Creative writing trip in the national park

Built in Art Nouveau style and carefully renovated, Villa Sonnwend offers the perfect setting for you to enjoy your chosen vacation program away from everyday life, thanks to its secluded location at the end of an impressive chestnut tree avenue. Spacious green areas and hiking trails starting right outside the house offer you the opportunity to discover the natural treasures of the Kalkalpen National Park in both winter and summer.

At Villa Sonnwend, we place particular emphasis on balanced and varied cuisine. Seasonal aspects are at the forefront when designing our menus, and the products we use are mainly sourced from the region. You can indulge your taste buds at our breakfast and evening buffets, which always include vegetarian options.

Writing allows you to anticipate what is not yet, but could be: a new beginning, an adventure, a farewell, a prospect. In everyday life, between the dishwasher and meetings, this is difficult. Out in the forest, with a sweeping view of mountains and meadows, it's easier. We take five days off. We ask questions whose answers sound far too complicated in normal life: Who am I? What do I believe in? And where do I want to go? Writing can help us find surprising answers to these questions. Authors such as Marie-Luise Kaschnitz, Andy Warhol, Augustin, and Max Frisch provide inspiration. We write for about three hours in the morning and meet again in the evening for a second writing session of about an hour and a half. Creative writing methods help us develop a text and find our own voice. We discover autobiographical collage and minimal chronicles, personal lists, automatic writing, and scribbled life. Scenes or dialogues, narratives or miniatures emerge. There is also plenty of time to explore the surroundings on foot, discover the primeval forest on a national park tour, or simply make yourself comfortable on one of the loungers in the garden. A lovely little sauna invites you to relax and the excellent food to enjoy... Program scope Approximately 3 hours in the morning/mid-morning and approximately 1.5 hours in the late afternoon each day. One session on the day of arrival and one on the day of departure.

Our program In the morning, a delicious breakfast buffet with fresh fruit, regional bread and cheese specialties, homemade spreads, scrambled eggs, and a tea and espresso bar ensures a delightful start to the day. Afterwards, we pick up our pens for the first writing session, with each day having its own theme.
A long lunch break invites you to explore the area, hike in the national park, jump into one of the nearby lakes, or read a book on the terrace. In the afternoon, we meet for the second writing session. The day ends with a varied buffet featuring regional products. Afterwards, we watch the stars shine while enjoying a glass of wine.

Arrival by car: via the Pyhrn motorway. Villa Sonnwend is located 90 km south of Linz. Arrival by train: The nearest train station is Windischgarsten. A free pick-up service is available from there. Please provide your train number and arrival time at least two days before the start of the program.

Mayrwinkl 80, 4575 Rossleiten, Oberösterreich, Austria