Black forest with adam trest
june 25-30, 2025
Adam Trest joins Rêverie in germany for a week of wonderment in the heart of the Black Forest in an extraordinary luxury chalet hideaway!
june 25 - 30, 2025
6 Days, 5 nights
The Black Forest is full of fairy tales, dark lore, and mystery - there are shadows and quiet beauty everywhere! Adam Trest, folklore artist and storyteller, will lead you through new processes and ideas, igniting fresh creative inspiration in your everyday life. Add some schnitzel and locally brewed beer on tap to that and you’ve got a Rêverie retreat for the books!
From $5,500 USD
What will you do?
Adam has so many inspired workshops and methods in store for us – storytelling at the baseline of all of them. Exploring ideas through the region’s history, through fairy tales (think Grimm Brothers, think traditional shadow puppet theater), through journaling and research – you will dig deep into your arsenal of ideas through various sketching techniques and practices to discover your own stories and imagery. Then, some collaborative work with the Rêverie team, exploring food narratives – how to write menus and what kind of storytelling goes into feeding people. There is so much more to explore, including the magnificent forest, hills, waterfalls, and rivers that will surround us – every point of entry a possible trail, an opportunity for magical exploration. The small villages, with their medieval murals and sculptures, will become our eye-candy for the week. And, while some organized hikes will be made available for various skill levels, we encourage individual wandering around the chalet grounds, where you can return after to one of the saunas to ease your wanderer’s bones.
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While we hope everyone will participate, all experiences are optional! Please feel free to take time for yourself whenever you like.
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Rêverie has carefully selected activities and experiences that we believe represent the best of the region and our own expertise, aiming to provide an optimal experience for the participants.
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Eating and drinking are communal! You’ll have the opportunity to cook food, taste wines and learn from experienced teachers. We can’t wait to welcome you for our workshops!
YOUR guest host
Get to know:
Adam Trest
Adam Trest is an artist with a passion for all things Southern. His work evokes the heart of Southern folklore and traditions. A New York Times bestselling illustrator, Trest’s work can be found in the illustrations of children’s books, hanging in the homes of his collectors worldwide, and in multiple home decor lines available nationwide. Regardless of the application, Trest’s work focuses on telling the story of life in the South.
Learn more about Adam on his website: adamtrest.com
YOUR ITINERARY
*Please note that changes to the itinerary may occur between now and your retreat start date*
DAY ONE
wednesday 6.25.25
We’ll pick you up from the Euroairport and get you settled into our private mountain chalet for the week. The Somewhere Elz chalet will be our retreat for the week – a warm and inviting space with fireplaces, saunas and the beautiful Elz River right in our backyard. We will welcome you with a meal together: a traditional family-style Rêverie luncheon of local favorites. Then you can explore, get settled in, and shake off the jet-lag until we call you back once more for cocktail hour and a truly lavish welcome dinner.
DAY two
thursday 6.26.25
After our inaugural breakfast of local breads, jams, meats and cheeses, you’ll begin your first workshop with Adam. Roll up your sleeves and get down to it. Lunch will be waiting for you after all your brainstorming and sketching. In the afternoon, we’ll take in some of that good mountain air and get out into the woods to hike. Later, river plunging and sauna before (and after?) dinner.
DAY three
friday 6.27.25
We’ll spend Friday morning in workshop mode again and soaking up the chalet’s good, good ambiance. Today, we’ll explore the narrative and inspiration of food – and then get to feast on a luncheon of your own work! In the afternoon, we’ll explore the local town of Elzach where we will belly up to a biergarten and explore the town square. We’ll have our first dinner out at an incredible restaurant, favorite amongst locals.
DAY four
saturday 6.28.25
Today is our big day out! We’ll head to Freiburg im Breisgau for the grand Saturday market, a visit to the incredible cathedral and a lunch of wurst and rolls and beer in the garden. In the afternoon, we’ll head to Enderle and Moll Winery for a tour and a tasting and then back to the chalet for a dinner by the river.
DAY five
sunday 6.29.25
Today, we continue workshops in the afternoon, but not before we spend our morning at the famed art museum Villa Haiss, where we will take in local works and their permanent collection which includes works from Cindy Sherman, Tadashi Kawamata, Jean Miotte and so many other brilliant contemporary artists. Then, back to the chalet to dig back into our own work and soak up the last evening of our stay at Somewhere Elz.
DAY six
monday 6.30.25
Today, we have a hearty traveler’s breakfast, and we say our goodbyes. We aim to send you off with sketchbooks and stomachs full of good things. Our private coaches will get you safely to the airport and headed to your next destination. Auf Wiedersehen!
WORKSHOPS
Adam seems like a journeyman of sorts to us. He aims to take us places, with thoughtful starting points. Using the Brothers Grimm as inspiration, guests will dive into the practice of sketching and writing in a sketchbook – this regenerative form of documentation helps grow and build inspiration and ideas. We will explore the best mediums to use for specific ideas, the best ways to compose a page, and brainstorm ideas of how sketching can enhance creative (or not-so-creative) careers. Then he aims to take us toward food, one of the most ancient forms of storytelling. The preparation of a meal with Rêverie chefs, using the ideas we explored in the previous workshop will further push us into a place where sketching out and journaling about the creation of the meal will provide the resident artists with a whole new story to tell.
There is so much more to explore and we can’t wait to see what each artist brings with them. All skill levels welcome!
WORKSHOPS
Documenting Inspiration - dive into the practice of sketching and writing in a sketchbook
A Recipe is Just a Story You Eat - collaborative workshop with Reverie
Finding Your Story - developing style through writing and through drawing
* Due to the nature of the experience we wish to provide, we can accommodate vegetarians, but will be unable to accommodate any further dietary restrictions.
EXPLORE
Germany may be a new destination for a Reverie retreat, but it is not new for Reverie owners Lisa and Julie! We look forward to showing you around, with Adam sharing his discoveries as well. We’ll check out the neighboring town of Elzach for an afternoon, and the next day we’ll make our way to Freiburg for a market lunch and exploration. A natural winery will even welcome us for a tour and tasting -aber Na klar!! A visit to the Villa Haiss museum is in store, and we’ll end the week together with a group dinner out.
OUTINGS
Visit neighboring town of Elzach
Shopping and lunch at the open-air market in Freiburg
Museum visit at Villa Haiss
Group dinner out at local restaurant
WHAT’S INCLUDED
Everything! Well, everything except for your big ride across the ocean to the nearest airport. But once you arrive, we got you!
Private transfers to and from the Somewhere Elz luxury chalet to the EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg airport
Workshops and all materials associated
All meals, unless you go rogue
All wine and beverages, unless you wanna have your own after hours party ;)
Private coach transportation while on retreat
All scheduled outings and events during our week
Chalet lodging, naturally
GETTING HERE
*Cost of airfare to the Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg airport is not included in the cost of your reservation. Please let us know if we can offer any support or guidance with your travel plans - we’re happy to help!
Airplane
There are flights to the Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg airport everyday from all over Europe. If you’re flying from the United States, you’ll have at least one layover, depending on where you fly from. Please plan on arriving by 10:00 am to the airport for an 11:00 am pickup on the 25th.
We will have you back to the airport by 12:00 pm on the 30th of June, so please make travel reservations for 2:00 pm or later.
*If you choose to arrive after our arranged pickup time or to leave earlier on the last day, we would be happy to help you arrange for a private driver for an additional fee.
Car
If you’re the seasoned-traveler type and you’d enjoy having your own transportation, then please - rent a car in Basel or Strasbourg or Stuttgart (or beyond!) and drive on down! You could then keep your car for the week and choose your own destiny, or drop off at the Euroairport in Saint Louis, France on the first day of the retreat and we’ll come grab you.
Train
Trains are another option for those who feel comfortable traveling around on their own! If you plan to travel by train and do not plan to join us at the Euroairport in Saint Louis, France, we will happily help you to arrange transport to the chalet for an additional fee.
Travel Reservation
If you would like guidance with booking your travel to the Chateau, please reach out.
We are here to help make this part easy and smooth.
If you would like to extend your stay in Europe, we are delighted to partner with The French Travel, a locally owned and operated trip designer based in Paris. They are true experts who will help you perfectly plan your before and/or after Rêverie experience. They can help you plan a stay in Alsace - just next door to the Black Forest! Check them out for more info!