Summer 2020 – original vacation ideas

Trail-inn

The Trail Inn hotel is in my village, Berdorf, in the middle of the beautiful Mullerthal. It is the ideal place to go hiking and biking and discovering this area of Luxembourg. The hotel has recently renovated rooms and really caters for the active tourist. Their restaurant also serves the best burgers!

If you want to explore the Mullerthal, here are some more recommendations:

Berdorfer Eck – small bed and breakfast, restaurant and shop

Camping Maartbusch (Berdorf) – ideal place to start your hikes. Stay in one of their original pods!

Rentabike Mullerthal – I highly recommend renting an electric mountain bike to master the steep hills over here!

Aquatower Berdorf – view Berdorf from 55 m height and learn all about water management.

Pizzeria Lenert – have some great food or order a pizza to go.

Berdorfer cheese, yoghurt and ice-cream.

Tourist Center Heringer Millen – rent hiking/biking equipments, get maps, buy local products and start your hike from here.

Heringer Millen – Excellent food, great terrace and great exploring starting point (next to Tourist Center)

Ecolodge Peitche Lauer

Have you also been re-discovering Luxembourg lately? Why not venture out and after a nice hiking or cycling day, spend one or more restful nights on the edge of the river in Péitche Lauer. I personally would love to try one of their funny-looking ‘mushroom’ cabins. Besides the river, there is Useldange castle (and more castles to explore in the region), an in/outdoor pool, museums, nature park Uewersauer etc. Never a dull moment really close to home.

Bamhaiser Esch

Did you know there is an animal park in Esch? Did you know you can stay the night in a tree house in that park?
3 ‘maisons d’hôtes’ where you can stay with your whole family, enjoy the animals and have coffee and cake in the Bamhaus Cafe. I’m sure the kids (and the parents) will love it!

Outdoor hotel De Vreemde Vogel

If you have kids, you have to go here! You can stay in a birdhouse, a real airplane, a container rocket, a fire truck and other original sleeping places. Vlaardingen is close to Rotterdam and is surrounded by lots of water. Ideal for biking and exploring with children.

Pampel – hollow tree

The Veluwe is a large green area just above Arnhem (the Netherlands). It’s ideal for biking and exploring nature. If you are looking for an original stay, why not book the hollow tree huts of Camping Pampel? Or a dragon egg at Camping Schinkel?

Buitenland

Buitenland (which means abroad in Dutch) is not your average camping. Yes, you can still pitch your tent. But you can also sleep in an American school’s, a treehouse, a church, a dome or a barn. The location is in Nieuw Amsterdam, which is NOT close to the real Amsterdam but up North, close to the German border. The nature up there is beautiful. They have a pool, lots of activities for kids, a nearby lake… All ingredients for an original vacation.

Lievelinge

Similar to Buitenland, Lievelinge has original accommodations. They also like to combine a caravan with a jeep or a circus caravan and truck. The campground is located in Brabant which is only a few hours driving from Luxembourg.

Barendonk

Brabant (the Netherlands) is where my family lives and it’s only a couple of hours drive. It is a green, diverse country side with many huge farms. I always wanted to stay in one of them and experience Dutch country life. Whether you travel alone and stay in their guest rooms, or whether you come with a large group, the estate offers different accommodations. It’s ideal if you want to go with a group but still be independent. There is lots to do and see in that area!

Further links to original accommodations in the Netherlands:

Bij ons in Groesbeek – hunters hut, colorful houses, a boat..

Ecostay – eco stays in nature or on the water

It Dreamlan – glamping huts in Friesland

Voscheheugte – nature huts in Drenthe

Netl – wild camping for family and groups

Zwier – offers accommodations that give you a ‘time out’, away from the hustle of the city, just for yourself. Book a 24 or 28 hour retreat (solo or 2) without any contact to anything or anyone.

Original accommodations portal (not just NL)

Nutchel

Nutchel opens at the end of June 2020. It was 20 years in the making to plan and get necessary authorisations. It’s just across the border in Martelange, Belgium, in the middle of the forest. The concept is: in the heart of the woods, far from each other, their houses are comfortable and equipped with all the necessary things (some houses have a hot tub!). There is no Wifi which allows for your time to be spent on more useful things like hiking, biking, spending time with your family.

Aqualodge

Close to Dinant, this magic place offers wooden houses on a lake. And the Belgian area of Maredsous has lots to offer in terms of activities.

The Forest

In the middle of the forest, but only half an hour from Brussels, this tiny house allows you to really switch off in nature but with all the luxuries you need. It has it’s own little lake which you can explore with the canoe.

It unfortunately doesn’t seem available for 2020, but booking for next year is possible.

Parentheses Imaginaires

Parenthèses imaginaires was recommended to me by a colleague (merci Elise!). It is a cosy campsite in the heart of the Dordogne’s Parc naturel régional Périgord Limousin. The campsite is a fun and family-friendly place to enjoy the great outdoors. They have a range of different chalets to suit all tastes. Stay in a lakeside hut, go glamping, or find your own secluded little patch of green to pitch your tent.

Domaine la Fraysse

In the middle of the Ardèche, at 600m altitude, this estate has 6 gîtes of different sizes, two pools and a lot of nature surrounding it. You can book as a family or stay with a group of 40 people (in case you want to invite your entire extended family 🙂 ) The region is ideal for hiking, cycling and exploring. The food is delicious and sightseeing never gets boring.

7 Sentidos

7 little casitas in the Bavarian forest with a Spanish flair, a big garden, hammocks, sauna, organic food (breakfast and dinner) and lots of things to explore in the area. What’s not to like?

Renatour

This German travel operator offers alternative trips close to nature. Whether it’s close by in Germany or France, or further away like Albania, the tours are organised with regional/local partners and have ecology, fairness, friendliness and individuality in mind.

I stumbled on an article about the trip to Albania and thought… mmmmh Albania, that would be nice.

Featherdown

A glamping holiday with Feather Down is surely going to be a memorable one for young and old. Tucked away in some of the most gorgeous spots in the countryside of the UK and Europe (France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland) is where you’ll find our locations. Boasting stunning and far-reaching panoramic views right from the doorstep of your luxury camping accommodation.

Here is the German site Wiesenbett.

Portugal Nature Lodge

A perfect combination of camping in nature and the comfort of a hotel room, of enjoying the tranquil atmosphere of the southwest coast of the Alentejo along with the liveliness of the coastal towns.

I have been to the Alentejo coast and it is simply beautiful. And so much less touristy than the Algarve. Hiking, surfing, biking, all is there to have a perfect holiday. And the nature lodges let you have your peace and quiet without having to forgo modern necessities.