Late summer is a beautiful time to be in the forests and by the rivers. The abundance of summer is coming to an end but there is a feeling of richness in the air. This is a wonderful time to fully immerse yourself in nature.
Why not join us for this week which will change your whole life?
Saturday 3rd September 2022: Arrival day:
We will be based in the Hotel Garden in the centre of Varażdinske Toplice. This delightful ancient town is 75 km from Zagreb and a 40 minute drive from the airport. We are around three hours drive from Vienna and Budapest, and two hours from Ljubjlana.
Arrive in time to take a walk around this beautiful old town and join us for dinner and an informal meeting in the evening.
Sunday 4th September 2022: Being present in nature
We will start our spiritual walks in nature with a day of forest bathing. Leaving as a group after breakfast, we will take the minibus to the Kalnik Mountain. Here we will take the time to connect with the forest, the trees, the rocks, the sounds and the smells of nature. This will be an opportunity to really immerse ourselves in the healing energy of the trees.
We will explore what this feels like, leaving behind any expectations or purpose. We will just be present. This will not be a time for talking, it will be a time to become grounded. To introduce ourselves to this magic land and to start building a relationship that we will deeper over the coming days. Later on our return to the Pansion there will be an opportunity to share our experiences.
Monday 5th September 2022: Going deeper
Today, after breakfast, our minibus will take us to another forest where we will start connecting with the ancestors of this ancient land. There is evidence of the presence of the Celts deep in the woods and we will visit these ancient stones, walking along the route known as the Elvin Path. Later we will drive to the Vindija cave. It is estimated that the Neanderthals lived in this cave over 40,000 years ago approximately 8000 years before modern humans lived in this part of the world.
During today’s walks there will be an opportunity to go deeper, to feel the connection with the Earth and the nature even more intensely. The purpose of this journey is to leave behind the distractions of day-to-day life and here, while we walk on paths that Neanderthals and early humans walked on millennia ago, we can let go of all the pressures and just be ourselves.
Tuesday, 6th September 2022: Going with the flow
Today we will go to the neighbouring county of Međimurje. This triangular shaped region is enclosed on two sides by the rivers Mura and Drava. These beautiful watercourses have both flowed down through Slovenia from the Austrian Alps. We will walk by both rivers and also go to the point of confluence near the small town of Legrad, at the very tip of Međimurje. This is a very special place where these two great rivers join to continue their journey as one, flowing down the border with Hungary to eventually meet up with the Danube near Osijek.
Our journey is also about flowing, connecting with the water, the rivers and the rhythm of all living things. Many of us seek to “Go with the flow,” as a way of achieving more peace and harmony in our lives. Connecting with the movement and energy of the water in the rivers is a very good way to do this. Water is the spiritual communicator with its ability to purify, protect and heal. It is also incredibly powerful. So today we will be present with the water, the rivers and the flow of life.
Wednesday, 7th September 2022: Being with yourself
Today after breakfast we will walk up to the woods above the Temple to Minerva, passing the site of the remains of the Roman baths, where the hot healing water springs out of the ground. In this place of healing we will have a Meditative Circle connecting with ourselves, the others in the group and the nature around us.
The rest of the day will be free for you to choose what you wish to do. There are lots of options including a visit to a thermal spa, a guided tour of the old town of Varaždin, wine-tasting, castle visiting or just spending time on your own reflecting on your journey so far. There will have been plenty of opportunities during the previous days to discuss what you might wish to do on this afternoon.
Thursday, 8th September 2022: Finding harmony with nature
Today we will walk up, through the beech forest to the Dragon’s seat, combining this with a walk to a forest meadow with streams and waterfalls on the Ivančica mountain. Our purpose will be to align ourselves with the sounds of nature, seeking balance and harmony with them.
The healing power of sound is recognised within ancient wisdom and the opportunity to take the time to give and receive sound is a sacred gift that is profoundly transformational. Here in this beautiful place of nature we will make a Sacred Sound Healing Circle. We will use our voices to create a Mandala of Sound which will cleanse and balance our individual chakras, as well as bringing healing for those we love and Mother Earth. Together we will give and receive blessings with each other, the mountains, nature, and the Elementals.
Friday 9th September 2022: Your personal Camino
After breakfast today the minibus will take us to Varaždin station where we will get the local train to xxxx. From here we will walk to Marija Bistrica. This is a place of pilgrimage and the old Marian shrine of the Black Madonna is visited by hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year. This will be an opportunity for us to walk our own personal Camino.
The word Camino means journey. So while we walk to a sacred place of pilgrimage we will have the opportunity to reflect on our journey. What have our connections with the trees, forest and hills taught us? What did we learn from the rivers and their ability to flow? What did we hear when we talked to the little voice within us? Today we will walk our own personal Camino like all pilgrims in time beyond the reach of memory.
The minibus will then pick us up and take us back to Pansion Bernarda in time for dinner and a farewell session.
Saturday 10th September 2022: Time to leave…..
Pansion Bernarda is 75 km from Zagreb and a 40 minute drive from the airport https://www.bernarda-tourism.eu/en/
If you are travelling from outside Europe please let us know if you would like to arrive a day or two earlier in order to become accustomed to the time zone.
We can also make recommendation and arrangements for the rest of your time in Croatia, just ask!