; and the lake-side walk into Montreux will take you just 20 minutes. Hikes into the surrounding mountains are a must. 

They say a change is as good as rest – here, on the glittering shores of Lake Geneva, in the hands of the some of the world’s most qualified doctors, you’ll achieve far more than that – a boost for body and brain.

BOOK IT: Seven-day Brain Potential Programme, approx £23,700. cliniquelaprairie.com