Questions about your dark retreat

Most questions reach us late in the evening, from someone sitting with a train timetable in one tab and our website in the other. Fair enough – a dark retreat in the Czech Republic is not a weekend in the next town. Here are the answers we give most often. Lenka and I have been doing this since 2013, with more than 3,000 people, so we have heard most of these more than once 🙂

In the dark

Is a dark retreat safe?

Nobody locks you in. You switch off the light yourself, and you can switch it on again or walk out of the door at any moment. We live in our log house 50 metres from the cabins and come by with food, so there is always someone close. If you need us, you can let us know at any time.

Darkness itself doesn’t attack anyone. What can feel intense is what comes up in your own head. That is why we ask everyone to read who a dark retreat is not for before booking.

What if I can’t stand it?

Then you switch on the light. No drama, nobody will judge you. About one person in ten ends the stay early, and we tell you that number because it is real.

It helps to know what usually happens. The first days, most people mostly sleep. Then the mind often throws a little tantrum and a voice asks: “What am I even doing here?” That is normal, and it usually passes. People tell us afterwards it was easier than they had imagined.

What about my phone?

Switched off and put away. A glowing screen is the end of total darkness, and honestly, the phone is half the reason people need a retreat in the first place. Tell your family before you go that you will be offline for a few days; we are within reach if anything happens.

How do I shower and use the toilet in total darkness?

Every cabin has its own shower with warm water, a deep tray and a seat, a washbasin and a flushing toilet. On arrival you see it all with the light on, and after a day your hands know the way. Hooks for your things, a shelf by the bed and space under it make it easy to keep order.

The water heater holds 30 litres, which is enough for a 5 to 15 minute shower, and it heats up again in about an hour and a half. Long showers are the one thing the darkness won’t do for you 😉

Is it really quiet?

Very. With the ventilation off, the cabin measures around 24 dB at night – quieter than a whisper. Lomec is a village of about 30 people with fields and woods behind the cabins. Now and then you will hear our two dogs, a rooster, or a fighter jet from the air base in Čáslav, 12 km away. Earplugs and ear defenders are available to borrow.

What will I eat? Can I fast?

If you book with meals, you get vegetarian food for the whole day. We bring it to the small entrance hall of your cabin, so you can collect it without any light getting in. If you have a special diet, write to us beforehand, or bring your own food – that is fine too.

Fasting is also possible; book without meals. There is a kettle in every cabin, and the tap water comes from our well, without chlorine and fine to drink.

What should I bring?

Comfortable clothes, your own food if you are fasting or eat differently, and a thermos if you like warm drinks at hand. Bedding is ready for you. Please leave chemical shower gels, shampoos, perfumes and antiperspirants at home – the cabin is small, the air matters and our wastewater is cleaned in a small plant on site before it goes into the garden.

Coming from the UK? Czech sockets are type E, so pack an adapter. The full packing list for a dark retreat abroad is in our journal.

Travelling to your dark retreat near Prague

How do I get from Prague airport to you?

From Václav Havel Airport take the AE bus, or city bus 119 or 59 plus the metro, to the centre and Praha hlavní nádraží (main station) – roughly 30 to 45 minutes. From there, direct trains to Kutná Hora hlavní nádraží run about every hour during the day and take around an hour. Check the timetable on cd.cz. The whole route is on Dark retreat near Prague.

Can you pick me up from the station?

Yes, for free. Tell us your train and we will collect you by car in Kutná Hora, Čáslav or Bykáň. If you would like to arrive on foot, trains from Kutná Hora reach Bykáň at 15:30 and 17:30. From there it is 6 km through Úmonín, past the château and along a field track – about an hour, and a lovely way to slow down.

Can I come by car? Where do I park?

Of course, and parking at our place is free. From Prague it is about 90 km, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes: the D11 towards Hradec Králové, exit at Kolín, then on to Kutná Hora and Lomec. From Dresden count on about 2.5 hours, from Vienna about 3.5. The GPS of our gate is 49.8678117 N, 15.2862292 E.

Do you speak English? And German?

We speak Czech and English. Tom is happy to talk in English on the phone: +420 608 08 33 33. We also answer emails in German, with a little help from a translator.

Can I pay in euros?

Yes, all our prices are in euros. You pay by SEPA bank transfer, PayPal or Wise, and a gift voucher can also be paid by card. You only need Czech crowns for things outside our gate, like lunch in Kutná Hora. Details are on the prices page.

Who comes and when

What is the best time of year?

Any time. The cabins have a heat pump that heats in winter and cools in summer, so we run all year round. Winter brings snow over the orchard, autumn brings apples. Inside the cabin, the season matters surprisingly little – it is dark in every one of them 🙂

How long should I stay?

About 80 % of people choose a week, which starts on Saturday. Three nights start on Wednesday or Saturday, one night on Tuesday. After three nights, most people tell us it was too short, so if you are travelling from far away, the week is worth considering. If you are unsure how you will do in the dark, a shorter stay is a perfectly good start.

Can we come as a couple?

Yes. The Cabin of Love has a double bed, so two people can share the darkness. How much you talk in there is entirely up to you. If each of you would rather be alone, book two cabins.

I’m travelling on my own. Is that a problem?

Not at all – a dark retreat is something you do on your own anyway. We pick you up from the station, the food comes to your door and we are 50 metres away. The only thing you have to organise is the train to Kutná Hora.

Is there an age limit?

You have to be 18 or older. There is no upper limit as such, but if you are older or have a chronic condition, write to us before you book so we can talk it through.

I take medication. Can I come?

It depends on what you take and why. With psychiatric medication, or if you are in psychotherapy, please write to us first and talk to your doctor. Some conditions don’t go well with darkness and solitude; they are listed on our safety page. We would much rather have that conversation before your trip than in the middle of it.

Is this “dark therapy”?

You may have found us by searching for dark therapy, and that is fine. But we are not a medical facility and we don’t promise any health results. A dark retreat with us is rest, quiet and time with yourself. What people take home from it is their own.

Can I give a dark retreat as a present?

Yes. The gift voucher is transferable, has no fixed date and arrives as a PDF by email within 3 working days of payment. The person who gets it has three months to choose a date.

See you in the dark – Tom & Lenka