Creative Writing Trip in the National Park

Die im Jugendstil erbaute und behutsam renovierte Villa Sonnwend bietet durch ihre Alleinlage am Ende einer imposanten Kastanienallee die besten Voraussetzungen, damit Sie sich abseits vom Alltag Ihrem gewählten Urlaubsprogramm widmen können. Großzügige Grünflächen und Wanderwege, die direkt am Haus beginnen, bieten Ihnen Winter wie Sommer die Gelegenheit, die Naturschätze des Nationalparks Kalkalpen kennenzulernen.

At Villa Sonnwend, special emphasis is placed on balanced and varied cuisine. Seasonal ingredients take center stage in the menu planning, and the products are primarily sourced from the region. You’ll treat your taste buds to the breakfast and dinner buffets, which always include vegetarian options.

Through writing, you can anticipate what isn’t yet here but could be: a fresh start, an adventure, a farewell, a new perspective. In everyday life, caught between the dishwasher and meetings, that’s difficult. Out in the woods, with a sweeping view of mountains and meadows, it’s much easier.

We’ll take a break for five days. We’ll ask questions whose answers sound far too complicated in everyday life: Who am I? What do I believe in? And where am I headed? Through writing, we can find surprising answers to these questions. Authors like Marie-Luise Kaschnitz, Andy Warhol, Augustine, and Max Frisch provide inspiration. We’ll write for about three hours in the morning and meet again in the evening for a second writing session lasting about an hour and a half.

Creative writing techniques help us develop a text and find our own voice. We’ll explore the autobiographical collage and the minimalist chronicle, the personal list, automatic writing, and life in doodles. The results include scenes or dialogues, stories, or miniatures. There’s also plenty of time to explore the surroundings on hikes, discover the primeval forest on a national park tour, or simply make yourself comfortable on one of the lounge chairs in the garden. A cozy little sauna invites you to relax, and the excellent food is a delight…

Program Schedule
Approximately 3 hours daily in the morning and about 1.5 hours in the late afternoon. One session each on the arrival and departure days.

Our Program
In the morning, a delicious breakfast buffet featuring fresh fruit, regional bread and cheese specialties, homemade spreads, scrambled eggs, and a tea and espresso bar ensures a delightful start to the day.
Afterward, we pick up our pens for the first writing session; each day has its own theme.
A leisurely lunch break invites you to explore the area, hike in the national park, take a dip in 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.
Afterward, we watch the stars twinkle over a glass of wine.

Traveling by car: Take the Pyhrn Highway. Villa Sonnwend is located 90 km south of Linz.

Traveling by train: The nearest train station is Windischgarsten. A free pickup is available from there. Please provide your train number and arrival time at least two days before the program begins.