A venue for silent retreats

A silent retreat is judged on one criterion, and it is unforgiving: is the silence real? Plenty of venues describe themselves as quiet while hosting two groups at once, having staff cross the common areas, or sitting close enough to a road that you hear it at six in the morning.

Le Domaine de La Planésié is a 30-hectare private estate at Roquecourbe, in the Tarn, one hour from Toulouse. You hire it whole. During your retreat, there is nobody here but your group.

The private lake at Le Domaine de La Planésié, still water and reflected trees, setting for a silent retreat in the Tarn — The private lake — nothing overlooking it, nobody passing through.

What makes the silence possible

Exclusive use. One group at a time, never two. No staff passing through during the stay.
No neighbours. The 30 hectares put the nearest house out of sight and out of earshot.
A room set apart. The practice room is off the circulation routes: nobody walks through during a sitting.
Your own timetable. A practice at five in the morning, a gong, a night walk — with no neighbours, none of it is a problem.

The meditation room

60 m² of clear floor under a timber roof, with a wooden floor, stone walls, natural light from above and heating. Up to 24 seated places — ample for a group of 18 with space around each person, which matters particularly in silence. No pillar in the middle. You can leave the altar, the cushions and the supports in place from one day to the next.

Enough space to be alone

This is the point experienced organisers know well: silence holds when participants can avoid each other without effort. The estate offers several distinct places — a 140 m² living room, a sitting room with a fire, a large dining room, a terrace, grounds, an orchard — and above all 22 hectares of private woodland threaded with paths, where you can walk for an hour without meeting anyone. Walking meditation starts at the door, with no transport involved.

8 bedrooms, 18 beds, every room with its own shower room — so no shared bathroom, no queue in the morning, no interaction imposed. For a group of 8 to 10, everyone can have a room to themselves.

A woodland path in the 22 hectares of private forest, for walking meditation during a silent retreat — 22 hectares of woodland — walking meditation starts at the house

The 60 m² room at Le Domaine de La Planésié set up for seated meditation, wooden floor and exposed beams — 22 hectares of woodland — walking meditation starts at the house

Meals

The estate is let self-catering: the kitchen is professional and fully equipped (induction hob, oven, dishwasher, two fridges, two freezers). No board is imposed on you, and no table service comes in to break the silence. Many organisers bring a cook for the duration of the retreat, or run a silent service at the long table. We can point you towards local producers and caterers.

Options, on request

These are options: tell us at the time of booking which ones you would like and we will price them in your quote.

The cook or caterer of your choice — vegetarian, ayurvedic, gluten-free. No board imposed, no commission taken by us, and no table service to break the silence.
An introduction to local producers and caterers, if you would rather not go looking yourself.
Practice equipment: mats, sitting cushions, blocks and blankets for the whole group.
The room set up before you arrive, to a plan you send us: circle, rows, clear perimeter.
An arrival basket: the shopping for the first meal done before you get here.
Transfers from Castres station or Toulouse-Blagnac airport.
End-of-stay cleaning, €150, so your group leaves without having to clean.
Beyond 18 participants: Le Verger de l’Espargne, 3 km away, brings capacity to 33.
A visit before booking, which we offer as a matter of course — on a silent retreat it is essential.

Rates

Whole estate, self-catering, up to 18 people, practice room included. All utilities covered (heating, firewood, electricity, water), bed and bath linen provided, tourist tax included.

Duration	Low season (November → April)	Mid season (May–June, Sept → early Nov)
Weekend (2 nights)	€1,650	€2,100
3 nights	€2,300	€2,900
4 nights	€2,700	€3,400
Week (7 nights)	€3,200	€4,100

End-of-stay cleaning €150. Security deposit €700, raised to €1,500 beyond 14 nights. July–August and the Christmas period: please ask. Two consecutive weeks: 5 % off. Three weeks or more, or a cycle of six weekends or more booked for the year: 10 % off, with dates held up to 12 months ahead.

Organising your retreat

To check your dates: bonjour@la-plana.fr or +33 6 73 69 10 88 — we reply within 24 hours, in English or French.

Come and listen to the place before you decide. We offer a visit as a matter of course — on a silent retreat it is the only way to check what no photograph shows.

A Venue for Silent Retreats in South-West France