In short: Gîte du Cruet in Saint-Eustache (30 minutes from Annecy) hosts yoga retreats for up to 8 residential guests. Sophie, a certified yoga teacher (Hatha, Vinyasa, trained in the de Gasquet perinatal method), leads sessions and tailor-made stays. Visiting teachers can also rent the venue for their own retreats.
Why go on a yoga retreat in the Bauges?
A retreat is first and foremost a place that helps you slow down. At Le Cruet, the silence is that of a mountain hamlet at 752 m, in the Bauges Regional Nature Park. In the morning, you practise facing the peaks; in the afternoon, you walk in the forest or go down for a swim in Lake Annecy, 10 minutes away. And you sleep in a renovated barn designed for rest.
Two ways to experience a retreat at Le Cruet
1. A retreat with Sophie
Sophie is a certified yoga teacher. She teaches Hatha, gentler and posture-focused, and Vinyasa, more dynamic and flowing. She is also trained in the de Gasquet method, a posture-and-breathing approach used during pregnancy and after childbirth (see our prenatal yoga page).
She adapts every session to the group, from beginners to experienced practitioners. For a group of friends, a family or a team, she can design a tailor-made stay: number of sessions, themes, pace.
2. A venue for your own retreat
Are you a yoga teacher, coach or therapist looking for a retreat venue? The gîte can be booked exclusively for 8 residential guests. Sophie understands your logistical needs: she can simply help with the organisation, or co-lead some sessions if you wish.
The practice spaces
- The panoramic terrace, facing Le Semnoz and the Bauges peaks, for outdoor practice
- A large, bright space under the timber roof, with open wooden flooring
- The cathedral-ceilinged living room, for meditation, sharing circles or evenings together
- A garden shared with the farm for quiet moments
Sample weekend
For illustration only: every retreat is designed with you.
- Friday evening — arrival, settling in, gentle Hatha and relaxation, dinner.
- Saturday — sunrise Vinyasa, brunch, hike up to the Col de la Cochette, late-afternoon swim in the lake, meditation or relaxation before dinner.
- Sunday — morning practice, mindful forest walk, local lunch, closing circle.
Eating local, simply
The kitchen is equipped to prepare healthy meals for 8. For supplies, the Fromagerie de la Cochette just opposite sells cheese, vegetables, meat and honey from the village, and the west-shore markets are a few minutes away (see our market guide).
When to come?
Every season suits a retreat. Spring and autumn are the quietest: the trails are almost empty, the light is beautiful and the gîte is easier to book. In winter, the barn with its underfloor heating becomes a perfect cocoon for more introspective retreats.
Planning your retreat
Tell us your dates, the number of participants and the kind of retreat you have in mind: we will reply within 24 hours. Write to us via the contact form, choosing "Wellness / yoga retreat". More about practising at the gîte in the yoga section.
