Cozy hideaways with fireplaces – your sustainable winter holiday

There’s no need to be a celebrity afraid of the paparazzi or crowds at tourist attractions for a vacation at a Hideaway. You too can take a break from “normal” life and hide on vacation – with your favorite people. Partner or family. Now that the cold season is upon us, we would like to introduce you to a few cozy hideaways with fireplaces and mountain panoramas. What makes them special: our partners’ holiday apartments, chalets and hotels not only offer privacy, but are also sustainable and nature-oriented.

Hideaways in the Alps

The mountains are an ideal setting for a hideaway. After all, the word comes from the English verb “to hide”. And what better place to hide in than the Alps? Europe’s largest high mountain range covers 200,000 square kilometers, spans eight countries and is a unique natural landscape of mountain ranges and valleys. But not only that. The Alps are also an important recreational area. For more than 70 years, the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) has been working on the sustainable preservation of the region. CIPRA’s more than 100 members are fore most environmental protection organizations. A benefit during your holiday. Because in the Alps you can look forward to excellent mountain air, a protected natural environment and – now in winter – snow!

Snow in South Tyrol is not guaranteed, but very likely

How reliable is snow in the Alps?

Nothing is 100% certain. I mean: Who are we to demand a guarantee from the weather? Weather extremes are increasing due to global warming. This is why we are working on sustainability and sustainable travel, so we can preserve the world as it is for a little while longer. Snow in the Alps, especially in the famous ski resorts of Austria and South Tyrol, is still considered quite safe! This means that there is a very good chance of finding snow there between December and February, and with a bit of luck, blue skies as well.

Hideaways with fireplaces in Austria
Winter holiday in a chalet village in the Kitzbühel Alps

Hygna Chalets are a wonderful hideaway in winter.

In the Alpbach Valley, Austria, you’ll find the perfect mix of country charm and luxury at Hygna Chalets. Various wooden chalets with their own fireplace, firewood, and cozy corner. There’s even a private mini spa with its own sauna and hot tub! And yes, the hot tub located on the terrace can be used even in winter – all while being completely secluded – in the middle of the mountains!

The luxury of the Hygna chalets (2 to 7 people) also includes a zero-waste breakfast with local specialties (waiting for you every morning in the basket outside your door) and smart cleaning. For winter sports, the Ski Jewel Alpbachtal Wildsch?nau ski area is only a 5–10-minute drive away.

Hideaway holiday homes in Pfunds

The small community of Pfunds in the Tyrolean Oberland is a wonderful winter retreat where you can combine private time and outdoor activities. The Summit Lodges Pfunds are two 120 square meter American log cabin-style holiday homes. Boasting a private fireplace with wood, a Finnish sauna and a room for skis, snowshoes, and other equipment. Up to six people can stay in this cozy hideaway in the middle of the Tyrolean mountains.

Hideaways in Switzerland

The fireplace in the lobby provides coziness.

Switzerland is one of the highest countries in the world, averaging over 1350 meters above sea level. It’s home to (still) permanently frozen glaciers, so if you’re looking to get snowed in, Switzerland is a top destination.

From the car-free town of Zermatt you can reach 38 four-thousand-meter peaks, the most famous of which is probably the Matterhorn. The 4478-meter-high mountain owes its fame to its perfect pyramidal shape.

In Zermatt, there are two partners perfect for a hideaway holiday: The Bio-Hotel Bella Vista Zermatt and the CERVO Mountain Resort.

The Bio-Hotel Bella Vista is a family-run hotel that emanates coziness. “The Arvenstube in the Alpine Spa Bella Vita is also very popular with our guests,” says Fabienne Anthamatten from the owner’s family. “With its comfy water beds, it’s pure relaxation,” she says.

The CERVO Mountain Resort is spread over several wooden chalets. Furnished with natural materials, it looks very elegant, but the atmosphere is extremely relaxed. It’s a place to unwind, to meet people who love the mountains, and furthermore there’s a spa and three onsite restaurants – one of which is exclusively vegan/vegetarian.

Tip: In winter, the CERVO Mountain Resort staff break the ice from the outdoor pool every day so that hardened guests can enjoy a cool ice bath

Cozy hideaway in South Tyrol

ADLER Lodge RITTEN is another hideaway that offers an intimate getaway in the mountains. It consists of several wooden chalets and suites on a hillside above Bolzano. There are two-story chalets for couples and families. On the upper floor of which you will find a living area with a cozy corner, a fireplace, and a wooden balcony. Furthermore, your own bio-sauna and a terrace with a beautiful view of the Dolomites.

A hideaway hidden in the South Tyrolean mountains.

In winter you can spend your time around the ADLER Lodge RITTEN with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, ice-skating and downhill skiing. Two local guides are on hand to guide you and offer ski safaris through the Italian Alps.

Hideaways in Germany

The pool of Klosterhof Alpine Hideaway & Spa has a fireplace.

Klosterhof Alpine Hideaway & Spa

On the German side of the mountains, in the Berchtesgaden Alps in Bavaria, you’ll find our partner Klosterhof Alpine Hideaway & Spa. The hotel is tucked away on a sunny plateau surrounded by nature. And even though you won’t find any fireplaces in the rooms, some of the suites do have their own jacuzzi situated in front of a large panoramic window from which you can see the (snow-covered) mountains.

During the Advent season in December, you can enjoy the festive atmosphere of the surrounding Christmas markets. In addition, there are winter hiking trails, cross-country skiing trails and ski resorts in the immediate vicinity of the hostel. For relaxation, there is the Artemacur Spa with saunas and indoor swimming pool. There’s also an open fire by the pool!

STURM in Mellrichstadt – a new direction as a hideaway

The outdoor sauna of the hotel can also be used by the cottage guests.

In the course of its development, the STURM has adapted again and again. Once a hotel on the border to the GDR, it later became a hotel for motorcyclists, and finally an organic hotel with a huge snack garden and a natural swimming pond. Little by little, the owners have worked out their closeness to nature – and in the middle of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Rh?n, they are predestined to do so. That’s why it’s so well suited to hiding away.

A holiday home for six people with a cozy lounge and fireplace is located next to the hotel. The special feature here is that you can do your own cooking – but are also welcome to use the hotel’s spa facilities and restaurant.

According to the Consumer Centers, a woodburning stove is not only cozy, but also environmentally friendly and “almost climate neutral”. To find out how to light the stove properly in your hideaway,Very important, for example, is lighting the stove the right way (with wax-soaked wood wool instead of wastepaper) and re-lighting it properly as well (every 30 minutes or so).

The Naturresort Schindelbruch in the Harz Mountains – unwinding in the forest

Another great place to unwind is the Naturresort Schindelbruch. It has a bar with a fireplace, a library, a lounge, and a large spa area overlooking the forest. Some of the suites even have their own spa area with a private sauna.

The Harz is one of the largest forest areas in Germany and is ideal for winter hiking. As the majority of the area is a national park, nature is left as it is. However, when there is enough snow, the national park prepares 150 kilometers of cross-country ski trails, 50 kilometers of downhill ski trails, and 88 kilometers of winter hiking trails, which you can also explore with the rangers.

As you can see, a hideaway is not just a place to hide, it is a place of comfort, relaxation, and recreation. None of which should be at the expense of nature; on the contrary, it should help to appreciate and preserve it.