Our Retreat Center: Kientalerhof
In the quiet Kiental Valley of the Swiss Alps, Kientalerhof is our home for learning, rest, and renewal—simple rooms, spacious studios, nourishing meals, mountains all around. A gentle place for our Esalen® Massage Global Village to arrive and belong.
What to Expect
Rooms: Kientalerhof offers spaces for every kind of stay — from simple shared rooms to spacious holiday flats. You can explore all options and prices here → Kientalerhof Rooms and Holiday Flats.
Sleeping bag and tent places: For those seeking a simple and affordable stay, a few sleeping bag and tent places are available on request. Flat rates for the four-day Practitioners’ Gathering (including full board): Sleeping bag space: CHF 312, Tent space: CHF 272.
Meals – Vegetarian full board — each meal a gift of nourishment, with gluten-free and other special dietary needs accommodated by the Kientalerhof kitchen.
Workshop Rooms – Bright practice spaces for movement and Esalen Massage.
Nature – Trails, fresh air, and quiet — perfect for rest and integration.
Still have questions? More details can be found in our → Frequently Asked Questions.
How to book
Accommodation and meals are booked directly with Kientalerhof (separate from the gathering fee).
If you stay at Kientalerhof, you book accommodation with full board. If you would like to stay on the tent site or in the dormitory, please include this request when booking through the Kientalerhof website, or reach out directly to Renata at renata.pfeiler@kientalerhof.ch — she will be happy to assist you.
If you stay outside the retreat center — for example, at Camping Blüemlisalp or in a holiday flat in the village — you are kindly asked to book full-board meals at Kientalerhof (CHF 272).
Shared meals are part of the heart of the Global Village, and therefore full-board booking (without accommodation) at Kientalerhof is mandatory for all participants.
It is each participant’s responsibility to make these arrangements directly with Kientalerhof.
If you would like to share a room with a friend, simply let Renata at Kientalerhof know. Renata is our contact person for the Global Village at Kientalerhof: renata.pfeiler@kientalerhof.ch.
Getting There
Address: Kientalerhof, Griesalpstrasse 44, CH-3723 Kiental
Kientalerhof is located in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. You can travel by train to Reichenbach (via Spiez) and then continue by bus with the Swiss Postauto to Kiental. Please note that the bus schedule is limited — the last bus to the village departs from Reichenbach at 18:27.
Public transport
Travel from Zürich Airport (ZRH) to Kiental, Dorf by public transport usually costs CHF 70–80 one way, depending on the route, train class, and exact time of travel.
The standard route is:
Train Zürich Airport → Bern or Spiez
Train Bern/Spiez → Reichenbach im Kandertal
Bus 220 Reichenbach → Kiental, Dorf
Current timetables and fares are available at → www.sbb.ch/en.
If you buy a Saver Ticket or Supersaver (online via SBB), it can be cheaper. With a Swiss Half Fare Card, the cost is about half (CHF 35–40).
Arriving by car
You can also arrive by car. A limited number of free parking spaces are available at the retreat center. Additional paid parking is available further down in the village.
Also check → Kientalerhof’s website.
A Place with History
For more than forty years, Kientalerhof has welcomed seekers, teachers, and communities into its mountain embrace. In 2025, the center celebrated its 40th anniversary with the making of the film Forty Years of Kientalerhof — a tribute to its journey from a village guesthouse to a place of learning, healing, and presence.