AGENDA
AGENDA

Engagement – think global, act local

The Ecovillage & Sanctuary Terra Vecchia Bordei is an open place for meaningful encounters. In service of society and community, it offers recreation, regeneration, inspiration and spirituality. Our activities are aimed at individuals, groups and families in the spirit of inclusivity. The non-profit status is defined by an openness to special support of vulnerable people and the consideration of socio-economic aspects. Terra Vecchia and Bordei are welcoming places for people of all ages, genders and beliefs, who respect the environment and treat it with care.

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Perform your work for the welfare of others.

- Bhagavad Gita

Platform

We are a place where people can come home to themselves. The Ecovillage & Sanctuary Terra Vecchia Bordei offers a unique platform for social and cultural projects by schools, educational establishments, youth associations, individuals and groups of all kinds.

It thus creates a synergy between social commitment, regional needs and cultural diversity. As a platform for projects in the melting pot of renewal, tradition, hospitality and rustic nature, the properties in both villages are used for today’s social issues.

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Arts & Crafts

The Ecovillage & Sanctuary Terra Vecchia Bordei offers unique experiences in yoga and mindfulness, but also in natural cooking, natural medicine, painting, theater, music and traditional crafts with courses, seminars and retreats. The diverse infrastructure includes a wood workshop, an art studio, a metal workshop, two churches with optimal acoustics and many multi-purpose rooms indoors and outdoors. There is also a large network with the local population. This allows for special nature experiences, hiking tours and excursions in the magical alpine landscape.

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Join our community as a volunteer.

Volunteers

The Ecovillage & Sanctuary Terra Vecchia Bordei welcomes volunteers. Volunteers are invited to get involved in our various activities or to support the operation. One of our core values is hospitality, so all volunteers are part of our community. As Mahatma Gandhi once expressed, guests are not an interruption of our work, but the purpose of it. 

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Contact

  • info@ecovillagesanctuary.org
  • 6657 Palagnedra - Bordei, Switzerland
  • +41 79 300 91 37

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Engagement

The Terra Vecchia Bordei Ecovillage and Sanctuary aims to fit harmoniously into the cultural and social context of Ticino. The responsible Terra Vecchia Bordei Foundation is committed to promoting exchange and friendship with all people. Pietro Leemann, as a well-known personality, uses the connections he has built up over many years in regional, political and social circles for the benefit of his role as President of the Foundation. In Terra Vecchia and Bordei, visitors from all regions of Switzerland can come together. The Ecovillage & Sanctuary Terra Vecchia Bordei also has an international character, as a meeting place for different cultures, perspectives and ways of life. On site, communication takes place in Italian, German, French and English.

Platform

In our vision, ultimate well-being requires a holistic approach, where each living being can thrive when both spiritual and material needs are in harmony.  The activities we undertake in our Ecovillage are centered around the principle of “health, happiness, and harmony for body, mind, and spirit.” We offer a variety of social programs and workshops, where the connection and union to Mother Nature and our spirits forms a key part. The activities we undertake in our Ecovillage are centered around the principle of “health, happiness, and harmony for body, mind, and spirit.” 

Cuisine

The food we serve in our retreat center is vegetarian and primarily plant based. We follow the principles of healthy cooking and respects the planet and its inhabitants. The menus for the retreats were designed by Pietro Leemann, who studied Ayurveda and Chinese dietetics.  

We serve 2 meals are served each day, a brunch at 10 in the morning and a dinner at 17.30 in the afternoon (timings can adapt on request). Our meals are freshly cooked with organic ingredients (if possible from our own garden) and a variation of vegetables, fruits, grains, and vegetable proteins. Each meal will have gluten free options avialable.

Herbal tea and cecaf cofee are available througout the day, and we will also serve a light snack in the afternoon between meals in our tea room.

Herbal tea and cecaf cofee are available througout the day, and we will also serve a light snack in the afternoon between meals in our tea room.

History

Two hundred years ago, the village of Raxa was abandoned as its inhabitants relocated to Rasa. Over time, the houses fell into ruin, and the area came to be known as Terra Vecchia. Seventy years ago, a similar fate befell Bordei. Young people moved to the cities, leaving the town inhabited only by the elderly, who eventually passed away.

In the late 1960s, Jürg Zbinden, an ambitious and idealistic eighteen-year-old, visited the area and fell in love with the two remote villages. With a utopian vision, he dreamed of bringing them back to life. Miraculously, through his artistic and artisan skills and the support of numerous patrons, the villages began to flourish once more.

Over the last fifty years, many successful social projects have emerged, and the rebirth of these villages has been a remarkable achievement. Now in his later years, Jürg Zbinden decided to pass on the leadership of the Foundation. By a fortunate coincidence, a group promoting a new vision for the project presented their ideas, which were enthusiastically embraced.

The foundation is set to begin construction on the next phase in 2024, with activities scheduled to launch in the spring of 2025. Building on its rich history, the concept for the villages centers on creating an eco-village with a strong social and spiritual focus. It will be a space open to an evolving society, while also serving as a retreat for personal regeneration and a hub for learning essential life skills.

The Fondazione Terra Vecchia – Bordei owns the sites, which include 35 hectares of arable land, five houses offering 30 beds in Raxa, and six houses with a restaurant and 40 beds in Bordei. Several promising development projects and prospects for the two villages are supported by patrons and other foundations. Those interested in contributing are welcome to contact us.