4-Day Yoga & Longevity Wellness Retreat in the Hills of Bologna, Italy

The retreat is centred on the Acquaviva Method, created by Dr Annamaria Acquaviva, who serves as the scientific director of the resort. Dr Acquaviva is a dietitian nutritionist and pharmacist, and her method is based on five pillars of health, which include personalised nutrition and the importance of sleep. Her team is on hand throughout the stay to help you personalise the experience to your own needs.

The programme includes two 60-minute yoga sessions and two 60-minute Pilates sessions over the four days, so movement is present but not overwhelming. There's also a guided relaxation session with binaural waves, a nature therapy walk through the ornamental gardens, a Masterclass on wellbeing strategies for daily life, and a Bio Walking session in the vineyards. The focus on mindfulness and stress reduction is supported by the 'Waters of Longevity Ritual' and access to the extensive Varsana Spa, which has several pools, saunas, and treatment rooms, where you can book your included Oleaster body treatment and Chakra massage.

A key part of the experience is the mandatory Longevity check-up with Dr Acquaviva, which includes a bioimpedance analysis and sleep assessment. This isn't a casual extra; it's designed to give you concrete data about your body composition, stress levels, and sleep patterns, so the stay is as much about understanding your health as it is about relaxing. You'll also get a welcome kit with a tracksuit and sleep tracking band to wear during your stay, plus a sleep kit with a beauty pillow and sleep mask.

A notable touch is the 'Wellbeing aperitif' in the Royal Train of Palazzo di Varignana, a unique venue that is a nod to the property's history. The location itself is a big part of the draw, with the resort set in the countryside just 19 km from Bologna, so it feels removed from city life while still being close enough to visit when the programme allows.

What's included

- Stay in the selected room type - Daily healthy full board (healthy breakfast, Longevity lunch and dinner at Ginkgo Longevity Restaurant) - 1 x Mindful lunch - 1x Wellbeing aperitif in the Royal Train of Palazzo di Varignana - Acquaviva Method's Welcome kit including the tracksuit and the sleep tracking band to wear daily during your stay, relaxing infusions - Acquaviva Method's Sleep kit including the beauty pillow and the sleep mask - Waters of Longevity Ritual with antioxidants supplementation - Book by Dr Acquaviva: "Health Revolution - The 5 pillars of health. Wellness and longevity according to the Acquaviva Method" - Longevity check up with sleep assessment test* - Epigenetic Hair Follicle Test - Beauty & Spa Interview - 1x Nature therapy in the Ornamental gardens, part of the Grandi Giardini Italian network (60 minutes) - 1x Guided relaxation with binaural waves (45 minutes) - 1x Masterclass "Wellbeing strategies in daily life" (60 minutes) - Daily 3 hours access to Varsana Spa facilities including Grotta dei Calanchi and Cava d'Oro Bianco, swimming pools and saltwater pools with hydro jets, music therapy pool, Finnish sauna, Mediterranean sauna, Turkish bath, sensory showers, and a relaxation room with a herbal tea corner. - 1x Oleaster body treatment with olive oil (50 minutes) - 1x Chakra massage (50 minutes) - 2x Yoga session (60 minutes) - 2x Pilates session (60 minutes) - 1x Bio Walking in the vineyards of Palazzo di Varignana (30 minutes)

What's not included

- Flights costs - Travel insurance - Visa fee - Additional activities not included in the itinerary - Additional treatments - The Longevity consultation with Dr. Acquaviva (280 €) is mandatory and includes a bioimpedance analysis - assessing body composition, oxidative stress, bone density, stress level, psychophysical performance and chronotype - and a sleep assessment