About

On November 9th, 2026, the first edition of the International Esoteric Book Fair opens at Hotel Ascona, in the unique cultural atmosphere of Ascona on the Monte Verità.
An international gathering of rare books, esoteric publishers, conferences, presentations, films, art, and human encounters inspired by the historical spirit of Ascona.
A place where culture, spirituality, philosophy, and new synergies meet through shared experience and conviviality.

International exhibitors specializing in esoteric, spiritual, philosophical, and rare books
Conferences, dialogues, and author presentations
Evening screenings of classic and contemporary esoteric films
Readings, symbolic studies, and cultural encounters
Music, aperitifs, and informal gatherings
Vegetarian and regional dining experiences
Access to the unique atmosphere of Ascona and Monte Verità

Ascona occupies a unique place in the cultural and spiritual history of modern Europe. Between the end of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th century, the region — especially the nearby Monte Verità — became an international meeting point for artists, philosophers, mystics, reformers, psychologists, anarchists, theosophists, dancers, writers, and seekers from across Europe.

Monte Verità, literally “Mountain of Truth,” was founded around 1900 as an experimental community dedicated to alternative lifestyles, vegetarianism, spirituality, free thought, natural healing, and cultural renewal. Over time, it attracted an extraordinary network of personalities connected to modern art, psychology, esotericism, and spiritual research.

The area became closely linked to movements such as Theosophy, Lebensreform, Hermeticism, Eastern spirituality, Jungian psychology, symbolism, and avant-garde artistic experimentation. Figures connected directly or indirectly to Ascona and Monte Verità include Carl Gustav Jung, Rudolf Steiner, Hermann Hesse, Isadora Duncan, Mircea Eliade, and many artists, writers, and intellectuals associated with the Eranos conferences and the wider modernist world.

From 1933 onward, the famous Eranos Foundation transformed Ascona into one of the most important international centers for comparative religion, symbolism, mythology, psychology, and spiritual dialogue. Scholars from East and West gathered there to explore archetypes, sacred traditions, mysticism, alchemy, and the evolution of consciousness.

Because of this history, Ascona is not perceived merely as a tourist destination, but as a symbolic cultural landscape where art, spirituality, philosophy, psychology, and inner research historically converged. The atmosphere of the region still carries traces of this intellectual and spiritual legacy, making it a particularly meaningful location for an international esoteric book fair and cultural gathering.

Set above Lake Maggiore, between the cultural memory of Monte Verità and the quiet atmosphere of Ascona, this project was born from a simple idea: to create a refined international meeting point for people interested in esotericism, symbolism, spirituality, consciousness, philosophy, rare books, and inner research.

Hosted at the historic Hotel Ascona, the event brings together selected international booksellers, publishers, researchers, collectors, artists, and speakers in an environment designed not as a commercial fair alone, but as a living cultural experience.

Visitors will find rare and antiquarian esoteric books, contemporary publications, symbolic art, lectures, readings, presentations, film screenings, and informal encounters extending into the evenings through dinners, conversations, music, and shared experiences.

The atmosphere is intentionally intimate and curated. Rather than a mass-market event, the goal is to recreate the spirit that once made Ascona and Monte Verità a meeting place for artists, seekers, intellectuals, and visionaries from across Europe.

Throughout the season, the hotel becomes a temporary cultural residence where guests can stay, study, exchange ideas, attend conferences, discover forgotten works, and connect with an international network of people interested in the deeper dimensions of culture and human experience.

The program includes:

International exhibitors specializing in esoteric, spiritual, philosophical, and rare books
Conferences, dialogues, and author presentations
Evening screenings of classic and contemporary esoteric films
Readings, symbolic studies, and cultural encounters
Music, aperitifs, and informal gatherings
Vegetarian and regional dining experiences
Access to the unique atmosphere of Ascona and Monte Verità

Special conditions are offered during the winter season in order to encourage longer stays, encounters between participants, and the creation of a true temporary community.

More than an event, this is an attempt to reactivate a historical cultural energy connected to Ascona: a place where art, spirituality, philosophy, and human dialogue can still meet in a meaningful way.