Berget, Retreat centre in Rättvik, Dalarna, Sweden
Berget is a retreat centre on the hill Kaplaskogen in Rättvik, Dalarna, run as a foundation. Its oldest building, S:t Davidsgården, was designed by architect Jack Hanson and opened in 1962 as the Nordic region's first retreat facility. The grounds also hold Malungsstugan, a parish-donated cabin converted into a Catholic chapel in 1984, and Meditationsgården, a course building from 1971.
S:t Davidsgården, the first retreat facility in the Nordic countries, was built in Kaplaskogen and inaugurated on 18 November 1962 by Bishop Sven Silén and Bishop Emeritus John Cullberg of the Västerås diocese. Architect Jack Hanson designed it. In 1974 it and the Meditationsgården were detached from the Stiftsgården to form the independent Stiftelsen Berget.
The name Berget means "the mountain" in Swedish, and the retreat is named after its hilltop site in Kaplaskogen. S:t Davidsgården takes its name from Saint David of Munktorp, an English missionary who is Västerås diocese's apostle. Since 1994 the Holy Trinity community has led worship here, and Mass is celebrated daily according to the Church of Sweden's order, with Catholic Mass also held regularly.
Berget lies in Kaplaskogen, a hill in Rättvik, and is run as a foundation with several separate buildings: S:t Davidsgården, Meditationsgården and Malungsstugan, the last converted into a Catholic chapel in 1984. Retreat days follow the mass and the daily offices, so plan your visit around the worship timetable. The site receives a couple of thousand retreat guests each year, so book ahead.
The name S:t Davidsgården honours Saint David of Munktorp, an English-born missionary who is the patron saint of Västmanland and apostle of the Västerås diocese. The retreat houses stand in Kaplaskogen, a wooded hill above Rättvik, and the site receives a couple of thousand retreat guests from across Sweden each year.
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