Serbia Mountain Yoga & Meditation Week at Sopotnica Waterfalls

The yoga is taught by Marija and runs twice daily except where the schedule says otherwise. Morning classes are around two hours, starting early, and take place on a meadow directly in front of the largest of Sopotnica's seven waterfalls, with the valley below. If it rains, practice moves indoors. The style is gentle Hatha, with a lot of attention on body awareness, alignment, breath and mindful movement rather than on achieving particular postures. Each class includes pranayama and meditation alongside asana, and classes are run as workshops — the group explores physical, mental and spiritual aspects of the practice together rather than following a fixed sequence. Afternoon classes run 60–90 minutes.

The retreat is open to all levels. Complete beginners get a structured introduction and enough repetition over seven days to build a foundation; people who already practise regularly tend to use the week to slow down and look more closely at what they're doing. Because classes are workshop-style rather than led flow, you'll spend time on individual postures and on questions you bring with you.

Afternoons are spent outside. The village sits in the Sopotnica Natural Reserve, and the river drops down the mountain in a series of cascades forming seven waterfalls. Walks go through orchards and up onto mountain trails; the group usually climbs a couple of peaks for views over the valley. There's a visit to an organic farm run by the local hosts, where fruit, vegetables and goats are raised, and most of what you eat during the week comes from there or from neighbours. Depending on the group's interests, there's also a trip to a 13th-century medieval monastery with frescoes and a treasury collection, and a day out to Uvac Gorge — a boat ride through the meandering river landscape, plus a visit to Serbia's deepest cave.

What separates this from a standard yoga week is the setting and the fact that meals are mostly local. The area is full of edible wild mushrooms and herbs, and neighbours make cow and goat cheese and bake traditional bread. The lodge has a large communal kitchen and an outdoor barbecue and firewood oven, and if you like cooking you're welcome to use them — people often end up cooking together in the evenings. There's a small organic apple and plum orchard behind the house, which is also the best spot for sunset.

Meals are vegetarian, twice a day: a buffet brunch after the morning class and a buffet dinner served around 7pm, both freshly prepared by the cook using mostly local ingredients. Coffee and tea are available at the lodge throughout. Dietary requirements like vegan or gluten-free need to be mentioned before booking so the kitchen can plan for them.

Accommodation is deliberately simple. The mountain lodge has five dormitory rooms, two shared bathrooms with hot showers, a fully equipped kitchen and a dining room with a fireplace. Rooms are shared by a maximum of three people, and there is no option to book a private room. The outside area has wooden tables and benches under large pine trees, with barbecue and firewood oven, and the orchard sits just behind the house.

What's included

- All yoga and meditation classes - Seven nights accommodation in dormitory rooms - Three freshly prepared vegetarian meals per day - Unlimited coffee and tea at the premises - All hikes - All taxes

What's not included

- Meals or drinks outside of the centre - Personal expenses - Transportation to and from the retreat centre - Organised minibus from Belgrade (65 EUR per person round trip) - Any additional activities or excursions requiring hired transportation