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Stress LessThe Best Landscape Hotels Around the Globe to Enjoy Nature and De-Stress
By Tiffany AyudaHome » Live Consciously » The Best Landscape Hotels Around the Globe to Enjoy Nature and De-Stress
If your idea of a dream vacation is a mix of having access to luxurious amenities and being immersed in the awe-inspiring views of nature, landscape hotels might just be what you’re looking for.
Landscape hotels usually have a minimalist design, so that the environment around them takes front and center. For example, most are built with floor-to-ceiling windows that allow you to take in the soothing outdoor scenery.
These cabins and lodges provide a serene space for guests to decompress and reap the benefits of being in the calming and therapeutic elements of nature. Depending on where you’re staying, many landscape hotels also offer local dining experiences and relaxing spa treatments, such as saunas, massages and facials. And because these villas are nestled in hiking destinations, many are accessible to outdoor excursions, including skiing, climbing and guided forest walks.
Here are some of the world’s most stunning landscape hotels to add to your wanderlust bucket list.
5 Stunning Landscape Hotels For Communing With Nature
1. Juvet
Valldal, Norway
Link: juvet.com/en/
(Image: Juvet)
Based in the outskirts of the village of Valldal, Norway, Juvet’s seven glass cubes are nuzzled in between the majestic peaks of Fjord Geiranger and breathtaking views of the Trollstigen Road, a serpentine mountain pass. So no matter where you look, you’ll be completely immersed in lush greenery.
Each landscape room has two glass walls that give you front-seat views of the surrounding forest. The room offerings are meant to be minimal: a full-size bed and shower, because you are meant to be outdoors exploring while the sun is out. Hotel guests are welcome to use the bath house, a spa built alongside the serene waters of the river. It has a steam sauna, hot tub, silent room, showers, and kitchenette.
A stay at Juvet also includes hearty meals. Guests are treated to breakfast and dinner at the barn (you can eat lunch at the barn, but food isn’t being served) in a long, farm-style table so you can mingle with other guests. While you wait for food to be served, you can hang out at the outdoor lounge area or the sitting room with an open fire.
RELATED: The Biophilia Boom: Designing Our Surroundings to Sneakily Boost Our Well-Being
2. Vivood Landscape Hotel & 5E Spa
Guadalest Valley, Spain
Link: vivood.com/en/
(Image: Vivood)
Designed by architect David Mayo Pardo, Vivood’s landscape hotel and spa lies within the mountains of the Guadalest Valley in Spain. Just a little over an hour outside of Madrid and Barcelona, this landscape hotel offers 10 private villas, where you can find seclusion, quiet and calm. Each villa comes with its own heated infinity pool and sundeck.
Vivood also has double suites and pool suites that are elevated off the ground and are built with floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing you to bask in the breathtaking views of the Guadalest Valley. Those who opt for a pool suite have a hot tub and outdoor terrace made for lounging.
But that’s not all. Guests can treat themselves to an Ayurvedic spa experience with soothing massages, facial treatments and sauna. Those who are craving meditative movement can book a private yoga, chi kung, creative relaxation, or mindfulness session.
3. Piaule Catskill
Catskill, New York
Link: piaule.com/booking
(Image: Piaule Catskill)
Hiking lovers will find respite after a long day of outdoor adventures in the Piaule Catskill landscape cabins. Each cabin is built just a few feet off the ground and has glass walls in the bedroom that allow you to wake up to sights of nature. The bathroom has heated stone floors and includes a waterfall shower, giving you a taste of luxury in your own private space.
Guests can dine on seasonal, local dishes at the restaurant, which features tranquil panoramic views. You can make your woodsy retreat even more relaxing by taking a dip in the hot pool before heading to the steam room and sauna.
You can also join a group yoga class (or book a private session) or sign up for other experiences, such as sound baths, guided forest walks and hikes, meditations, and massages.
RELATED: Prescribing Nature for Health: Why Your Doctor Might Order a Dose of Mother Earth for Your Next Rx
4. 48°Nord
Breitenbach, France
Link: hotel48nord.com/en/
(Image: 48°Nord )
Located in Breitenbach, a small village in Alsace, France, 48°Nord is the work of architect Emil Leroy-Jonsson. Fusing his Danish and French background, Leroy-Jonsson designed these luxurious, Scandinavian one-, two-, and three-story wooden hyttes (cabins).
Each hytte has panoramic balcony views of the forest and is designed with minimalist interiors to provide a serene hygge-esque vibe; the larger hyttes have a private jacuzzi.
Guests can dine on organic, local cuisine, and truly unwind in the spa and relaxation area, where you’ll find a private Nordic bath. You can also book spa treatments, such as massages, facials and scrubs, separately.
5. Sacromonte
Maldonado, Uruguay
Link: sacromonte.com/
(Image: Sacromonte)
Those who want to combine their passion for wine and quality food with a great escape will appreciate all that Sacromonte has to offer. This vineyard and landscape hotel was founded by Edmond Borit, a winemaker who was inspired by his grandfather to open his own winery and vineyard.
Guests have the option of staying at four different types of lodging: the vineyard shelter, lake shelter, sierra shelter, and horizon shelter. The vineyard shelter has a top view of the vineyard, while the lake shelter is situated by a small lagoon. The sierra shelter has a wider yet more secluded view of the vineyard, and the horizon shelter has a top view of the valley.
People who aren’t able to stay are welcome to do lunch and wine tastings at the vineyard. Lunch is typically served with vegetables grown from the garden, different cuts of roast meat, and focaccia.
How Nature Can Improve Your Health
Even if you can’t get away to one of these luxurious lodges, being away from the normal hustle and bustle of your daily life to be in nature can do wonders for your health. According to a 2019 systematic review in the International Journal of Biometeorology, forest bathing (hiking and being around nature) can lower cortisol levels and reduce stress in the short term.
A 2020 review from Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine also found that forest bathing can have relaxing effects on middle-aged and older adults living with hypertension (high blood pressure).
Overall, getting outside to breathe in some fresh air, soak up some sunshine, and hear the birds chirp offers a nice mental health reset. So if you’re planning your next vacation, make sure to spend ample time walking in nature.
(Image: Shutterstock)
Tiffany Ayuda is a Brooklyn-based editor and writer who specializes in fitness, nutrition, health, and wellness. She has held previous editorial roles at Prevention, Eat This, Not That, Daily Burn, and Everyday Health.
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