Zentendorf , Germany: September 2005
The German countryside is so pleasing to drive through with its rolling green hills, farmlands, and mountains. The drive to the Baumhaushotel (http://www.kulturinsel.com) was storybook inspired, and I expected to see Gnomes popping up around every corner.
East of Dresden and north of Görlitz, you will find this hotel has the atmosphere of other-worldliness you’re looking for. The tree house hotel is located in the Kulturpark in Zentendorf, Germany on the border with Poland. The location couldn’t be more perfect, with wide open fields and forest.
The tree houses are linked together by catwalks, and there is a sculpture park in the surrounding area, all imagined and orchestrated by the master carpenter Jürgen Bergmann, who began this fantastic park in 1990.
I stayed in the then-named “Geisthaus”, or House of Spirits, and it was a cold September weekend, but so cozy and warm with the feather beds provided. We had a hearty dinner there, more Polish than German, and baked bread over an open fire. Our shower was open to nature on one side and felt very liberating. There is a harmony with nature here that I think people have forgotten.
There’s plenty to do here for children and adults alike. If you’re looking for something unusual, this is the place!