QUIETNESS IN THE CENTER

When you reach the Milarepa Retreat Center, you will be struck by the peaceful atmosphere and quietness right upon your arrival, whether in your room, the cafeteria, the meditation hall, or in the beautiful surroundings. This place invites to turn inwards and helps us to experience the stillness in ourselves. Of course, this can only happen if we make a conscious decision to abstain from unnecessary talk during the duration of our stay.

CLIMATE

As a rule, the climate in northern Germany is somewhat cooler and rainier than in southern Germany. In summer, an average temperature of 22°C is reached, and subzero temperatures can occur in winter. For the most part, though, the average temperature is 1°C.

CLOTHING AND OTHER PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

If you have decided to spend some time in the Milarepa Retreat Center, we would like to offer a few tips:

Please remember to bring:

• Weatherproof clothing (rain) and waterproof footwear (the weather can change very quickly)
• Raincoat / umbrella
• Thermos bottle and cup
• Cash for offerings or objects you might wish to purchase
• Your personal medications, homeopathic remedies, insect repellent
• Note books, pens and pencils etc., for making personal notes
• Warm slippers and thick socks (in winter)
• Optionally your own meditation cushion (cushions are available in the meditation hall)
• Optionally a light meditation blanket and a shawl
• For retreats: mala, vajra, bell and damaru
• A flashlight and batteries if you wish to enjoy nature at night
• Comfortable clothing for retreats and courses
• Your practice books
• An additional blanket and handtowels for your room (your bed is made)

HANDICAPPED-FRIENDLY ACCOMODATION

The entrances to the guest house and the temple are handicapped-friendly for easy entering and exiting. In addition there are two handicapped-friendly rooms in the Center.
Please indicate in your registration if you will need one of these rooms.
You can also indicate your specific difficulties, so that we can prepare the best possible stay for you.

The Milarepa Retreat Center is a place for Buddhist practice. For this reason, everyone should make an effort to practice mindfulness, to help maintain the atmosphere of reflection, prayer, meditation and contemplation for all participants.

FOR THIS REASON, WE ASK THAT YOU OBSERVE A FEW GUIDELINES

• A number of areas are reserved for Three Year Retreat participants. As this retreat is held in strict seclusion, we ask that all visitors to the Center not enter the areas allotted to the Three Year Retreat. Children should be expressly informed about this restriction.
• Bringing pets to the Milarepa retreat grounds is not permitted.
• Smoking, alcoholic beverages and drugs are not permitted anywhere in the Center or on its grounds.

PHOTOGRAPHING

Taking photographs is not permitted during empowerments, teachings or retreats. Exceptions will be announced in advance.

AUDIO AND VIDEO RECORDINGS

Making audio and video recordings is not permitted during events. The Center makes audio and video recordings of all events that can be purchased after the event.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION GUIDELINES

In the Milarepa Retreat Center waste water is treated in an ecological sewage treatment plant.
The plant is located in the outdoor grounds and the treated sewage, when overgrown with reeds, becomes part of nature.
We place great importance on using only biodegradable household cleaning, dish washing, personal cleansers and cosmetics.
Our food is organic and from the region, whenever possible.
Composting is done on the grounds.

⇒ read more

The Milarepa Retreat Center has 12 spacious and brightly rooms, which can be used as single- two- and five-bed rooms with attached bathrooms, including two handicapped-friendly rooms. In addition the Milarepa Retreat House has two large beautiful and attic rooms with two bathrooms. In each room 10 persons can spend the night on mattresses and with own sleeping bag. A separate hut offers an accommodation option for two persons in two rooms with one bathroom and a small kitchen. This option may be conveneint for married couples or partners who wish to do a retreat together. This hut also has a small protector shrine dedicated to Achi that is accessible to all. When a Three Year Retreat is not currently underway, the seven single rooms of the retreat house can also be used for short retreats or be booked for special events.

also see ⇒ Facilities

INTERNET ACCESS

Internet access is available in the cafeteria and on the first floor of the guest house.

ARRIVING AND DEPARTING

Please plan your stay so that you are present from the first to the last day of the retreat. It is also helpful to organise all your personal preparations from home in such a way that you can begin the retreat in a relaxed way right after your arrival, without having to deal with other matters that you might have forgotten or not thought of during your prior planning and preparations.

The rooms are available starting at 16:00 on the day of your arrival, and until 12:00 on the day of your departure.

You will be given your room key in the office. We request you to pay a deposit of 20,00 € as security, which will be refunded to you upon your departure.

Please leave your room clean and strip your bed before you leave. Participants in group retreats all take on specific jobs in the building, courtyard, kitchen and in house-cleaning.

⇒ Rates for Accomodation and Board

ROOMS

The rooms are simply furnished and equipped. Your bed is made prior to your arrival. You should bring hand towels and perhaps an extra blanket.
Cooking in the rooms is not allowed. Please go to the cafeteria if you wish to prepare food or need hot water.

CAFETERIA

All meals during a retreat are served in a bright and spacious cafeteria. There is a small dish-washing room in the cafeteria where all tableware is washed and dried.
During longer retreats, participants can cook together in the adjoining kitchen. During short retreats retreaters can prepare their own meals there.

LAUNDRY

A washing machine and a dryer are available.

FIRE PREVENTION

It is not permitted to light candles, incense sticks or other flammable materials in the rooms or anywhere on the grounds. Equally it is not permitted to bring camping ovens. Smoking is not allowed in either the buildings or outdoors. Smoking is prohibited everywhere in the Center and on its grounds.

PARKING

For reasons of safety and out of respect for the retreat site, we request that you drive to the car park and park your car there. Driving within the Retreat grounds’ perimeters is not allowed.

LOCAL ACCOMODATIONS

Additional accommodation options in the immediate neighborhood of the Center are available for large-scale events. We ask that you organise external accommodations yourself. List of Accomodations in the neighborhood

OFFICE HOURS:

Monday-Friday
8:00−18:00

Arrival by Car

FROM HANOVER TO SCHNEVERDINGEN-LANGELOH to the Milarepa Retreat Center

From Hanover take the A7 in the direction of Hamburg / Bremen. Take the Exit 45 in the direction of Soltau Süd, turn right in the direction of Soltau B3 and pass through Soltau. Turn right in the direction of Hamburg until Ahlften and further on the B3 / Harburger Straße. Turn left at the crossing with traffic light in the direction of Neuenkirchen K24 and pass through Wolterdingen. Then turn right in the direction of Schneverdingen. Then turn left at the first street in the direction of Schülern. Pass through Reimerdingen, until on the Reimerdingerstraße you see on your left the sign with the number 18. When you turn in there, you will have reached the Milarepa Retreat Center.

FROM HAMBURG TO SCHNEVERDINGEN-LANGELOH to the Milarepa Retreat Center

Take the A7 from Hamburg in the direction of Hanover to Exit A7 / Bispingen in the direction of Schneverdingen / Behringen. Turn right into the Seestraße / L 211 and go 1.5 km further. Now turn left into the Heberer Straße / L 211 ab and go another 3 km. Keep to the left so that you stay on the L 170. Pass by the traffic circle and go, keeping left, about 5.3 km until you come to the Mühlenstraße /K26. Turn left into the Hemsener Weg / K26 / K33. Go about 350 m further and turn right into the Langeloher Straße / K 26. Drive about 2 km further and then turn left into the Reimerdinger Straße. The Milarepa Retreat Center has the house number 18 and is on the right side of the street.

⇒ See Google

Arrival by Plane

FROM HAMBURG-FUHLSBÜTTEL AIRPORT

Take the S-Bahn (subway) line S1 to Hamburg-Hauptbahnhof (central train station). Continue from Hamburg-Hauptbahnhof with the Metronom (www.der-metronom.de) or the Deutsche Bahn (DB) (www.bahn.de) to Buchholz. From there take the direct train Heidesprinter (www.erixx.de) (Track 11) to Schneverdingen.

FROM HANNOVER-LANGENHAGEN AIRPORT

Take the S-Bahn (subway) or a taxi to the nearby station of Langenhagen-Mitte, and then the direct train Heidesprinter (www.erixx.de) to Schneverdingen. (Duration about 1 hour 45 min).

Arrival by Train

VON HAMBURG NACH SCHNEVERDINGEN

In Hamburg, the S-Bahn will take you in 10 minute intervals and with only 25 minutes travel time from the airport to the main train station or vice-versa. The S-Bahn stop “Hamburg Airport (Flughafen)” is directly in front of the terminal and can be comfortably and quickly reached by elevators, escalators or stairs.
Ticket price: €3,20 / Single, day and group tickets are available from automats by the track or as mobilTickets via the HVV-App.

You will reach Schneverdingen with the Metronom (Track 11) (www.metronom.de) from the Hamburg main train station.
Exit the Metronom in Buchholz and change to the local train with the name Erixx (www.erixx.de) to Schneverdingen.
The trip takes about 56 minutes.
Single trip about 13,-€, Round trip about 23,-€,

Taxi Phone Numbers for Schneverdingen

Blitz Taxi
Tel: +49(0)5193-9722000
E-Mail: info@blitz-taxi-svd.de
www.blitz-taxi-svd.de

Taxi Kleinschmidt
Tel: +49(0)5193/98080
E-Mail: info@kleinschmidts-busreisen.de
www.kleinschmidts-busreisen.de

Taxi Bortels
+49(0)5193-3337111
E-Mail: taxis-office@web.de
www.taxi-nk.de