Head to Slovenia for a monastic experience

Fancy sleeping in a former monastery? Slovenia can deliver that.

Mekinje Monastery has introduced a distinctive new hospitality concept - an overnight stay designed as a retreat into silence, simplicity and the culture of the mid-20th century.

Conceived for individuals and couples seeking respite from the pressures of modern life, constant connectivity and digital noise, the program offers an opportunity to slow down and reconnect. 

Guests stay in renovated monastic rooms furnished with restored pieces from the former Kamnik monastery.

The interiors echo the 1950s with the architectural and cultural landmark said to offer "dignified presence and contemplative ambience".

The rural location is surrounded by greenery and overlooking the Kamnik–Savinja Alps.



An essential part of the experience is discovering the monastery’s history - dating back to 1300 - and the lives of the monks and nuns, including Ursuline and Poor Clare sisters.

Visitors can explore exhibitions, join guided tours of the monastery and chapel and discover herbal products from the monastery garden. Mornings begin with a simple herb-infused breakfast featuring seasonal ingredients.

Additional experiences can be arranged in advance, including herbal and culinary workshops, orchard visits, guided tours and options dedicated to calming body and mind - from yoga and meditation to sound and mindfulness workshops.

Overnight rates start at €70 per person and curated multi-day packages are available – from experiences celebrating traditions beneath the Kamnik mountains to family retreats tailored monastic packages for seniors.

See https://monasterymekinje.eu/

Photos: Blaž Muc

Meet the nuns who'd like to sell you a bottle or two of their wine

It was a good vintage in 2022 for winemakers in the south of the Netherlands. 

Which is why the nuns from the the Sint Catharinadal monastery in Oosterhout have too much wine in their cellar. 

The enterprising nuns have started an online campaign to sell the excess stock, Breda Vandaag newspaper reported. 

“The dry, warm and sunniest season ever produced beautiful, full bunches of grapes last year,” Prioress Sister Maria Magdalena told the newspaper. 

"We were able to make 64,000 bottles of rosé and white wine from this, almost twice as much as in a normal season." 

But it has proved a challenge for the nuns to get rid of their stock, so they have linked with the Breda Maakt Mij Bliij (Breda Makes Me Happy) online platform. 

Bottles of the 2022 white blend (pinot blanc, pinot gris and auxerrois blanc) are on offer from  €14.50 a bottle, along with the 2022 rosé made from pinot noir and gamay. 

The nuns started making wine in 2014 to fund the maintenance of their convent’s buildings. 

Thibaud van der Steen, co-founder of Breda Maakt Mij Blij, which helps producers, farmers and growers sell excess goods, said the nuns called him a few weeks ago to ask for help.

Image: Breda Vandaag