A most magical pre-holiday experience in one of the most Christmas-y places on Earth! Stay in the Black Forest in Germany, one of the most popular European holiday destinations. We’ll explore this part of Germany and nearby Strousbourg, France, also known as “The Christmas Capital.” Take a respite between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Leave room in your luggage for the most unique presents, and join in on this immersive cultural adventure!
❋ World Famous Christmas Markets
It would be hard not to get into the Christmas spirit with the sights, lights, and sounds of the markets. Indulge in homemade German foods, beverages, and handmade goods. Check everyone off of your Christmas shopping list.
This fairy tale like winter wonderland is also well stocked with German thermal baths, some dating back to the Roman Empire.
You’ll get to experience the sauna, thermal baths, and spa experience, German style (note: we will visit spas that are not strictly textile free, but you’re welcome to try a textile free spa on your own time)!
❋ Thermal Baths
❋ Experience the ONLY 100% Gluten Free Christmas Market in the world
❋ Yoga, of course
Naturally, yoga will be offered, but for this retreat, only in the mornings. If we happen to return home early one evening, there will be an option for yoga at night. Because of the nature of this retreat - cultural immersion, the itinerary will be flexible. We may want to linger at a market or in a city, find some amazing scenic/nature areas, or happen upon something unique and exciting.
We’ll stop along our travels to catch the numerous waterfalls along our route. We’re also currently looking into easy winter hikes (as paths are cleared and accessible in the winter and the views are incredible!)
❋ Gorgeous Nature
❋ Day Trip to Strousbourg, France
“Capitale de Noel” - The Christmas Capital - is home to the best Christmas market in all of France. We’ll spend a day enjoying the best Strousbourg has to offer. Learn more about Strousbourg here.
Enjoy a private sauna at our house with views of the garden (or possibly snow covered yard in December).
❋ Private In Home Sauna
Breakfast will be provided every morning and dinner on the evening of your arrival. The rest of the meals we will enjoy while out and about, experiencing Germany and France! The Christmas Markets offer plentiful options for meals, and there are restaurants in walking distance to our house. Breakfast can be accommodated for dietary restrictions (your host is gluten and mostly dairy free).
❋ Daily Breakfast
Retreats are a special place to meet new friends, reconnect with old ones, and take the time to pause and be with yourself. While we will be spending a lot of time exploring, the moments of travel and movement will be filled with laughter, light heartedness, and a special kind of camaraderie that shows up at every Soul Dreams retreat. It’s a sacred container to both experience and reflect on life.
❋ Camaraderie. Adventure. Culture.
The Black Forest is well known for its plentiful small towns, historical architecture, and Christmas markets, among other things. Join us on this very unique experience before the holiday season!
A cultural immersion. A plethora of Christmas Markets. The famous “Christmas City.” Thermal Baths. Private Sauna. The best travel buddies. And you.
The Basics:
This retreat is slightly different than our previous offerings because our focus is more heavily on immersing ourselves in the culture and nature of Germany and France.
Think: A little less itinerary heavy (since we may love one stop but not really feel too excited about another) and more of a wandering, wondering, exploratory approach.
Yoga in the morning, followed by breakfast at the house, and then a day out in the world (minus our final free day which is unscheduled).
Afternoon and evening meals eaten at the markets or restaurants. Enjoy the local favorites, eat something you can’t pronounce, and maybe even try something you can’t quite identify. It’s all part of the experience.
If you love structure more than flexibility, this is an opportunity to challenge yourself.
Room Options:
Shared Room: $2397
Please note, a shared room could include a bunk bed. There are bedrooms with King size beds available (great for partners or close friends to share) as well as a bedrooms with bunk beds. While I always try my best not to put adults in bunk beds, this time it was unavoidable.
Private Room: $2647
Please note, all bathrooms are shared in this house
This retreat is limited to 7 guests. Men are welcome to attend.
Includes:
Transportation while in Germany and France, including to/from the airport if you arrive and depart in the windows stated below.
Breakfast each morning and dinner on the first evening. Dietary restrictions can be accomodated.
Accomodations in a private home, including use of the private sauna.
Welcome gift for all retreat goers.
All activities at the house (yoga, cacao, meditation).
Additional Costs:
Your meals and purchases at the Christmas Markets and while exploring Germany and France.
A day at the spa.
Your flight.
Flight Information:
You will fly into Frankfurt, Germany (FRA)
If traveling only for the retreat, you will need to depart the US on December 1st to arrive on December 2nd. You will depart Germany on December 8th and arrive in the US on December 8th (due to the time change). You’re welcome to arrive or depart earlier or later if you plan to explore on your own.
Please select flights that have you arrive before 2pm to Frankfurt and have you depart at 11am or later from Frankfurt. You will find flights that fit into this category from Lufthansa and United Airlines (both nonstop flights) and Icelandair (one stop layover).
Lufthansa currently has nonstop flights from Newark (EWR) to Frankfurt (FRA). The price fluctuates and I recommend checking prices midweek - the price difference from checking it on a Thursday evening to a Saturday evening was $150 higher.
Icelandair currently has a sale (now thru 9/21) on flights from Newark (EWR) and JFK to Frankfurt for around $654 with a checked bag included and a free carry on and personal item. It does include a layover in Iceland. However! Icelandair offers a free stopover program. This means you can spend some time in Iceland either before or after the trip, at no additional airfare cost to you. Of course, all of the time in Iceland will incur additional costs. If you need assistance with organizing that experience, I am happy to help. I have watched Icelandair flights change by significant amounts in a single day. I recommend checking flight prices midweek rather than over the weekend. Ignore the “2 seats left” because it is never actually true ;)
We do not recommend Singapore Airlines, Delta, KLM, Air France, Virgin Atlantic or Brussels Airlines unless you want to arrange your own transportation to the airport for your departing flight, as it is more than 4 hours earlier than the other airlines. Our house is a 2 hour, 15 minute drive from the Frankfurt Airport via car; over 4 hours via public transportation, which is not very easy to navigate without some working knowledge of German.
Meet Your Host
Erica Onofrio has been traveling the world since the age of 16. Aside from owning and operating her year round, full time Yoga & Reiki studio in Ocean City, NJ, she also loves to travel and host retreats all over the world. This will be her 11th retreat to host. She is most excited for the Gluten Free Christmas Market, which was the original inspiration for this retreat! While she’s previously traveled to Germany, she has not been to the Black Forest or France and looks forward to adventuring with retreat goers to these new places.
How did we get to a Christmas Market Retreat in Germany and France!?
It all started with discovering that Sasbachwalden, Germany, hosts the only 100% Gluten Free Christmas Market in the world.
Having to eat gluten free for the past 16 years of my life, I was immediately intrigued. Of course, I would love to go where the choices are endless (and not just salad or a bunless burger…)and surely, I can’t be the only one!
As I researched more, I learned about the incredible culture around Christmas markets - with the first recorded “December” market held in the year 1310! This is a legacy. A tradition. And older than our own country. It’s something we don’t get just yet in America and won’t be here long enough to experience on our own soil.
And it turns out the the “Christmas Capital” of France is only a little over an hour away from our house. So naturally, a day in Strousbourg made the cut. Because, France.
I’m excited to offer a different style retreat and look forward to jump starting the holiday season surrounded by Christmas magic in the heart of the Black Forest and the infamous Christmas City of France.
If this sounds intriguing to you, I hope you’ll join in on this adventure!
All retreats hosted by Soul Dreams studio are sober retreats. This means there is no alcohol or drug use allowed in any form. If this doesn’t work for you, this isn’t the retreat for you. Thank you for your understanding.
Our private chef will cook breakfast and one dinner during the retreat. Dietary restrictions and allergies can be accommodated. The host has celiac disease and adheres to a strict gluten free diet and extremely minimal dairy and the chef has knowledge on how to prepare meals for gluten and dairy free guests. Please reach out to discuss any other dietary restrictions or concerns at info@souldreamsstudio.com
Our retreats have hosted guests from the ages of 21 to 76! We welcome guests of all ages to join us.
While all of the retreats we have hosted so far have been mostly all women, we recently welcomed our first male participants on our last two retreats. We have had other men express interest in joining in on a retreat but they do not want to be the only male (totally understandable)! So, if you are a male who is interested in this retreat and doesn’t want to be the only guy, please reach out directly and we will see what stars we can align!
Often, our retreat goers are not regular yoga practitioners, however, they enjoy the yoga during the retreat and many have started a regular yoga practice upon returning home. All yoga classes (and any group events) are completely optional.
Your host, Erica Onofrio, began hosting retreats in 2023. This retreat to Germany is the 11th retreat for her to host. You can read more about previous retreats and most popular questions and answers here.
Still have questions? Please reach out to Erica directly, either via email at info@souldreamsstudio.com or via phone 609-442-4266
Common Q & A’s
We welcome everyone to join us on our retreats, whether you’ve never done yoga, have been practicing for years, or you’re somewhere in between. We offer morning movement and if time allows on this retreat, evening relaxation style yoga. All yoga is accessible to all levels and we firmly believe in doing what feels right for your body.
All yoga is optional and sometimes, retreat goers opt out.
What if I don’t do yoga?
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Each trip has different excursion offerings and an alternative option if you’d rather not join in the excursion. Since excursions are an add on, you only pay for the ones you go on.
What if I can’t do all of the excursions?
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We can easily accommodate dietary restrictions. Your retreat host is gluten and diary free, and we’ve had pescatarians, vegetarians, vegans, and also corn/soy/dairy/sugar free folks join us in the past. Our chef is also well versed in avoiding cross contamination.
What if I have dietary restrictions?
3
Why are all of your retreats sober retreats?
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We don’t feel alcohol and/or drugs blend well with spirituality. We also strive to provide fresh, clean, healthy meals and create an environment for self-reflection, deep relaxation, and connection. In addition, in order to keep the retreat a sacred space where those who have previously had experiences with substance abuse can come stress free and enjoy without worry of pressure or temptation, all of our retreats are sober retreats. We understand people have different relationships with substances, but this has been our practice since our first retreat. If this doesn’t work for you, this is not the retreat for you.