Among the first retreats to gain widespread popularity were yoga retreats. Over time, the wellness world has seen many others emerge: retreats dedicated to women, silent meditation retreats, solo retreats, detox programs, fitness retreats, or experiences designed to support emotional balance. Each has its own identity and duration, shaped by the practices and rituals included, all aimed at fostering balance and well-being. The word retreat has entered everyday language, evolving and transforming in a free, creative, and unconventional way. Alongside the figure of the retreat leader, who guides the activities, professionals from the travel industry specializing in the organization and promotion of retreats have also emerged. This has given rise to a true wellness ecosystem, with its own dynamics and flexible boundaries, in which participants themselves are called to navigate with awareness.
How can we best approach a retreat? How can we reap real benefits from it? How can we choose the retreat that is best suited to us?
A step back towards oneself
The word itself says it all: from the Latin retrahere, which means “to draw back” or “to move away.” Withdrawing from everyday life means distancing oneself from the frenetic pace, the incessant commitments, and everything that pulls us away from ourselves, to return to what really matters: ourselves and our path of growth.
In today's society, this is not easy. Work does not wait, appointments mark our days, and even when we stop, our minds remain hooked on thoughts, worries, or the need to plan for the future. A retreat teaches us to take a step back, to truly disconnect. To immerse ourselves in quality time: with our bodies breathing, our minds calming down, our hearts opening up. Free from other commitments, we rediscover the flow of time. Time for ourselves.
Learning the art of Well-Being
A retreat is a step toward redefining our lifestyle. In the time we choose to dedicate to ourselves, far from distractions and deadlines, we can reclaim the practices that nourish health and well-being. Whether it's consolidating what we already know but struggle to practice consistently, or discovering new techniques and treatments, it's always a learning journey. It means learning to listen to ourselves, to let go, to recognize what is truly good for us. It means not neglecting any aspect of ourselves and finding the courage to step outside our comfort zone, where it is often easier to remain. Because well-being is a journey and, like any journey, it requires presence, listening, a reawakening of instinct, and the desire to learn and evolve.
Walking together
With the holistic practitioners at the Preidlhof Spa, who accompany and support you every step of the way with expertise, attentiveness, and care. Professionals who facilitate the process of transformation, encouraging experimentation and offering support when needed, while fully respecting each person's pace, needs and uniqueness.
And then, with the other guests we met in the retreat’s special classes, during moments of sharing, and in informal spaces. Walking together means recognizing oneself in the stories of others, knowing that one is not alone on the journey, discovering that transformation becomes lighter and more authentic when it is shared. It means giving something of oneself and learning from the mirrors that others offer us. In this safe space, the group becomes a resource and mutual support.
Integrated nourishment
A retreat is a holistic experience, offering rich and varied programs that blend wellness practices and rituals, fitness and movement activities, massages, sharing sessions, cultural immersion, and light menus designed to support the journey. During a retreat, we learn new techniques and uncover fresh nuances in practices we have known for years. We experience firsthand the synergy between movement, nutrition, meditation, treatments, and other wellness experiences. We observe how emotional rebalancing affects the body, sensing the interconnectedness of all our dimensions. In a safe and supportive environment, we can challenge ourselves, stumble and rise again, gain benefits and insights, and explore a lifestyle to bring back into our everyday lives.
What is your Preidlhof transformational wellness retreat?
Awarded at the 2025 World Luxury Awards as Europe’s Best Luxury Healing Retreat, Glowing Flow Retreat – “Retreat to Nature” is one of Preidlhof’s nine Transformational Wellness Retreats, and a true symbol and authentic expression of its holistic wellness philosophy.
Nine unique retreats, each with a structured but flexible program, personalized and carefully tailored to the personal history, aspirations, and goals of each guest, leaving room for discoveries that emerge along the way.
Integrated Wellness – The Longevity Retreat | a transformative and profound experience
Glowing Flow – “Retreat to Nature” | to awaken the inner healer
Traditional Wellness | regeneration through wellness classics
Women | dedicated to women and the stages of their journey
Sensorial Journey | an experiential journey that stimulates all the senses
Wellness for 2 | to rediscover yourself and communicate in a new way
Energy & Healing for 2 | a couples retreat that harmonizes energy, play, and awareness
Zest – regenerating spa rituals that celebrate vital energy
Silhouette – to reshape your silhouette with awareness
A retreat is a conscious choice. It is the time we decide to give ourselves to listen more deeply and regain balance. Because a true retreat doesn’t end when we return home—it continues every time we choose to take care of ourselves.