Balance and Health - Body and Mind🌿
A 10-day journey of connection, culture and self-discovery in the heart of Italy.
📍Bergolo, 2026
From April 2nd to 12th 2026, 34 young adults from 4 countries participated in a multicultural exchange in the municipality of Bergolo, in the province of Cuneo, the heart of the Italian Alps.
Living in a youth hostel and returning to simpler times, these strangers to each other would end the exchange with deeper bonds than they could have ever imagined.
Since 2018, Bergolo has been a regular host of Youth Exchanges and Training Courses organized by various associations and organizations. Bergolo is a small village hidden in the Alta Langa hills, with a population of 70 people, and it makes it the perfect place for these projects. One of the organizations at the heart of this movement is Vagamondo, a local NGO, together with New Wellness Education, both playing a key role in bringing young people from across Europe in partnership with the local community.
Connection, Learning & Community
From the very beginning, the project focused on creating a safe and open environment where participants could connect. Through interactive games, group challenges, and shared responsibilities, we quickly moved from being strangers to becoming a supportive community.
Many activities highlighted an important message: collaboration over competition. One challenge ended with each team receiving a piece of a puzzle, which could only be completed by combining all the pieces together. This simple but powerful moment reinforced the idea that everyone’s contribution matters and that true success is shared.
Exploring Beyond Bergolo
Two very special days broke the monotony of life in Bergolo. Firstly, the trip to Savona, a seaside town an hour away from Bergolo. Visit to the historic Fortezza del Priamar, exploring its underground spaces and learning about its past, followed by free time to discover the city and enjoy Italian culture: pizza, coffee, and gelato quickly became highlights of the day.
Another day was spent at a safari park, where we had the chance to observe animals up close and reconnect with nature.
Cultural Exchange
A central part of the project was learning from each other’s cultures. Each national group brought unique energy and traditions, organizing activities that reflected their background.
The Portuguese team brought a rich cultural experience by presenting their country, offering a tasting of traditional Portuguese food, and teaching us a traditional dance, creating a warm and engaging atmosphere.
The Spanish team led dynamic sessions full of movement, games, and a vibrant Latin dance workshop, creating moments of joy and connection through rhythm and music.
The Finnish team, on the other hand, introduced a different pace: starting with a quiet moment of reflection in nature, followed by a playful “Finnish Olympics” in which we discovered traditional games while competing in teams. Meanwhile, the Italian team welcomed everyone with a true taste of Italy: pizza for dinner, homemade tiramisu prepared with love, and a fun introduction to what might be considered their second official language: expressive hand gestures, shared with laughter and enthusiasm.
These cultural evenings and activities allowed participants not only to have fun but also to gain a deeper understanding of different lifestyles, values, and ways of thinking.
A Personal Experience
“When I first joined Erasmus in Bergolo, it was because my friend was annoying me and begging me to come, and I gave in. Thank god I gave in. This experience was unique. It might have been 10 days, but it was 10 days worth of memories, experiences, sadness, happiness, mostly happiness. They are my friends, people I can trust, people I can rely on.
If I had to convince someone to go on an Erasmus trip, I wouldn’t try to convince them, but I would tell them what happened there: all the laughs, all the memories, all the smiles, and the love I received from the people.” - José from Portugal.
A Meaningful Journey
“As a participant myself, I can testify to the fact that no one leaves these projects as they came. In this Balance and Health – Body and Mind project, the Finnish culture encourages self-reflection, the Spanish and Portuguese cultures encourage self-expression, and the Italian culture encourages connections and how to live with a little bit of everything. A combination of these cultures is the real beauty of diversity that we should all strive to reach for.”
- Emmanuel from Finland
This Youth Exchange has been much more than a series of activities. It has been a journey of growth, connection, and discovery. Above all, the experience showed that health is not only physical, but also mental, emotional, and social; and that finding balance is something we can learn together.
This project was made possible thanks to the collaboration of all partner organizations: promoted by Joventut Calvià, hosted by Parco Culturale Alta Langa, in partnership with Câmara Municipal de Moura and Hollolan kulttuuripalvelut, and implemented with the collaboration of New Wellness Education APS and Associazione Vagamondo.
