Bohemian Farmhouse Yoga & Vegetarian Cuisine Retreat

The retreat takes place at a farmhouse in a small village in the Bohemian countryside, about 45 km south of Prague. The building dates from 1860 and was renovated by the family who run it; the yoga studio is a converted barn with rustic features and space for up to twenty people, while guests stay in four modernised apartments that together hold up to sixteen. The gardens are large and laid out in English style, with several separate seating and relaxation areas screened by mature trees and bushes. There is a raised plunge pool with decking, a covered barbecue and wood-fired oven area, an outdoor fire pit, and hammocks scattered around.

A typical day starts with a yoga session in the barn. The retreat draws on a network of instructors around the Czech Republic, so the exact style depends on the teacher for that week, but classes commonly cover Hatha, Vinyasa, Bikram, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Power, Anusara or Restorative yoga. Aerial yoga is also offered, and when the weather allows, the group can head to a nearby lake for stand-up paddleboard yoga. After yoga comes breakfast, and then the day shifts to the kitchen: hands-on vegetarian cookery workshops where you learn recipes and techniques and eat what you have made. Workshops have covered breakfast Buddha bowls with acai, quinoa and chia; hummus in avocado, beetroot and spinach variations; tofu preparation; sushi and Japanese dipping sauces; vegetarian barbecue marinades; and the house recipe for vegetarian 'minced meat' used in burgers, lasagne, moussaka and meatballs. Drink ceremonies introduce ceremonial cacao from Peru, yerba mate, matcha, Moroccan mint tea poured in the traditional way, and Moroccan spiced coffee made to a recipe from a Berber woman in the High Atlas.

After lunch, afternoons are free. You can walk straight from the village onto marked trails through forest, meadows and hills, swim at the large scenic lake about fifteen minutes away, visit Konopiště Castle, or simply sit in the garden with a book and a herbal tea made from herbs picked on site. The village itself is tiny, but a larger village with supermarkets, shops, bars and restaurants is a few minutes' drive away. Evenings tend to be relaxed: dinner, sometimes a fire pit, and early nights.

What sets this retreat apart is the food and the setting rather than a single headline activity. The kitchen specialises in vegetarian cooking built on fresh, organic, locally sourced ingredients wherever possible, supplemented by the farm's own herb garden and vegetable plot, which grows unusual and hard-to-find produce. Meat eaters are explicitly welcomed and usually surprised. The retreat is family-run, and the owners live on site, so the feel is closer to staying with people who cook and garden seriously than to a hotel programme. The combination of a working herb garden, cooking workshops you actually eat from, and forest trails starting at the gate is not something most yoga retreats offer.

The retreat runs on selected dates rather than year-round, and the family also rent out the apartments for ordinary holidays and hire the venue to other groups, so availability as a yoga retreat is limited to a few events per year. Guests who cannot make a listed date can email to be told about the next one.

What's included

- 3 nights accommodation in a renovated farmhouse apartment - Daily yoga sessions in the converted barn studio - Hands-on vegetarian cookery workshops - All meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner - Drink ceremonies including ceremonial cacao, yerba mate, matcha and Moroccan mint tea - Use of the gardens, plunge pool, hammocks and fire pit - Herbal teas made from the on-site herb garden - Guided walk options from the village

What's not included

- Flights and travel to the Czech Republic - Airport transfers - Travel insurance - Drinks outside the included ceremonies and meals - Optional activities such as horse riding, golf and spa treatments - Stand-up paddleboard yoga session fees, if applicable - Personal expenses and souvenirs