Venues for meditation retreats

For a meditation retreat, silence matters as much as the room. The venues on this list are often set well back from roads and villages, out in the countryside, with a plain practice room and space outside to walk or sit.

What makes a good meditation venue

You need quiet, day and night, simple bedrooms where people sleep well, light meals served at set times, and a host who isn't surprised when a group stays silent for several days. Ask whether the venue takes silent retreats and whether it can adapt the meals.

For a long retreat, look at areas that see few visitors out of season: Limousin, the Morvan, the Cévennes, inland Brittany.