Take a break

If you take the time, you’ll soon notice how your perspective shifts: sounds fade into the background, details come into focus, and movements become more subdued. It’s not the spectacular experiences that linger – but rather the small observations that have a lasting effect. Places that don’t urge you to see more, but to look more closely.

Slowing down the body

As the day begins at egapark Erfurt, the light still falls softly on the flowerbeds. Dew clings to the leaves, whilst brightness slowly spreads across the meadows. With a cup of coffee in hand, you can savour this moment all the more fully. On a stroll through the large flowerbed, whose colours gradually gain depth in the first light, you can watch the day awaken – calmly, steadily, without haste. Those staying overnight at egapark can experience this quiet moment before the paths fill up and voices transform the garden.

 

 

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These quiet moments in the morning often have an impact that lasts beyond the moment itself. They change not only your perspective, but also your own pace. Anyone wishing to carry this feeling with them will find plenty of opportunities throughout Thuringia to get moving – outdoors, in green surroundings, without any pressure to perform. Open activities invite you to become more aware of your body: whether it’s yoga in the open air, flowing movements or a gentle run through expansive parkland, here, movement becomes part of the environment. This makes it clear that slowing down doesn’t just happen in silence. It can also be found in movement – when the body finds its own rhythm, in harmony with its surroundings.

 

Sharpening the senses

In the Bad Langensalza Rose Garden, it is the scent that transforms time. Roses, as bearers of memories, evoke images long before words come to mind. Hundreds of varieties stand amongst densely planted beds, each with its own distinct character: rich and velvety, almost honey-sweet, then fresh, citrusy or surprisingly cool. Anyone who takes their time and strolls slowly through the grounds will quickly notice how the scent changes. A warm breeze carries a scent further, a shadow draws it back. Memories surface, often unexpectedly — a garden from childhood, a summer, a fleeting moment. Perception here does not happen all at once, but layer by layer.

 

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In Bad Berka, the focus shifts from smell to sound. In ‘Parkgeflüster’, compositions of light and colour combine with musical recordings to create a delicate interplay. Added to this are the sounds of the immediate natural surroundings: the dry crunch of gravel underfoot, the rustling of individual leaves, birdsong and the steady murmur of the Ilm river. In between, voices come and go. Anyone who pauses will notice that the space changes acoustically. Depending on where you stand, proximity becomes distance, loud becomes soft. Here, nature is not observed, but heard.

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On the outskirts of Plinz, you come across the ‘Quiet Garden’ – a place that deliberately eludes any form of rapid development and is dotted with sculptures by the artist Jochen Bach. These do not appear as individual objects, but blend into the surroundings: amongst the trees, at the side of the path; sometimes they are only visible at second glance. One figure leans in the shade, another stands out clearly against the greenery. In between, the stream flows steadily, and birds refuse to be staged. The seasons reveal themselves in all their beauty. From snowdrops to crocuses, tulips and wild garlic, right through to elderflower, the area blooms and stays green well into late autumn. Butterflies and songbirds accompany you on your stroll through the tranquillity of nature. When sculpture and landscape coexist, we view them differently. Our gaze becomes slower, more scrutinising, more open. Not less perceptive, but looking more closely.

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Collecting one’s thoughts

Some places structure not only space, but also time. Take the Augustinian monastery in Erfurt, for example. In the heart of the old town, behind simple walls, a garden opens up, reminding us of the original purpose of such spaces: places of sustenance, healing and contemplation. Lavender, roses and herbs grow here within clearly defined structures. Their scents and colours do not feel staged, but rather calm and natural. Amidst paths, flowerbeds and lawns, a space emerges that deliberately sets itself apart from the urban surroundings – without detaching itself from them. A special spot within the garden is the so-called Rose Church – an open-air church space. Apple trees form the ‘nave’, whilst lavishly planted flowerbeds frame the space. Created for the 2021 Federal Horticultural Show, it combines nature and spirituality in a subtle way. To this day, it is used for blessings, weddings and other ceremonial occasions. Those who linger here do not experience a spectacular moment, but a form of tranquillity that is deeply restorative. A place that demands nothing – yet makes so much possible.

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The ‘Garden of Bliss’ stands at the entrance to the Japanese Garden in Bad Langensalza. Anyone entering the grounds quickly realises that a different pace prevails here. Narrow paths lead across wooden walkways, past moss-covered stones, small streams and carefully arranged shrubs. A bridge spans the water, which flows quietly between the rocks. The tea house appears understated, nestled within the landscape – more a part of the garden than its centrepiece. Anyone approaching it automatically slows their pace. Inside, this sense of calm continues. The tea ceremony follows a clear sequence, in which every gesture is performed with intention. Nothing happens by chance; nothing is left to chance. The tea is not simply prepared, but results from a sequence of calm, precise actions. Water is heated, the bowl prepared, the powder whisked with the bamboo whisk. Every step has its order – and its meaning. For the guests, too, the moment slows down. The bowl is received with both hands; the first sip is taken consciously, without haste. It is not about drinking the tea, but about savouring the moment. The ceremony follows an ethos deeply rooted in Japanese culture: harmony, respect, purity and stillness. What remains is not a spectacular experience, but a changed perception. Here, time is not merely used – it is shaped.

 

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Oases of calm are not remote places. They can be found right in the heart of public spaces. In places where awareness becomes more acute and movement grounds us, where rituals redefine time. You don’t need to go looking for them. Just be prepared to stop and pause.