Rikli was notable for his natural healing regimens and for his role in making the town of Bled, Slovenia into a health tourism destination in the latter part of the 19th century.

His father's wish was that his sons would inherit his knowledge and ambitions; therefore, he sent Rikli and his brother Karl to the village of Seebach near Spittal, Austria.

Rikli proposed various therapies, most of which were based on exposing the body to water, air, and sun.

In the year 1895, he built a wooden house and baths in Swiss style and a hospital with his own examination office.

Because the word spread across Europe about Rikli's activities, a larger swimming area was constructed in 1899.

In 1903, Bled was awarded with a gold medal at an international fair of healing places in Vienna.

[4][5] Since 2016, the Jörg Wolff Foundation in Germany, has awarded annually the Arnold Rikli Prize, endowed with 10,000 euros, for photobiological research in relation to the human organism; the award is under the patronage of the European Society for Photobiology (ESP).

[6] Rikli's books discussed the theory and practical methods of healing with air, sun and steam baths.