Home away from home

The location of our accommodation for Spiritual Walks in Nature is an important aspect of our whole programme. We have chosen the Garden Hotel because it is a warm and welcoming establishment where you will be well looked after, and where you can find peace after a day of walking and reflections. It is also based in the centre of Varaždinske Toplice, which is a very special place of natural healing.

This ancient town has been recognised for its healing properties for millennia. The Romans built a temple here for the Goddess Minerva, and generations have come to bathe in the healing warm waters that emerge naturally from the Earth. These days there is a very modern thermal rehabilitation centre which was established 200 years ago in 1820, and is now listed among the best institutions providing physical therapy and rehabilitation in Croatia.

This beautiful little town lies in the peaceful Valley of the River Bednja and nestles among the picturesque green hills of the Hrvatsko Zagorje region whose history is older than the Stone Age. It is a very appropriate base for our spiritual walks in nature as each day we will start and return to a place of healing.

We are working with two accommodation places in Varaždinske Toplice – Pansion Bernarda and The Garden Hotel. The former is situated in a historic building, and the latter has a variety of single, double, twin and triple rooms and is well known locally for its family atmosphere and welcome. Both are hospitable places where you can really relax; a home away from home.

Varaždinske Toplice

It is possible to arrive earlier and/or leave later by prior arrangement. If you are coming from the USA or Canada etc, we suggest that you do come a day or two earlier in order to acclimatise yourself to the time difference. It is difficult to be present when you are tired!

Getting to Varaždinske Toplice by car: junction 5 of the autoroute E65 leads directly into the old town and there is free parking next to the Hotel Garden. The E65 connects directly with the motorway systems of Slovenia, Austria and Hungary and we are not too far away from Italy and Slovakia. As we meet for dinner on the first day and leave after breakfast on the last day, this means you can drive in daylight at any time of the year.

Getting to Varaždinske Toplice by bus or train: there are regular buses and trains to both Zagreb and Varazdin and we can arrange for you to be picked up from the bus/train station.

Getting to Varaždinske Toplice by air: Zagreb has a new airport and a growing number of routes. For example from this year Ryanair now has direct flights to the Zagreb from the UK, Belgium, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Norway, France and Italy. From the airport it is a 40 minute drive to Varaždinske Toplice.

Here are some photos of the accommodation for our Walking Retreats, and the surrounding area: