Frequently asked questions / FAQ

We highly recommend a seminar cancellation insurance!
An Investment of approximately €15 to €25 will save you and us most of the lengthy discussions associated with cancellations. (As a non-profit organization, we are unfortunately not allowed to recommend specific insurances -but you can quickly find one online!)

Various external providers rent the ZEGG for their seminars. For these offers, registration for the seminar and for accommodation/catering takes place separately.

Please register for the seminar with the external provider on their website first. This website is also linked to the respective seminar on the ZEGG website. The participation fees are invoiced directly by the provider.

Once you have received confirmation of participation from the provider, you can register for accommodation and catering on our website by using the orange registration button placed at the respective seminar date.

Please check for yourself whether you feel healthy and resilient enough to spend several days in a group of people and to balance intense inner processes. We ask you to inform us if you have ever been or are currently undergoing psychiatric treatment in order to clarify whether a stay with us makes sense.

Our seminars can be a helpful self-awareness experience for you. However, they cannot replace psycho-therapeutic support. We are not authorized to diagnose and/or treat disorders for which psychotherapy is indicated.

Our premises are only partially barrier-free and we only have a few barrier-free accommodation options. Some seminar rooms are only accessible via stairs.

Please check with reception before registering whether your needs are compatible with the conditions on site.

Our vision is a culture in which the human being as a whole fits in - as a feeling, thinking, sensual, sexual and spiritual being. On the way to the vision of honest, conscious and genuine connection, we are all constantly changing through unconscious behavior. To navigate this, we need encounters and contacts between us to be supported by the awareness that we are in transition and that we want to learn from each other.

We have formulated our awareness guidelines. By participating in a seminar or festival, you agree to it: Awareness Guidelines at ZEGG (PDF)

This adapted Awareness Guidelines for oil rituals (PDF) apply to registrations for oil ritual seminars.

Unfortunately it is not possible to take pets with you for various reasons!

Key points are: Allergies, care issues, lack of accommodation, our cats, the sometimes large number of guests on site and their possible fears of dogs, hygiene on site and in sanitary, dining and seminar rooms.

The site is also located directly on/in the forest. Partly because of the proximity to the wild animals, we have decided that it is not possible to bring dogs.

There is childcare during the seminar times only for specially marked offers for children/young people aged 4 and over. During the big ZEGG camps (Pfingsten, Come Together Song Festival, Summer Camp and Leben-Sterben-Feiern) there is also childcare at certain times.

For all other seminars, you can only bring children/young people if a caregiver comes along and our seminar house has free capacity to accommodate them.

Registration for offers with children/teenager is always done with that of an adult. The registration form offers the option "Add child/teenager." Enter all the necessary information there.

People under the age of 18 require the written consent of a parent or legal guardian to register. Parents or an authorized adult are responsible for supervision.

If the unexpected happens, it is important that we can contact someone close to you. The emergency contact can also be contacted by medical staff if, for example, relatives of the injured person need to be informed in the event of an accident.

Normally, our events are held in German and no translation is offered. If you do not speak German, the following options are available:

• participate as a summer guest. Please apply at
• some seminars allow participation as an English-speaking person, these are marked in the event list
• for some festivals (mostly Summercamp and Whitsun Festival) we organise English translations
• take part in a garden and grounds tour on Sunday. Please ask at if there can be an English translation for the specific date.

Our own organic garden provides seminar guests and the community with fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs. In the summer months, almost all the fruit and vegetables come from ZEGG's own garden and are harvested daily and processed directly. - This means that the food is in season and can hardly be beaten for freshness!

Our kitchen prepares food lovingly, simply and deliciously. It offers varied vegetarian and vegan menus that are prepared with care. We primarily use fresh, organically grown produce. We also harvest fruit and wild plants from the region and, where possible, buy from regional suppliers.

The usual times for breakfast are 8:00-10:00, lunch 13:00-14:00, dinner 18:30-19:30.

ZEGG has a communal kitchen where food is prepared for residents and guests. To ensure that our pricing can remain at this level, helping with washing up and tidying up is part of your stay here, especially during large events.

The water on the site comes from our own wells and is of excellent quality. You can drink water anywhere on the site without worrying.

Our buffet always offers vegan and usually gluten-free alternatives. We provide complete, balanced meals as part of our organic full catering for vegan and gluten-free diets. All other diets (e.g. exclusively raw food) may mean that only a limited selection of components is available at mealtimes.

Gluten, soy, onion, garlic, dairy products, celery, mustard, nuts and peanuts are generally labelled, but unfortunately we cannot provide a 100% guarantee. Apart from dairy products and eggs, animal products such as meat and fish are not used or processed.

Unfortunately, we cannot cater for intolerances to specific foods in our canteen kitchen.

If severe allergic reactions are to be feared when eating individual foods, we urgently request that you contact us in advance of your stay! We can only respond to these requests to a very limited extent.

Thanks to a movable polytunnel, we have been able to harvest tomatoes and peppers even in October since 2019. No herbicides, fungicides or artificial fertilizers are used. Instead, we use Terra-Preta, green manure and regularly rotate our crops. Leftovers are composted and reused in the garden.

In terms of value, 60% of our fruit and vegetables are home-grown throughout the year. In the summer months, vegetables and fruit come almost entirely from ZEGG's own horticulture and are harvested fresh every day; we also harvest fruit and wild plants from the region. In winter, additional purchases are unavoidable and we buy from regional suppliers wherever possible. We support small-scale farming structures and pay attention to ecological standards and fair production conditions when purchasing.

Our way of eating is also a political decision - our approach to food is orientated towards sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly farming methods.

The garden is not a commercial operation, but rather a kitchen and display garden. Here, every visitor can remember what it means to be at home on Earth.

The regular accommodation is in group accommodation. You sleep in a group dormitory or in a small shared room. In the summer months, 4/5 person tents (with slatted frames and mattresses) or our wooden huts are additional options. (Bed linen is not provided here).

In the warm season you can also camp in your own private tent on the site. There are pitches for a limited number of camper vans (some with electrical hookups).

Single and double rooms are available in very limited numbers and usually fill up quickly. Please book early!

If you cannot find a booking option for single or double rooms on the registration page, then unfortunately these are already fully booked.

There are shared bathrooms for men and women.

If the desired accommodation is not available at ZEGG, the Bad Belzig host directory will help you with other accommodation options.

You can also ask reception for a list of external accommodation options.

For overnight stays in group dormitories or tents, please bring your own sleeping bag or duvet and towel. Only sheets are provided in the group dormitories / tents.

Bed linen and towels are provided in single and double rooms. This room category is equipped with LAN sockets.

Please bring your own sauna or bath towels.

A limited number of bed linen and towels can also be rented on site.

An external overnight stay is generally possible. However, keep in mind that seminar days can be long, and whether you want to make the trip to your accommodation after a possible social gathering at the local pub. :-)

We charge a space utilization fee for the use of the site and its infrastructure, which we will invoice together with the seminar fee. (More on this below.) Those sleeping off-site can choose a daily meal plan without breakfast.

You can find external overnight stay options on the Bad Belzig host directory.

The basic price shown for accommodation and catering (U&V) refers to group dormitories or shared rooms. Group tents and summer huts are also available in the summer season.

Catering is a daily flat rate and can only be booked as a whole. Those sleeping off-site can choose a daily rate without breakfast.

To ensure that our pricing can remain at this level, especially for large events, guests are required to help with washing up and tidying up as part of their stay here.

All surpluses from seminar operations are donated to the charitable purpose of ZEGG gGmbH.

Bad Belzig is a recognized thermal brine spa. The visitor's tax to be paid by us (adults € 1.50 per day / children € 0.75) is included in the price for offers subject to visitor's tax.

Why our prices are the way they are and why we can only offer very limited discounts can be found in the article: "Unbezahlbar, aber wir müssen uns trotzdem mit Geld beschäftigen".

You will receive your invoice approximately four weeks before the start of the event.

Please do not pay before you have received the invoice. Please include the invoice and customer number in the reference field. Thank you, this will make our work much easier!

The bank details of ZEGG Bildungszentrum gGmbH: IBAN DE46 4306 0967 4006 7269 01 at GLS Bank, BIC GENODEM1GLS

We do not accept debit or credit cards!

Payment by Girocard (EC-card) at check-in on the day of arrival is only possible in exceptional cases if the invoice is issued at short notice.

Early bird prices: you can benefit from a reduced price if you have registered by a respective deadline and payment has been received eight days after the invoice date. Otherwise, the normal price applies.

Staggered prices according to income: We would also like to provide financial leeway for people who would otherwise not be able to afford to participate, or to enable people to give more and thus support another person. Recommended income limits of personal income for self-assessment: Lowest price level for incomes below 1500 €, medium between 1500 and 2000 € and highest above 2000 €.

Self-assessment (sliding scale prices): Here you can set the seminar fees according to your self-assessment. Within a minimum and maximum price, you can decide for yourself how much you want to/can pay. The criteria for this are your own financial situation and how much the event is worth to you. In this way, we want to give financial leeway to people who would otherwise not be able to afford to take part. It is also an encouragement to take personal financial responsibility in terms of giving and taking: What feels right for me in each case? Where can I participate fully even with a lower contribution? Where can I give more and thus help to support another person?

At the ZEGG festivals (Easter, Whitsun, Summer Camp, New Year's Eve), there is a very limited number of scholarships available, which are awarded six weeks in advance upon request. Applications must be submitted to us at least seven weeks before the start of the festival.

You can also participate in festivals at a reduced volunteer rate for approximately four hours of volunteer time per day.

We try to give people with lower incomes the opportunity to take part by offering staggered prices and sliding scale prices.

If you are staying off-site, we charge a flat rate for the use of the infrastructure during your stay.

The large park-like site requires some maintenance (care of the plantings and paths, grass cutting, fire pond, ...) and you also use infrastructure (e.g. buildings, toilets, possibly showers) during your stay during the seminar day. This maintenance work incurs costs for us. These are included in the regular accommodation prices for overnight stays on site. This means that we also include people sleeping outside of ZEGG in the flat rate for the use of the site. Apportioning these costs to all onsite guests would place an additional burden on those sleeping here.

All our accommodation prices are per person per night. This applies in a double room as well as in group accommodation or in your own caravan/tent. This is because costs for infrastructure, site maintenance, water/electricity, etc. are incurred even if two people use the same accommodation.

Our cancellation conditions are actually independent of whether a booked place is filled again. The fee primarily covers the administrative work involved in cancellations and registrations.

Our financial basis for festivals and seminars is calculated on the basis of a certain number of people and their minimum catering and accommodation rates.

Our catering is even calculated to cover costs and not to make a profit.

Basic costs for the kitchen, dining room and staff are also incurred regardless of the number of individual meals consumed.

This means that all guests are virtually in solidarity with each other and someone who does not pay into the catering at all still has to be carried by the others because they are excluded from the solidarity distribution.

If you register several people via one booking, you will only receive one joint invoice.

If you need separate invoices, please register separately, i.e. each via a separate booking. Thank you!

In the interest of both parties, we recommend taking out seminar cancellation insurance!

These insurances cost around €15 to €25 and save you and us the lengthy discussions that are usually involved if the worst comes to the worst.

As a non-profit organization, we are unfortunately not allowed to recommend insurance policies.

In the event of a cancellation of the semiar registration and/or room reservation by the guest, we charge a minimum amount for administrative costs – even for free offers. If the cancellation occurs at short notice, the cancellation fee is calculated pro rata based on the total booked services. Please note the currently valid cancellation conditions.

When you register, please indicate in the comments field that you would like to use your credit for this event.

There will be no change to the invoice issued; we will offset it in the accounts department after the invoice has been issued. However, we will then inform you of the outstanding balance in the e-mail so that you can then transfer it.

You can find the respective start and end times on the website and in the registration confirmation.

Arrival and check-in usually take place between 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Most seminars begin with a group dinner at 6:30 p.m., with the seminar itself usually starting at 8:00 p.m.

The seminar usually ends with lunch at 1:00 p.m.

Please note: Some seminars have different start and end times! We will inform you of these in the registration confirmation and the automatic confirmation of receipt.

Check-out: Rooms must be vacated by 3 p.m. on the day of departure, or by 9 a.m. if you are extending your stay.

Yes, it is possible to arrive the evening before the seminar begins, subject to prior arrangement. This depends on occupancy and other seminars. Please clarify this in advance with reception.

Extending your stay by one night is almost always possible. For a number of dates, you can book this directly during the registration process. If this option is not available, please inquire at reception.

Check-out: Rooms must be vacated by 9 a.m. on the day of departure for extensions, with departure by 10 a.m.

In any case, you must consult with reception and the course instructors in advance if you need to arrive later or leave earlier.

This may not be possible for certain events, as the group will already be immersed in a joint process and late arrivals may not be easily integrated. Similarly, it is sometimes not advisable to miss out on the entire arc of an event and leave without a joint conclusion.

If a later arrival or earlier departure is possible, please note that we do not waive any costs.

Bad Belzig is connected by train via the RE7 hourly towards Dessau and sometimes every half hour towards Berlin. From the train station, city bus 590 goes directly to ZEGG. Unfortunately, bus service is very limited on weekends.

You canuse the carpooling service: bessermitfahren.de/nach/belzig/mitfahrgelegenheiten

Directions: zegg.de/en/about-us/arrival

Parking: ZEGG is a car-free site as far as possible. The guest car park is located below the entrance. (Coming from Bad Belzig, it is on the right-hand side of the road.) Please park your vehicle there. Handcarts are available to borrow for transporting heavy luggage.

These items are useful here:

• Cash – our village pub does not accept card payments!
• For overnight stays in shared rooms or tents, please bring a sleeping bag or duvet/pillow and towel. Only fitted sheets are provided. Bed linen and towels are provided in single and double rooms.
• A sauna towel/bath towel is recommended.
• Slippers or thick socks, as our seminar rooms are not to be entered with outdoor shoes and the wooden/linoleum floor is cool.
• Torch, as some of our paths are not lit.
• Organic personal care products (such as soap, wash lotion and shampoo).

Please do not bring:

• Pets.
• Conventional personal care products.

What to bring: If there are any special items you need to bring for the seminar, you will be informed of this in the registration confirmation email.

ZEGG is located outside Bad Belzig in a very quiet area near the forest and is largely car-free.

The 15-hectare core area offers, among other things:

• The ‘restaurant’ as a dining room with a large, sunny terrace
• Campus, terrace, meadows and forest areas suitable for outdoor activities and meditation
• A self-service bicycle rental service
• Computer room (Internetcafé) for surfing on three stationary computers and printing, with guest WiFi also available in this area during the day
• Public landline telephone
• Volleyball court and playground
• Massage/treatment room (various members of the community offer a range of massage and relaxation techniques)
• Village pub for a cosy afternoon or evening
• Irregular Saturday dance evenings at ‘San Diego’ for the community, guests and the Fläming region
• Book and gift shop (open on weekends)
• Meditation room
• Art studio
• Fire pond with sunbathing lawn
• Permaculture teaching and adventure trail

The Steintherme thermal baths are a ten-minute walk away. A wonderful opportunity to relax and unwind after a seminar weekend or festival.

The surrounding area is ideal for hiking or a short walk in nature.

The centre of Bad Belzig is about a 15-minute walk away, and there is a supermarket at the bus station about 10 minutes away.

We want to promote a mindful culture of conversation and learning, where participants are not constantly interrupted by phone calls, emails and messenger messages. We encourage you to communicate primarily with people on site. Perhaps you can use your time at ZEGG to take a break from digital media!

Please do not use your mobile phone during events, in the village square or in the restaurant (including the terrace) or where there are crowds of people. When making mobile phone calls, be aware of your surroundings and mindful of conversations that may disturb others.

At the Internetcafé, you can use the Internet via LAN cable, on the available computers or, during the day, via Wi-Fi.

In the red ‘telephone booth’ there is a free landline telephone for relaxed conversations ‘like in the good old days’.

The water on the premises comes from our own wells. Regular checks confirm its excellent quality, and you can taste that it doesn't run through miles of pipes!

You can drink water anywhere on the premises without worry. You can tap water at various locations in the university (the main building) and, in summer, at the village pub. Feel free to bring your own bottle. Otherwise, you can also buy a bottle at the village pub.

We treat the wastewater from our premises locally in our own plant-based treatment system. Low-energy and completely natural. This way, the water taken from the local area is fed back into the natural cycle on site.

For over 30 years, our wastewater has been treated directly and energy-efficiently on site in our own biological plant-based wastewater treatment system. The treated wastewater is then reabsorbed locally on our premises.

To ensure proper functioning, it is important to us that only biological personal care products are used! Soap and shampoo are available in the bathrooms.

In Brandenburg, there is a high/extremely high risk of forest fires from spring to autumn. Even the smallest spark can start a fire. Therefore, lighting fires is prohibited. Candles are also not permitted in tents, on the lawn or in the accommodation – without exception!

Smoking is prohibited throughout the entire site. The only exceptions are the designated smoking areas: smoking is permitted wherever ashtrays are available (e.g. at the telephone booth, village square, campus).

If you discover a fire: The fire alarm is located in the red telephone booth (between San Diego and the restaurant) opposite the entrance door. Follow the instructions and press the red button!

Since March 2024, we have been offering charging facilities for two vehicles at the same time on our premises. The charging station is located near the main gate, if you turn right immediately after the reception building.

Payment can be made with any EC card; no special provider-specific cards are required or accepted.

Please remember to vacate the space for others after charging. Thank you!

We are delighted that you are coming to visit our place of life and learning.

At the same time, we ask you to be mindful of the privacy of the residents, as you are visiting us in our front yard, so to speak. Our apartments are located between and partly within the seminar buildings. This proximity between community and seminar activities is part of the special flair of ZEGG. We also share the dining room with guests.

We welcome around 3,500 guests a year, so please bear with us (and don't take it personally) if we don't always say hello! We rarely bite, and it is often possible to have a chat in the village pub. ;-)

We kindly ask you to refrain from using loud instruments and shouting outdoors – our neighbours and residents will thank you!

ZEGG was founded with the mission of informing people about alternative ways of living and thinking, making them tangible and contributing to comprehensive ecological and social change. In order to achieve the necessary public impact, we need, among other things, up-to-date and realistic visual material.

We use the images taken by our photographers, especially at our festivals, for our public relations and advertising in print media, on our website, in newsletters and also on social media.

Occasionally, we also take photos in seminar situations or on the premises. If you notice that photos or videos are being taken and do not want to be recognised, the easiest thing to do is to actively step out of the picture or turn your face away so that you are not recognisable. A brief, friendly conversation with our photographer or videographer can clarify the extent of the recording, allowing you to prepare accordingly.

If you do not want to be photographed at festivals, please contact our photographers, who will then take a photo of you so that we know which people do not want to be published.

In order to protect the privacy of participants, private recordings of individuals are not permitted, or only with the express consent of the persons recorded.

If you have forgotten something at ZEGG, please contact our lost property office. We keep lost property for a limited period of time. For a small processing fee, we will return your lost property to you: send an email to .

Here you can find out more about community and learning environment.

In principle, yes. We rent out rooms for seminars and events organised by external providers. As the focus of our work is on our own non-profit offerings, external rentals are only possible to a very limited extent. For more information, please contact .

ZEGG has many faces. It encompasses seminars with around 150 events per year, ecological projects such as gardening and edible landscapes, community life, large festivals organised by the community, and much more. There are many different ways to get to know ZEGG:

• A first impression can be gained during the summer months by taking part in the Sunday tours of the grounds and gardens.
• You can visit us as a seminar guest and be inspired by the mix of community life and learning.
• If you are particularly interested in the ZEGG community, you can gain a deeper insight during an information weekend.
• Or you can come to ZEGG as a helper, support us and work on our ecological projects. There are summer guest weeks, site activities in spring and autumn, and camp activities (with tent setting up and taking down).
• At the festivals, you will get to know ZEGG in a different way. Here you can experience special spaces for learning with lectures, dance and music, and immerse yourself in group processes.
• If you are interested in community and ZEGG in more depth, the five-week community course offers an intensive insight: this can be further deepened during the subsequent seasonal period over the summer.

Whichever path you choose, ZEGG is a place where you can make contacts and find inspiration and self-awareness.

You can find detailed information on our website about the ZEGG community.

In line with our ecological values, we would prefer our guests to travel by train. From Bad Belzig station, take the ‘Stadtlinie 590’ bus to the ZEGG stop. (Unfortunately, there are limited service times on weekends.)

Alternatively, you can call a taxi: Taxi Roßbach 033841 357 12 or Taxi Noelte 033841 333 31 or 0172 990 11 08.

Further information on how to get there can be found here.

Check-in

Unless otherwise stated in an email, check-in for your seminar will take place between 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Please check your registration confirmation to see if a different time is specified. Not all seminars start at the same time.

Our cancellation policy

We strongly recommend that you take out seminar cancellation insurance!

If a guest cancels a registration/room reservation, we will charge a proportionate amount of the total cost of the services booked, but at least €40:

From 8 weeks before the start of the event €40 flat rate
< 4 weeks before 20%
< 10 days before 50%
< 4 days before 90%

The date of receipt of the written cancellation applies.

Even for free work activities, we charge a €40 processing fee for cancellations.

Slippers or socks
Not all areas are carpeted: thick socks or slippers for the group room will keep your feet warm.

Mosquito repellent
Between May and August, there can be a lot of mosquitoes at times. We therefore recommend that you bring mosquito repellent and possibly a mosquito net with you.

Water bottle
We have various drinking water taps on site. To enjoy our great drinking water, please bring a water bottle with you.

Biodegradable soap/shampoo
We treat our wastewater on site in our own plant-based treatment system. We provide shampoo and soap, so you can leave yours at home. If you do bring something with you, please make sure it is biodegradable to minimise the impact on the treatment system.

Overnight stay in a group dormitory, overnight huts or tent
We only provide fitted sheets. Please bring your own duvet or sleeping bag, pillow and pillowcase, as well as a towel.
It is also possible to hire bedding, covers and towels for a fee.

Please note: If you are staying in a single or double room, towels, bedding and covers are included.

We have defined rules of conduct for being on site in order to provide the safest possible environment. By participating in a seminar or festival, you agree to these rules: Awareness Guidelines at ZEGG (PDF)

More information: Awareness rules at our events

Please be prepared to help us wash and dry the dishes at festivals. This can actually be a lot of fun when done as a group.

Have you forgotten something? Lost items will be returned to you for a processing fee/postage. Please send an email to:

That is the answer to the question about life, the universe and everything else in the science fiction novel ‘The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy’. We are still searching for another answer, which is why ZEGG was founded. ;-)

Hey, and thanks for reading this far!

By the way, there's more about the number 42 if you're curious.
Also as a video.