Days at Le Pianore follow whatever schedule the visiting teacher sets. The estate provides the rooms, the teaching spaces, the pool, the bio-lake and the kitchen; the teacher provides the programme. That means a yoga week here might run two classes a day with meditation before breakfast, while a dance or theatre group might work in the afternoons and leave mornings free. Ask the operator of the specific retreat you are booking for its timetable.

What the venue does fix is the setting. The property sits in the Tuscan hills surrounded by 50 hectares of vineyards, olive groves, woods and walnut trees, with no neighbours in sight. Guests can walk the estate, swim in the saltwater pool or the natural bio-lake, and eat meals cooked from the organic vegetable garden alongside the farm's own wine and oil.

The accommodation is split across three distinct buildings. The Villa is the main house in the hills. La Pagliatella is built from timber and straw, finished with natural materials, 100% self-sufficient, and holds two double rooms with private bathrooms plus a small sitting room looking out over the olive trees. La Yurta is a tent set among the trees with a skylight and large windows.

Le Pianore has hosted retreats, seminars and workshops for decades and is a working organic farm certified by CCPB. Its vineyards are farmed biodynamically, following lunar cycles, and the estate produces wine, olive oil, grappa, honey and balsamic vinegar — the balsamic is made in what the farm describes as Italy's first biodynamic vinegar cellar, from Sangiovese grapes, with no added sugar.

The surrounding Maremma and Val d'Orcia are within reach for days off: natural hot springs, Romanesque parish churches, art gardens, woodland walks and horse riding. The farm also runs autumn weekends built around the new olive oil, bread-making and shared meals, and opens the estate through November, including midweek.

What's included

- Accommodation as booked for the specific retreat (Villa, La Pagliatella or La Yurta) - Access to the saltwater pool and natural bio-lake - Use of the 50-hectare estate — vineyards, olive groves, woods and streams - Meals as specified by the individual retreat operator

What's not included

- Travel to and from Le Pianore - Travel insurance - Transfers and day trips unless arranged by the retreat operator - Any activity, class or treatment not listed by the individual retreat operator