All about Retreats

Get thee to a monastery, or a retreat, for a total change of pace this summer

1 HOTEL ABAT CISNEROS, Montserrat, Spain

The Hotel Abat Cisneros has been accommodating visitors to Montserrat, the 11th-century Benedictine monastery near Barcelona, since 1563. Just make sure to ask for a room at the front – out the back it’s all rock. Take the funicular to the top of the mountain or just soak up the choral music which takes place at 1pm daily in the Basilica. B&B €103 per couple in June.

Monasterio de Montserrat, 08199 Montserrat, Spain, tel: 0034-938 777 701, montserratvisita.com

2 ABBEY OF LÉRINS, Cannes, France

Just off the Bay of Cannes on the French Riviera, the Abbey of Lérins stands in splendid isolation on the island of St Honorat. With a history spanning 16 centuries, today it is run by Cistercians who welcome all visitors as pilgrims. Daily rates are €40 full board. Abbaye de Lérins, Island St Honore, Cannes, tel: 0033-492 995 420, abbayedelerins.com

3 SUNFLOWER RETREATS, Casperia, Italy

Sunflower Retreats is a purpose-built centre in the Sabina mountains, an hour north of Rome, with yoga-based retreats plus a variety of holistic treatments, from massage to crystal therapy and chakra balancing. A six-night B&B stay starts at €500, staying in a village house, with guided walks and full use of the centre's mountain bikes. Sunflower Retreats, 11 Via Tito Tazio, Casperia, Rieti, Italy, tel: 00393 397 043 595, sunflowerretreats.com

4 SAN GIMIGNANO, Tuscany, Italy

San Gimignano, the dramatic hilltop town northwest of Siena, has been attracting pilgrims to its dreaming spires for centuries. The Unesco-listed Tuscan town is known both for its churches, brimming over with Renaissance art, and its white wine, made from local Vernaccia grapes. Rooms at the monastery, which has tranquil gardens in which to escape the tourist hordes, start at €38 a night, with a minimum two-night stay. San Gimignano, Tuscany, Italy monasterystays.com

5 MAYA COSMIC INSTITUTE, Mexico

The Mayan calendar ends on December 21st, so there’s still time to visit the Maya Cosmic Institute’s Maya Shamanism Workshop in Merida, Mexico, from December 3rd to 9th, to find out what happens next. Topics include the prophecies, sacred ceremonies and rituals of the Mayans plus the rise of the “Sacred Feminine”. The workshop price, with single hotel room, is $1,350 (€1,047).

[ Sacredearthjourneys.ca ]

6 STIFT HEILIGENKREUZ ABBEY, Austria

If it's the spiritual balm of sacred music you're after, check out Stift Heiligenkreuz Abbey in Austria's Vienna Woods. The Cistercian monks here top the charts with their Gregorian chant CDs. The medieval abbey is open to guided tours, but pilgrims are also welcome to come and stay, from €32 a night, as long as they attend prayers while here. Stift Heiligenkreuz Abbey, Vienna Woods, Austria, tel: 0043-2258 8703, stift-heiligenkreuz.org

7 THE SECULAR RETREAT, Devon, UK

Keep an eye out for the launch of the Secular Retreat in South Devon, the newest addition to the UK's Living Architecture initiative. Designed by architect Peter Zumthor as a secular take on ecclesiastical forms, the aim is to provide a holiday home dedicated to calm and reflection of the kind we currently associate with ancient monasteries or abbeys. Prices not yet confirmed, but should be around €950 for a holiday home that sleeps 10. living-architecture.co.uk

8 LE BLÉ EN HERBE, Massif, France

Le Blé en Herbe (the ripening seed) is a vegetarian guesthouse set in four hectares of beautiful organic gardens, fields and woodland in the heart of rural France. Run on environmentally friendly principles, it offers a range of themed retreats, with an emphasis on permaculture, organic farming and sustainable living. Rates from €28 per person B&B.

Le Blé en Herbe, Massif Central, France, tel: 0033-555 806 283, bleenherbes.free.fr

9 CASA SANTO NOME DI GESU, Florence, Italy

More like staying in a museum than a hotel, Casa Santo Nome di Gesu is actually a Florentine convent, housed in a 15th-century palace, with its own walled gardens along the banks of the Arno. Just don’t miss the 11.30pm curfew. Singles with shared facilities start at €33 in low season, rising to €45 in summer.

Casa Santo Nome di Gesu, Florence, Italy, tel: 0039-55 213 856, fmmfirenze.it

10 HOTEL OASI NEUMANN, Cortona, Italy

As a monastery, Oasi Neumann in Cortona dates back to the 13th century; however, a decline in vocations in the 1970s saw its religious owners develop it as a commercial hotel. B&B starts at €45 a night in high season, but it’s worth paying the extra €3 for a room with panoramic views over the Tuscan countryside.

Hotel Oasi Neumann, Cortona, Italy, tel: 0039-57 563 0127, servizire.it