How to survive a week at Austrian detox clinic Vivamayr

Could a week in the Austrian Alps cure Harriet Hall of the afflictions of modern life?

Vivamayr is on the banks of Lake Altausee (Vivamayr)

You must approach this with humour,” says Stefanos, the waiter, as he places a teapot of vegetable broth on the table in front of me.

He pours it into a mug and gives me a teaspoon to sip it with, and a small, stale-tasting buckwheat bread roll. This is a typical dinner at the Vivamayr clinic, on the shores of Austria's Lake Altaussee.

Revered by celebrities (Kate Moss and Tracy Emin are rumoured fans), politicians (Michael Gove and Theresa May are said to have visited) and Russian oligarchs, Vivamayr entices so-called detox tourists for its “cure”, a seven-day minimum programme that costs up to £5,000. Opened in 2005, Vivamayr bases its methodology on the research of 20th century Austrian physician Dr Franz Xaver Mayr, who believed that the gut is the “root system” of all humans and was responsible for numerous diseases and disorders. Its signature “cure” pays homage to his work. Guests follow a stripped-back, gut-friendly diet, and days are planned around a tailored medical schedule of drips, colonics, hypoxy training (oxygen inhalation), massage and regular exercise.