The Zaježová education centre lies in the scattered hillside hamlet of Zaježová, which belongs to the village of Pliešovce in the Zvolen district, in the Javorie hills about 15 km south-east of Zvolen. The centre is run by the environmental non-profit CEEV Živica and, besides seminars, school programmes and a hermitage below the forest, it also offers dark retreats. For these there are two separate single-occupancy huts right on the centre’s grounds: a wooden one from 2013 (converted from a wooden shelter by the tea room) and a semicircular straw-and-clay one from 2016. Both have a green roof, an entrance area with a shower, washbasin and flush toilet, a living room with a bed, an armchair and free space for exercise, and are heated by an adjustable electric radiant panel. However, according to the booking system the straw-and-clay hut has long been out of service (technical break from 13 May 2022 to 31 Jul 2028), so currently only the wooden one can be booked.
The huts are completely dark but only partly soundproofed – you can hear nature and activity on the grounds, where seminars are held all the time. The stay is guided by Vladimír (Vlado) Milo, who has more than 12 years of meditation practice and several week-long dark retreats behind him; he comes once a day with food and offers conversation and sharing. The approach is more spiritual and self-discovery-oriented (inner guidance, transpersonal psychology, ecospirituality) than therapeutic. It suits a psychologically stable adult who wants to spend at least a week in darkness, is going through a life transition or is seeking deeper self-knowledge, and does not mind that the hut stands in a busy education centre.
Prices and conditions at Živica Zaježová
Country
Slovakia
Week with meals (7 nights, 1 person)
≈ 9,736 Kč 7 × (42 € + 15 € food) = 399 € meals are paid separately, we added them
Pillow, duvet with cover, blanket, sleeping mat, meditation cushion, dishes for meals
Food is charged separately (15 €/day)
Meals
extra charge 15 €/day, light vegetarian, hot meal once a day
Muesli and apples for breakfast are always available in the hut; the guide tops them up.
The guide brings a cooked lunch and dinner together once a day at a pre-arranged time.
The stay is also possible without food (fasting).
Food is paid for after the stay by bank transfer based on a final invoice.
Special dietary requirements are given in the booking form.
Length of stay
at least 7 days recommended
The website does not state a fixed minimum; the booking calendar also shows shorter stays (2–5 nights).
Early departure is possible.
Deposit and payment
accommodation (42 €/night) is paid in advance on a pro forma invoice
The date is firmly booked once the booking form has been filled in and the deposit paid.
The deposit must be paid within 14 days of the provisional booking; otherwise the centre may offer the date to someone else.
The website does not explicitly state the exact deposit amount (the price list only says the accommodation fee is paid in advance on a pro forma invoice); ask before booking.
Food is paid for after the stay by bank transfer.
Cancellation
61 or more days before the date: 30% of the deposit
60–31 days before the date: 50% of the deposit
30–5 days before the date: 70% of the deposit
4 days or less before the date: 100% of the deposit
If you arrange a replacement for the same number of days, the cancellation fee may be waived.
Early departure: cancellation fee of 100% of the deposit (paid accommodation is not refunded).
Health restrictions
Mental imbalance, schizophrenia, panic attacks, psychotic states
Acute health problems
Drug or alcohol addiction
Severe traumas that have not been at least partly processed
Under 18 (the stay requires personal maturity)
Must be discussed in advance: diabetes, epilepsy, nervous and emotional instability, depression, high or abnormally low blood pressure, heart and vascular diseases, conditions after a heart attack or surgery, respiratory diseases, pulmonary embolism, pregnancy, allergies and digestive problems, and related medication
Not suitable if you receive the stay as a gift and do not want it yourself, or if you go into the darkness only out of curiosity (e.g. because of paranormal phenomena)
Other conditions
The straw-and-clay hut is out of service (technical break until 31 Jul 2028); only the wooden hut can be booked.
Arrival from 12:00 at the earliest, departure on the last day by 12:00 at the latest.
Each hut is for one person only (individual stay).
Alcohol and any narcotic or psychotropic substances are prohibited during the stay.
The stay is at your own risk; the booking form includes a health questionnaire and a declaration on your honour.
Lights are used when moving in and at the end of the stay for a gradual return to the light; you can switch them on during the stay too, but it disrupts the process.
It is recommended not to bring electronics and to keep your mobile phone switched off the whole time.
What to bring: comfortable and warm clothes to change into, your own towel; optionally sunglasses, a notebook with a paper clip, paper and coloured pencils, your own snacks.
It is recommended that someone knows about your stay, that you deal with urgent matters beforehand and that you allow yourself time for integration after returning.
The huts are only partly soundproofed – you can hear nature and the activity of the education centre.
The centre offers optional participation in research on the effect of darkness therapy on sleep (University of Ostrava, 3 questionnaires).
If the date is taken, you can join a waiting list.
Guide
Vladimír (Vlado) Milo – dark retreat guide and consultations (tel. +421 905 460 850, milo@zivica.sk)
More than 12 years of meditation practice, experience with holotropic breathwork and other techniques of altered states of consciousness; he has spent 7 days in darkness four times, both as a guest and as a guide. The website does not mention formal education or training.
Interested in transpersonal psychology, mystical traditions and ecospirituality; relies on trust in the self-healing process and inner guidance.
Comes once a day (unless agreed otherwise) with food; offers conversation and sharing in both difficult and good moments.
Before entering he knocks and waits for your permission and for you to move into the living area, so as to let in as little light as possible.
Bookings and invoices are handled by the centre manager Robert Kaluža (+421 917 517 267, zajezova@zivica.sk).
Information taken from the operator's website centrumzajezova.sk, last checked 8. 10. 2026. Prices and conditions may change; please confirm them with the operator before booking.. Texts are translated from Czech.
Getting to Živica Zaježová:
Location: hut on the grounds of an environmental education centre in a scattered hillside settlement Parking: 0 km Train: 7 km Bus: 1 km
Živica Zaježová on the map:
Do you own this centre and would like more photos or a different description here? Contact us at info@pobytvetme.com.
Živica ZaježováSKLocation: hut on the grounds of an environmental education centre in a scattered hillside settlementParking: 0 kmTrain: 7 kmBus: 1 kmPrice: ≈ 1,391 Kč/night42 € per night (accommodation, care, guidance) + 15 € per day for food; without food 42 €/night
Živica ZaježováSKLocation: hut on the grounds of an environmental education centre in a scattered hillside settlementParking: 0 kmTrain: 7 kmBus: 1 kmPrice: ≈ 1,391 Kč/nightOut of service until 31 Jul 2028; the price list is the same for both huts: 42 € per night + 15 € per day for food
How to book Živica Zaježová
Book directly with the operator: website centrumzajezova.sk, tel. +421 917 517 267 (bookings and invoices, Robert Kaluža), email zajezova@zivica.sk; guide Vladimír Milo: tel. +421 905 460 850, email milo@zivica.sk.
If they are fully booked, you can use these free dates at Léčba tmou near Kutná Hora. These are not dates of Živica Zaježová, but of the centre in Lomec near Kutná Hora (Czechia):
