Offered in: Spring / Summer / Fall
Minimum # participants: 3
Length of time: 2 hours
Rate: 135 euros for 3 participants, +30 euros for additional participants. Includes two glasses of wine per participant and picnic snacks.
Mountain Rituals & Forest Bathing with Herbal Wine
As featured in GREECE IS:
7 Springtime Ideas to Connect with Nature in Athens
Join The Greek Herbalist for a forest bathing experience at the Panathenaic Stadium in the heart of Athens and feel more connected to the trees of the Greek landscape. Learn about ancient Greek mountain rituals and the most popular beverage of antiquity - herbal wine!
The combination of forest bathing and herbal wine is inspired by the forest rituals of the ancient Greeks. Dionysus, the god of wine and pleasure, was celebrated in the forest by his “raving” followers, the maenads, who would dance, drink, pray, and honor the god with songs, dances, and sacrifices. The forest was their holy ground and the trees there were infused with the god’s sacred powers.
Dates are by request for groups of 3 or more. Kindly request your dates at least 1 week in advance. A non-refundable deposit of 50 euros is required to reserve the date.
experience it
What is forest bathing? Simply, it is spending time in nature and noticing the sights and sounds around you. This practice can help us feel more grounded and relaxed.
Our experience will involve meditative practices that help us connect more deeply with the sights, sounds, and smells in the forest. To compliment this sensory experience, we will enjoy a picnic with a glass of saffron-infused white wine and light snacks.
Our picnic will include a discussion on ancient spiritual and medicinal practices. We will end the experience with a toast to Dionysus, the god of wine and celebration, who himself created the first draught of wine as a gift to humankind.
What is herbal wine?
Herbal wine is wine infused with herbs. This practice comes from the ancient Greeks, who often infused their wine with herbs for flavor and nourishment. They drank wine as a satisfying beverage and as a health tonic for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Chimera Wines, a local Greek company, makes a dry white wine infused with saffron, a sacred herb from antiquity known for its medicinal qualities.
