Yoga Retreats at Hotel Schwarzschmied, Lana, South Tyrol

Each retreat is built around one teacher's specialism, so the weeks differ from each other. Matthäa Mollenhauer's autumn retreat works with Traditional Chinese Medicine: meridian-based Vinyasa in the mornings, restorative Yin in the evenings, an optional acupressure workshop on the Wednesday, and crystal soundbaths. Tanja Satori's Intentional Living week mixes energising yoga and functional mobility with fascia work, breathwork and sessions on understanding stress and self-regulation. Gabriela Bozic, who has taught internationally for over 25 years, focuses on the vagus nerve and nervous system regulation, with restorative yoga, chanting and journaling.

Other weeks lean more towards practice. Barbara Kittel-Holmgren teaches Ashtanga Yoga Innovation Flow in the mornings and Vipassana meditation with singing bowls in the early evenings. Eddie Stern brings Yoga Sangraha — his own approach, developed after years of study in India, that links modern science to traditional practice — with optional one-to-one consultations alongside the group sessions. Daniela Mühlbauer, a professional dancer with over 900 hours of training, teaches Vinyasa Flow and her own Yoga Flow Dance fusion. Magdalena Tauber's Root & Rise week adds Kundalini and strong pranayama to Hatha Flow.

A few weeks are less about yoga postures and more about the mind. Maja Fenn, a psychologist, runs a mental health retreat with group sessions, a one-to-one psychological session for each guest, and a 30-minute online follow-up after you get home. Sophia Thora, also a psychologist, combines Vinyasa and Yin with emotional release work and journaling. Lisa Ratzesberger's women-only Soft Feminine retreat uses yoga, free movement, visualisation and coaching tools.

The setting does a lot of the work. Lana is in the Etschtal valley, surrounded by orchards and vineyards, with mountain trails starting from town. The hotel's own garden and pools give you somewhere to sit between sessions, and the spa and sauna are open to retreat guests. Because the mobility card covers public transport, you can get to Merano or further up the valley without a car.

What separates these weeks from a generic yoga holiday is the calibre and specificity of the teachers. These are people who train other teachers, run their own studios in Berlin and Munich, or have been teaching for decades. The schedules are also genuinely twice-daily rather than one class bolted onto a holiday — most days have a 90-minute morning session and a 60- to 90-minute evening session, with the middle of the day free.

What's included

- Nights at Hotel Schwarzschmied as stated on your chosen retreat (3, 4 or 5 nights) - Breakfast at La Fucina each morning - All yoga sessions with the retreat teacher - Yoga equipment (mat, meditation cushion, yoga blocks) provided free of charge - Grander water available throughout the hotel - Mobility card for unlimited use of public transport - Access to the hotel's pools, sauna and Susanne Kaufmann spa - One-to-one psychological session during the retreat (Maja Fenn's mental health retreat only) - 30-minute online consultation after the retreat (Maja Fenn's mental health retreat only)

What's not included

- Travel to and from South Tyrol - Airport transfers (can be arranged for an additional fee) - Lunch and dinner at La Fucina or Bistro Luce - Spa treatments - Travel insurance - Personal expenses