Adventure on holiday? It starts with choosing the right accommodation. We have selected five unusual hotels for families for you. From Glamping to Westerndorf everything is there.
Hobbit feeling in France
The unusual accommodations of the hotel complex “Terragora Lodges” are part of an architectural competition for students. There are mud houses reminiscent of a Hobbit village, huts made of wooden shingles or a cocoon that looks like from another world… In the valley in the west of France you spend your holidays completely surrounded by nature. The silence needs a bit of getting used to for city dwellers at first, because apart from a river and birdsong there are not many noises.
For children the property is a little paradise, because they can romp around and enjoy their freedom. The restaurant offers mainly local specialities made from regional ingredients. In general, the operators of “Terragora” attach great importance to sustainability. Who wants to go on excursions: There are several castles and impressive gardens nearby. The next bigger city is Nantes, about an hour’s drive away. Not far away is also the leisure park “Le Puy du Fou”, where Vikings, knights and of course musketeers cavort. terragora-lodges.com
Tree house holidays in Lapland
Those who live in one of the unusual houses of the Treehotel in the middle of the forest do not have to do without comfort. The owners Britta and Kent Lindvall offer their guests everything their hearts desire. They sleep in a bird’s nest, in a UFO, in a completely mirrored cottage or in the “Blue Cone”, which shines through the forest in signal red (yes, the Lindvalls have the typical Swedish dry humour!).
The accommodations are each equipped with two to four beds and have WLAN. The adjoining restaurant serves delicious local dishes. Britta and Kent attach great importance to sustainability, because they want the extraordinary nature here in Swedish Lapland to be as unpolluted as possible. The coastal town of Luleå is about an hour’s drive away, and two kilometres away there is a small town with shops. But those who spend their holidays out here actually prefer to go hiking or canoeing. treehotel.se
Glamping in Portugal
When it comes to camping, a film immediately unwinds: dirty communal showers and ants in a sleeping bag. Francisco and Claudia, just a few kilometres from the Algarve, show how to make things more beautiful and, above all, more relaxing. They have created the glamping domicile “Aterra”, which is incomparable. Yurts, tents or tipis stand on wooden platforms. The two owners of journeys from Vietnam, India, Thailand and Morocco have brought along much of their equipment and combined it into an individual and unusual mix.
Sustainability is a top priority in Aterra and it starts with breakfast. A cook prepares all meals and what comes on the table is usually vegetarian, homemade or local.
If you don’t find your inner peace here all by yourself, you can harmonize twice a day during yoga classes in an open pavilion. There are also massages and Ayurvedic nutritional advice. Meanwhile, the children can relax in the “in-house” natural lake, on horseback or on a kayak tour on the Mira River – or even surf (at least the bigger ones) in the Atlantic. goodtravel.de
Western feeling on the Atlantic Ocean
Anyone who has never ridden in a casual western seat will find it unusual at first – but the riding instructors will quickly teach you the tricks. Riders with more experience can do all-day rides and the little ones have fun on guided pony tours. If you want to experience a bit of French culture as a change of scenery, take a detour to Bordeaux. There, an excursion to the science museum Cap Sciences is worthwhile. The base sous-marine, a submarine garage from the Second World War, is also impressive. Or you can relax and stroll through the Jardin Public. When the weather is fine, the Guignol Guérin puppet theatre gives various outdoor performances. village-western.com
Tiny Houses in Germany
Vacation with only the bare necessities around you? This minimalism can be incredibly relaxing, especially during holidays. Especially if you come from overcrowded children’s rooms and now (almost) only have nature as a playground. Steffi and Philipp took up the trend from the USA and opened the first Tiny House Hotel in the Fichtelgebirge. On a large property there is plenty of space for the small cottages in which up to five guests can find accommodation. When the weather is fine, the spacious outside area compensates for the possible lack of space inside. But once one gets used to the small dimensions, one notices how practical it is to reduce oneself to the essentials.
The region in the Fichtelgebirge offers a lot of leisure activities. The Ochsenkopf is not far away, which in winter offers guaranteed snow and slopes suitable for children. In summer, hiking tours of any length and with any degree of difficulty are possible through the beautiful landscape of the Fichtelgebirge. You can also go on extensive cycling tours and at your destination there is usually an inn with delicious food in the middle of beautiful, untouched nature. This is pure deceleration for the whole family.
The Waldhaus Mehlmeisel game park is very close to the Tiny Houses. From the high paths you can look into different enclosures and observe red deer, lynx and other animals. The petting zoo is of course a very special highlight. Not far away is Bayreuth, where there is not only the Richard Wagner Museum to marvel at, but also the Margrave’s Opera House, which belongs to the UNESCO world cultural heritage and is really impressive. tinyhousevillage.de
Pictures: PR, Graeme Richardson (Treehotel), Florian Trykowski, Getty Images (2)