Austrian Alps Active Alpine Yoga Retreat Itinerary

AUSTRIAN ALPS ACTIVE Alpine Yoga Retreat – Itinerary*

TOUR DAYS PROPOSED ACTIVITIES

Day 1. Arrival and Your retreat experience begins with your pick up from the beautiful medieval town of Feldkirch. Orientation We then drive into the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Grosses Walsertal valley, take in some lunch at a local guesthouse then arrive at your 'home away from home' for the next week: 'Alpen Resort Grosses Walsertal'.

After a tour of the hotel and its wellness amenities we will take a walk around the local Faschina village to orient ourselves and breathe in the mountain air. We meet for a Welcome Drink and a briefing for the week ahead before getting to know each over over a scrumptious dinner.

Day 2. Yoga, Explore We greet the day with yoga on an outdoor terrace overlooking the Grosses Walsertal alps. After Fontanella-Faschina + Make breakfast we venture down to the village of Fontanella (population 480) to gain an insight into your own Mountain Herbal life in a small alpine village.

Tea To work up an appetite for lunch we do a one hour (approx.) walk up through the meadows of Faschina to Franz Josef's Hut. After enjoying some traditional alpine fare, we take a chairlift ride down back down to the village.

The afternoon will be spent with Elisabeth Burtscher learning about the flowers, herbs and plants that the Walser people have used for centuries to to help maintain and improve their health. You will make your own tea which you can take with you to enjoy.

Day 3. Yoga, Immersion and We begin our day again with our outdoor yoga practise - taking in the panoramas, sounds and Mindfulness in Alpine energy of the Austrian Alps. Meadows and Forests + After breakfast we will take a cable car over to the other side of the Grosses Walsertal valley to Learn about the Biosphere Stein mountain. A two hour (approx.) walk will take us through picture postcard alpine meadows and forests. Two highlights of this walk are the 'Echo wall' and the 'Klangraum' sound trail that we will journey through in silent mindfulness.

After lunch we will hear from a local about the philosophies and practises of the local 'Walser' people, how this has enabled them to live in sustainable harmony with nature, and how the certification as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve will assist in the preservation of their environmentally conscious culture.

Day 4. Yoga + Barefoot in Starting the day with our peaceful morning ritual of yoga outdoors we will be now feeling the Bregenzerwald Moors change in our consciousness and self.

Our mindfulness and grounding with the earth will be further developed today with our excursion to the nearby valley of the Bregenzerwald. Here we will take off our shoes, bare our feet to the textures and energy of the ground beneath us, and walk the purpose built 'Barefoot Nature Trail' in Bizau.

Lunch will be a special experience at the Biohotel Schwanen - an organic and eco-sustainable restaurant and hotel of excellence.

On our return home we will stop by an enchanting forest adventure park for a walk, and for anyone willing there will be the opportunity to also extend themselves with some fun ropes or climbing courses.

Day 5. The Famed Arlberg + Our rhythm is a bit different today. We won't be having yoga first thing. Instead we will have Yoga Riverside breakfast then set off to the famed Arlberg mountain massif. A walk (~2 hours) will take us up to view and enjoy the incredibly picturesque alpine lake of Koerbersee (voted as 2017 Austria's most beautiful place).

Lunch will be at a charming guesthouse that has a 400+ year old history.

The afternoon will be spent in 'Lech am Arlberg' - a prestigious alpine village that is the destination for Europe's jet-set crowd in the winter. We will spend only a little time in the village itself before heading out for a walk along the tranquil Lech River. We will reach a beautiful grassy spot where we will then unroll our yoga mats, find our presence and then undertake an unforgettable yoga practise.

Day 6. Yoga, Healing Waters Our final yoga session will be once again on the outdoor terrace taking in the spectacular alpine of 'Bad Rothenbrunnen + surrounds. It will help prepare us for the day ahead as well as the lives we return to. Own Wellness Time Today we venture down into the lush valley floor of our Grosses Walsertal for some walking and water play. We will take the time to enjoy the Lutz river and its natural waterhole, and then soak our feet in the iron-rich mineral spring waters of 'Bad Rothenbrunnen' (a place of healing since the 15th century).

After lunch we will return to the hotel for an afternoon of own leisure. You will have time to enjoy the wellness facilities, to have a swim in the pool, or to just sit and just take in the stunning panorama and ambience of your alpine paradise.

Day 7. St Gerold Monastery After your final delicious breakfast, we say goodbye to your home and the team at Alpen Resort + Farewells Walsertal.

We drive down the scenic Grosses Walsertal road to the St Gerold monastery - a special place of spirituality, healing and culture first mentioned in manuscripts around 1000 AD. We take a walk along the 'Path of the Senses' for some final reflection and contemplation before sitting down for a lunch of the fresh home-grown produce from the monastery's own garden.

We then leave our Grosses Walsertal Biosphere Reserve and return to the town of Feldkirch* where the retreat began 7 days ago. We give thanks for the journey we have made together and bid each other 'namaste'. ❤

* Drop off time is by 1.40pm at Feldkirch train station (for the 1.50pm train to Zurich) or to nominated hotels in Feldkirch.

*Please note that the following program is subject to change or variation - depending on weather, condition of walking trails, retreat guests' abilities and preferences and/ or unforeseen circumstances. It serves as a guide only. Updated and further information of the walks and activities will be outlined at the commencement of the retreat. Daily yoga practises will be from 7 - 8.30am, except for Day 5 which will take place during the afternoon (weather permitting).

For more information or to book visit www.austrianalpsactive.com.au or call Maree Burtscher on +61 (0) 425 881 733.