We’ve done the legwork so you can save your energy for hiking – or pampering. Find your next holiday cabin here.
1. Kilsti Lodges, Norway – sleeps 2
These lodges in Storfjorden, at the heart of natural Norway, may look familiar. They featured recently on the UK Channel 4’s Extraordinary Escapes. There are just four 22 square metre cabins clustered here, each with spectacular mountain and fjord views (even from the ceiling of your bedroom and the sauna). They have glass walls on all sides and feature the best of Scandi design, from Swedish bedding and Georg Jensen bathrobes to Bang and Olufsen bluetooth speakers. Each has a kitchen and a small terrace with an outdoor grill and fireplace. Ideal for relaxing after a day hiking, skiing, rafting or climbing – or simply curled up reading your book.
2. Porkkala Pensinsula, Finland – sleeps 7
On the peaceful Porkkala peninsula just 50 minutes from Helsinki airport, sits this independent guesthouse, beach house and sauna just 20 metres from the surrounding seashore. Your nearest neighbours are 200 metres away on an island, so you can enjoy the stillness and breathtaking sunsets. Not even the mosquitoes will bother you, thanks to the south-west breeze. A small rowing boat and fishing equipment can be borrowed. Sleeps seven but can seat up to ten on the terrace or inside by the fire, so you can have visitors while you’re there.
3. Celestine, Belgium – sleeps 2
At this ‘tiny house’ named ‘Celestine’, just outside Brussels, you can stay on Lac Genval, which has the novelty of straddling Flanders and Wallonia. Though the house may be tiny, it sleeps two, and has a woodburning stove, shower, kitchen and even a minibar. The lake shores offer a sailing club and several restaurants. Great hiking can be found nearby in the magnificent parklands of Chateau de la Hulpe. A similar cabin run by the same hosts can be found near the Chateau of Strée.
4. Cabinas Comporta, Portugal – sleeps 12
Just south of Lisbon, this charming cabin complex with its own pool in Comporta is near the beach yet surrounded by expansive farmland vistas and rice fields. Washed in calming golds, blues and ecrus, the accommodation for up to 12 people is spread over a main hut, a guest house and an annexe. There are convivial outside seating areas over terraces and a barbecue.
5. Back to nature in Croatia – sleeps 4
Although some might say a stone house is not a cabin, this crazy place on the island of Dugi Otok, reachable by a pleasant ferry trip from Zadar, is suitably remote to qualify. Tucked away in Telaščica Nature Park, it has no electricity and only a well and solar heating for shower and washing up water. The land is dry and arid but a tiny, pretty and almost private Adriatic cove is just two minutes on foot and your nearest neighbours are hundreds of metres away. A short drive takes you to Sali, a lively fishing village with cocktails and great fresh produce – and don’t miss a hike to the intriguing salt lake of Mir.
6. The Pigeon House, Greece – sleeps 2
With an exceptional rating on online booking sites, the small but exquisite Pigeon House in this quiet part of Corfu Town has a garden and shady terrace and cute pigeonholes in the walls. A great base for exploring the island.
7. Kadir’s Tree House, Turkey – sleeps various
At this enviable location near some of Turkey’s most stunning coastline and nature, Kadir’s Treehouses offer a memorable stay in actual treehouses, plus camping and glamping options. An onsite nightclub, bars, and pizza place create an almost après-ski party atmosphere.
8. The Wild Rooms, Ireland – sleeps 2
The Wild Rooms are a collection of cosy and perfectly-formed, two-person charred wood cabins on the Tara Hill Estate in County Wexford, with vistas over the hills and distant sea. They’re self-catering, but you can order a grazing box for the room, or get pizza delivered right to your door.
9. Chalet Bear, Switzerland – sleeps 8
This incredible private four-bedroomed chalet comes with its own chef and is just 5 minutes on foot from the ski lifts in the royals’ favourite resort, Klosters. As you’d expect from a chalet just down the valley from Davos, there’s a full range of luxury services including daily housekeeping, flowers, newspapers and treats such as champagne and canapés. All that will set you back at least a cool 22,500 CHF (nearly 23,000 euros) a week this winter season.
10. Refuge de Bastan, France – shared
If you’re prepared to share your cabin, this family-run Pyrenean refuge has no road access but offers hikers a budget lakeside bed for the night among the gorgeous Lacs de Bastan. It’s a good idea to book the day before when looking at hiking stops. And when you get there, a day-long refectory will help you get powered up for the next stage of your adventure.
