Since 2005, we at Gay Love Spirit have been creating special spaces for men. Since 2008, with the Winter Eros Retreat, we’ve been crafting a unique space to bring the year to a close in a profound and connected way. Our journey has taken us to many places (from Berlin to Strausberg, Mehringdamm, and the Vogelhof in the Odenwald), and now we’re returning to Lake Bötzsee in Barnim, to the Neue Spitzmühle. With a wonderful, spacious group room overlooking the lake, a sauna, and the forest and lake right outside the door, it offers ideal conditions for our work.
Nature and the space support our work. That has been our experience over many years, and that is exactly why we chose this place.
Convince me to come to the Winter Eros
Imagine swapping the superficial New Year’s Eve hustle and bustle for six days dedicated to a single purpose: YOU. This retreat is not a gay cruise or a wellness weekend. It’s about something more valuable: truly taking care of yourself, experiencing community, and pursuing your wishes and longings in a space that respects your boundaries.
Our team of facilitators will guide you on a journey that begins with connecting with yourself. What truly matters to you? In a world searching for new ways of living, we create a warm, authentic space where you can explore exactly that.
What You Can Expect
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Daily Schedule & Structure: The morning begins in silence with meditation, yoga, and bodywork. The days follow a clear structure: yoga, meditation, morning session, brunch, a longer break, afternoon session, dinner, evening session.
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Community & “Family”: You’ll be part of a “family”—your safe haven for the week. Community also means taking care of one another: Each family takes turns once a day to help out with shared duties (kitchen, dish area, common areas, or restrooms).
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Relaxation: During the long lunch break and in the evening, you can go to the sauna, take a dip in the wintry Bötzsee, or find peace and quiet in the woods.
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Tantra & Rituals: In small groups, we delve into the practice of Tantra, learn ways of communicating, explore massage rituals, and work with sensual energy. The evenings are dedicated to magical group rituals.
It’s About Eros
It’s not primarily about sex, but about Eros: the life-affirming force that awakens sensuality, connection, and joy in life. It’s about awakening life energy by the water and in the wintry forest, about spirituality (which can be earthly and playful), and about finding your next step in the stillness of winter.
The Turn of the Year
At the heart of the retreat is the collective experience of the transition into the new year. Through exercises and rituals, we’ll close out the old year together (honoring what was and letting go of what’s ready to go) and open the space for the new. The highlight is our shared New Year’s celebration by the lake.
Key Data & Details
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Start: December 27, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
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End: January 2, 2027, 3:00 p.m.
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Location: Neue Spitzmühle on Lake Bötzsee, Barnim (near Berlin)
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Highlights: Large group room with a lake view, sauna, lake, forest
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Info & Registration: gaylovespirit.org – Winter Retreat
