There are times when you want to be right in the heart of it all, close to all the attractions and places of interest, and other occasions when you just want to get away from it all and forget everyday life. In our Top 10 Hideaways we list some of our most secluded – and often most romantic – hotels and self-catering properties.
Abbazia di San Pietro in Valle, Umbria, Italy. It’s not every hotel that can boast of having been converted from a beautiful Romanesque abbey, and many of those who have experienced our Italy’s Green Heart walk have spoken of feeling privileged to stay at such a special place. The abbey’s origins date back to the 8th century, when a group of Benedictine monks decided to establish a small community on the broad flank of Monte Solenne, and there are superb 12th and 13th-century frescoes, as well as a two-storey cloister.
Douar Samra, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco. This mountain hotel on our Beneath Djebel Toubkal walk offers as authentic a taste of Berber life as you will ever get. Owned by Jacqueline Brandt, it was built by the villagers who have adopted this impassioned and pioneering Swiss émigré as one of their own. Like the other village houses, the main hotel and the four standard rooms have no electricity – the rooms are warmed by open fires and lit by candles which create a cosy glow – yet the cuisine, prepared by one of the village women, is some of the best you could wish to sample in Morocco. So remote is the village that you often have to travel by mule for the last kilometre. A very unique place to stay, and one where you very definitely feel removed from everyday life!
Berghotel Zirmerhof, Südtirol, Italy. If you are looking to escape to the mountains, this is a great choice, with the option, if you want to spend time out of doors, of some marvellous walking (the hotel features on our Valleys & Villages of the Dolomites walk). If you prefer to stay at the hotel, though, there is plenty of space to relax, with a cosy library, steam room, sauna and delightful stube (parlour). You won’t miss out on the breathtaking views, either – the frescoed restaurant affords a splendid panorama of the western Dolomites to admire as you savour excellent regional dishes.
Alojamento Senhora da Ribeira, Douro Valley, Portugal. Situated on the banks of the Douro, cut off from other villages and towns by the river on one side and steep hills on the other, this simple rural inn on our Valley of Gold walk features in our Top 10 Hideaways because it occupies an amazingly secluded spot. Were it not for the birdsong and the very occasional train by which you arrive, the silence would be absolute. You can admire the strikingly beautiful views and watch the river glide lazily past the hotel from the small balcony of your bedroom, but you don't stand much of a chance of getting a mobile phone signal. Nor can you rely on your hosts understanding enough English for you to get by without any Portuguese – you’ll need a phrasebook. To add to the sense of being far removed from the everyday world, you access the inn by means of a small river ferry which collects you from the railway station on the opposite bank.
I Due Roccoli, Lake Iseo, Italy. Midway between the larger – and much better known – lakes of Garda and Como, Lake Iseo is a secret jewel, with rugged landscapes to the north and vineyard-covered slopes to the south. I Due Roccoli, one of the highest quality hotels in our Top 10 Hideaways, is a real oasis of tranquillity immersed in its own attractive parkland with a superb panorama over the lake. The focal point is the elegant restaurant, the setting for refined interpretations of traditional Lombard cuisine which you can accompany with a locally produced Franciacorta wine.
Hotel Meisser, Engadine, Switzerland. With its timeless, fairytale villages surrounded by flower-filled meadows, the Engadine is Switzerland’s best-kept secret, making it a great destination for a week away from it all. The Hotel Meisser is in the best preserved of all the Engadine’s villages, Guarda, where the cobbled streets are dotted with fountains and lined with solid stone houses decorated with intricate pastel murals. The charming Meisser family has created an intimate, relaxed atmosphere, and the use of light wood throughout the hotel is at once stylish and cosy. In summer, the garden, with its wonderful views of the surrounding peaks, is the perfect place to relax after a day of walking, while in winter you can explore on snowshoes and later relax by the open fire in the lounge.
Finca de Alpujarras, Andalucia, Spain. This elegant mountain retreat is reached via a winding track some 1,450 metres above sea level from where it is possible to see the Mediterranean and, on a clear day, the mountains of Morocco. Nestling beneath mainland Spain's highest mountain, these secluded self-catering properties afford incredible views, matched only by the outstanding hospitality of your hosts. Ludet and Maïte have decorated their five top-quality apartments in traditional Alpujarran style with distinct Moorish influences and exquisite attention to detail. For those who would prefer to explore this timeless corner of southern Spain from a hotel, Casas las Chimeneas, in a village in which mules still outnumber cars by two to one, feels equally far removed from the everyday world.
Hotel Castle, Goms Valley, Switzerland. There are two main reasons for including this secluded 4-star hotel which perches on the slopes above the village of Blitzingen in our Top 10 Hideaways. Firstly, the welcome is among the warmest you could hope to encounter in Switzerland (the hotel has in fact won awards for the outstanding level of service). Secondly, the food is superb – owner Peter Gschwendtner is a great chef, creating delicious mountain dishes with a lightness of touch. The icing on the cake is the view across the delightful yet little-discovered Goms Valley from the restaurant.
Les Vents Bleus, Aveyron, France. Set in a sleepy hamlet between the Tarn and Aveyron rivers, Les Vents Bleus has been exquisitely converted from a beautiful old stone house. Although the interior is fit to be included in a stylish homes magazine, there is a very relaxed feel to the place, and guests are made to feel very much at home by hosts Monsieur and Madame Gropallo, whose warm hospitality is regularly praised by customers on our Land of the Crusades walk.
Velia Vista, Campania, Italy. These self-catering properties form part of a magnificent 17th-century country estate and working farm surrounded by centuries-old olive groves which are, in turn, framed by warm, wooded hills. Tranquillity reigns here in this secluded spot on the edge of the Cilento National Park, though there is no shortage of natural and cultural interest in the surrounding area. Historic Velia is close by, the Greek settlement of Paestum is only an hour’s drive, and the coast is just five kilometres away.
If our Top 10 Hideaways has inspired you, please contact our friendly reservations team for more information.