Le centre Coeur, a wellbeing retreat venue in Normandy Visibility

About the venue

Le Centre Coeur is a retreat venue in Normandy, set in the former convent of a small town that is easy to reach from Paris (by road or regional train). It is dedicated to inner work, the flourishing of consciousness and expression in all its forms, with special spaces designed as havens for practice.

Le Centre Coeur can host around 30 people for personal development and spirituality workshops, art workshops, creative retreats or artist residencies, whether solo or in small groups.

A retreat venue with several rooms and green spaces

First, there is a large 160m2 practice room with a wooden floor (measured under France's Carrez rules, which leave out low-ceilinged areas, so 190m2 of actual floor space) on the top floor of the building. It is flooded with light from its south-facing aspect and has a lovely view of the convent garden, the quiet neighbouring houses and, above all, the countryside, the forest and the lake.

The room is equipped with mats, cushions, zafus, a sound system and a video projector.

For expressive work through sound, singing, theatre, and music, but also for contemplation, prayer and meditation, the venue’s private chapel is the perfect setting. Its stained-glass windows, its vaulted ceiling 8 m above the floor, its stillness and its acoustics make it a space to explore, lending a particular depth and solemnity to every moment spent within its walls. Here, you can feel and hear the value of the present moment.

Finally, there is the artist's studio. It is the convent's old wash house, with the washing basin still inside. The space is raw and has been left just as it was. Set in the inner courtyard of the wash house and looking out onto La Chapelle, it is quiet and secluded. Here you can focus fully on what you are about to make, bringing every kind of visual art to life with your hands. This space can hold around 10 people.

Meals are either self-catering or full board. Depending on what you'd like to eat, we can put you in touch with a suitable chef from our address book, who will come and cook for you at the Centre Coeur. 

The Centre Coeur is now ready to open its doors.

Don't miss this chance to discover a place that offers a protective matrix, a cocoon that makes introspection easier and helps you return to your Centre, to your Heart.

Bookings and prices: https://www.centrecoeur.fr

See more: https://www.instagram.com/centrecoeur/?hl=fr

Contact: contact@centrecoeur.fr
Alice de France: 06 30 08 88 79
Nicolas Mauran: 07 81 34 24 86

The story of this unique retreat venue in Normandy

Le Centre Coeur has been the project at the heart of our lives for 2 years. Ever since I came across it in the “for sale” section of leboncoin, Nicolas Mauran and I, both therapists and partners in life as well as in work, have devoted most of our time and energy to this place. Just a 5-minute walk from our home, this former convent was being sold by the nuns themselves, as their community had dwindled.

We were already planning to buy a place and turn it into a spiritual and artistic centre, but we never imagined we would find it a five-minute walk from home, in our own small town. After more than 1 year of paperwork to complete the purchase, and so many emotions along the way, each one deepening our commitment to this place and to the plans we had for it, we finally got the keys for good.

Since we first came across this place, we have been lucky enough to go there almost every week, and now every day. We have taken the time to listen as it tells us its story: through the cracks in the walls, the birdsong in the garden, the sound of silence in the chapel, the very particular light of the old wash house. All this time spent getting to know the place has allowed us to approach its renovation with respect for its history, while also making sure participants are comfortable.

Room details: 160 m²

Open: All year round, launching August 2022