A decade after opening its doors in northern Italy, the not-for-profit retreat centre offers a different approach to wellbeing, rooted in simplicity, contemplation and connection
In today’s fast-paced world of constant notifications, busy schedules and burnout, switching off has become something of a luxury. Set high on a hilltop overlooking Lake Orta in Piemonte, northern Italy, Mandali Retreat Centre is a not-for-profit sustainably built retreat centre designed to give guests time and space to slow down, disconnect from technology and reconnect with themselves, others and the natural world.
Mandali was originally founded in 2017 in response to a personal calling by two entrepreneurial friends, Wouter Tavecchio and Wildrik Timmerman, who previously built a successful business in organising international dance festivals. What started as a heartfelt wish – to create a place where people could reconnect, remember their true nature and find meaning – continues to guide the centre today.
Over the past decade, Mandali has quietly built an international community around meditation, conscious movement, personal growth and spiritual inquiry, with repeat guests returning yearly. As Mandali enters its second decade, it remains devoted to growing inwards and expanding mindfully, for generations to come.
Located just over an hour’s drive from Milan Malpensa airport or around 90 minutes from Milano Centrale by train and transfer, the centre sits within a peaceful alpine landscape overlooking Lake Orta towards the Swiss Alps. Its secluded setting is central to the experience, providing a natural antidote to the pace and distractions of everyday life.
Mandali is deliberately low-tech: Wi-Fi is available only in the library, encouraging guests to put their phones away and become fully immersed in their surroundings. The atmosphere is welcoming and non-dogmatic, with teachers from a broad range of traditions and lineages and programmes suitable for both experienced practitioners and complete beginners.
The Mandali Experience
At the heart of Mandali’s programme is the Mandali Experience, a three- to seven-day signature retreat designed to help guests unplug and reconnect with themselves.
The programme combines meditation, yoga, breathwork, qigong and conscious movement with personal-growth workshops, group sessions and periods of silence. Participation is intentionally flexible, allowing guests to choose what feels right for them and leave plenty of time for rest, contemplation or simply enjoying the landscape.
Throughout the year, Mandali also hosts a diverse programme of themed retreats led by internationally respected teachers, exploring teachings and traditions including Non-Duality, Buddhism and the Path of Love. The approach is intentionally inclusive: guests do not need to subscribe to a particular belief system or have previous experience of meditation or yoga. Instead, Mandali encourages an open heart and a curious mind.
A retreat designed around nature
Mandali’s physical environment is as considered as its programme. The centre has been designed as a series of interconnected dwellings inspired by a medieval Italian village, with Eastern influences woven into the architecture and interiors.
The design was created through a collaboration between architects Gian Carlo and Matteo Primatesta, interior designer Reineke Antvelink and Feng Shui specialist Simon Brown. Common spaces have been designed around principles of harmony and balance, creating places for both communal gathering and quiet reflection.
Conscious by design
Sustainability has been one of Mandali’s core principles since its creation. Local stone, plaster, roof tiles and reclaimed wood were used throughout the construction, while wood chips fuel the heating system and solar energy powers the kitchen and swimming pool.
Any surplus solar power is returned to the local grid for use by the surrounding community.
The same philosophy extends to the kitchen, where fresh vegetarian food is prepared daily using locally sourced and organic ingredients wherever possible. Mandali’s gardener, George Maddick, tends its permaculture garden, orchard and herb garden, and offers guests garden tours, with the long-term aim of growing more of the food served at the centre.
Simple, considered accommodation
Mandali offers a range of accommodation, from shared dormitory-style rooms to single, twin and premium rooms, all with en-suite bathrooms and views across the gardens or Lake Orta.
Premium lake-view rooms feature private bathtubs on their verandas, while two two-storey apartments, known as hermitages, offer self-contained kitchens and space for up to four guests.
The emphasis is on comfort and simplicity rather than traditional five-star luxury. There are no TVs or unnecessary distractions; instead, the rooms provide a quiet base from which to experience the wider retreat.
Space for body and mind
Alongside its retreat programme, Mandali’s Body Care Centre offers a space to relax and restore, with a Turkish bath, sauna and swimming pool, as well as holistic body treatments using natural products. For something more invigorating, guests can try Mandali’s new outdoor sauna and ice baths, set amongst the trees overlooking the lake, and guided by experienced teachers.
The surrounding landscape is equally important to the experience. Guests can take silent walks through the countryside, swim, spend time on the terraces overlooking the lake or find a quiet place to simply sit and do nothing.
Ten years of evolution
What began as a personal vision for founders Wouter Tavecchio and Wildrik Timmerman when they opened Mandali ten years ago has since developed into a global community of guests, teachers and facilitators, all connected by a desire to look inward.
Their original intention – to create a place where people could reconnect, find meaning and remember their “true nature” – remains at the heart of Mandali today.
As the centre moves into its second decade, its philosophy remains simple: less noise, less technology, fewer distractions and more time to be present.
For more information about Mandali and the full retreat schedule visit www.mandali.org.
photography: Sofia Gomez Fonzo
