Retreat venues in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Organising a workshop or retreat in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Between the Drôme provençale, the Ardèche, the Auvergne volcanoes and the Alps, the region's landscapes have little in common. Its group gîtes, practice rooms and group accommodation centres host yoga, meditation, qi gong, mindful walking and singing retreats. Here, people choose a venue for the scenery as much as for its practice room.

Lyon is the obvious gateway: two hours from Paris by TGV, an international airport, and connections to Valence, Grenoble, Annecy or Clermont-Ferrand. Many venues in the Drôme and the Ardèche are less than an hour and a half from Lyon, which makes a weekend retreat easier to organise.

In the mountains you can work all year round, keeping cool in summer and sitting by the fire in winter. In the south of the region, spring and autumn are mild, and the light already feels Mediterranean.

Good to know

• In the mountains, check winter access (cleared roads, snow chains) before you fix your dates.
• In the Drôme, many venues farm organically and serve home cooking.
• For a group coming from Switzerland, Annecy and Haute-Savoie are right next door.