It’s not by chance that forests crop up so regularly in fairytales. They’re older than us, bigger than us, and their furthest reaches are wild and unfamiliar — mighty woodlands offer the perfect setting for childhood literary magic. Scandi-chic gingerbread houses and coercive wolves aside, our forests have another superpower: the ability to transform grown-ups too, turning them from stressed-out screen-scrollers to slowed-down, soothed souls.
The seasonal switch has been flicked a little later this year but forecasters are predicting that the cool, wet summer will reward us with a long, colourful leaf-peeping season. Plot an arboreal adventure now and make the most of autumn’s boldest colours as Japanese maples, soaring beeches and mighty oaks are dressed up in shades of copper, amber and crimson.
Across Europe, forests teeming with wildlife and freshly filtered air are crisscrossed by the sort of quiet walking and cycling trails that feel custom-made for mindful exercise; it’s little wonder that research has shown spending time in woodlands boosts health and wellbeing. Tree tourism is ever more inventive, with everything from remote log cabins for two to family-sized treehouses and eco-pods with bird’s-eye views in the offing.
All of which means there’s plenty of choice when it comes to embracing your inner woodsman or woodswoman in the coming weeks. Whether you want to wild camp deep in temperate rainforest in Cornwall or drift off in a surf shack fringed by whispering pines in France, here are 25 ways to enjoy an enchanting forest stay in Europe.
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1. Chatan at Cove Valley, Devon
Quirky luxe cabins in rewilded lands
Three cabins are stitched among ferns, oaks, willows and firs at Cove Valley, a 300-acre rewilding project in Devon’s Exe valley; the latest, Chatan (meaning hawk), opened in September. As with its sister cabins, there’s a gentle “old America” theme running through its design (think breezy viewing porches and coppery woven wall hangings rather than totem poles and eagle feathers). The treehouse structure gives lofty views of the surrounding greenery; wallow in an outdoor bath, steeped in eco-chic Commune toiletries, or catch a closer glimpse of deer, owls, foxes, longhorn cattle and Iron Age pigs from the site’s walking trails.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for two from £416; no under-12s (covevalley.co.uk)
2. Rowan at Glen Glack, Perthshire
Lochside retreats on the Atholl Estate
Scotland’s forests come into their own in autumn, with crisp air and a crunch underfoot a given. Beam yourself into the centre of the pine-scented action at Glen Glack, a huddle of stylish new holiday homes on the Atholl Estate, just north of foodie Dunkeld. There are few better incentives for a woodland walk than the promise of coffee and just-baked cardamom buns at Aran bakery (aran-bakery.com). Rowan, a two-bedroom cabin, is circled by larch trees and fringed with a scenic lochside veranda. Foraging, cycling and guided hiking experiences can be arranged.
Details One night’s self-catering for four from £270 (atholl-estates.co.uk)
3. Camp Wild, Cornwall
Frill-free campsites to immerse in nature
Designed to make wild camping more doable, Camp Wild allows members to book low-impact stays on 40 wild spaces across the UK (200 more are pending) for a £20 annual subscription. Sites vary from the corner of a meadow to sprawling three-acre forests and access is granted with landowners’ permission. Route cards give guests information on guidelines (campfires and pets are generally a no-no) and flora and fauna, as well as directions. Among the listings is a patch of Atlantic rainforest in Cornwall that’s open year-round for no-frills camping. Go now, though, to enjoy what the founder Tom Backhouse describes as “a crazy mosaic of colours” among its ancient oaks, hazels and beech trees.
Details One night’s camping for two, £30 (campwild.uk)
4. Yurtopia, Ceredigion
Yurts with yoga in Welsh forest near the coast
More an extended forest bathing experience than straight woodland glamping, Yurtopia sits in a four-acre patch of pine trees by a lake a few miles inland from Aberystwyth. As well as three shipshape yurts, each with a private kitchenette, shower and compost toilet, the owners offer massage treatments, yoga, lakeside sound baths and wellness retreats. In November, those on squeezed budgets can also apply for a limited number of free stays in return for help with maintenance work. Even better, it’s also close to Devil’s Bridge Falls and its spectacular woodland gorge walks.
Details One night’s self-catering for four from £100; no under-5s (yurtopiawales.co.uk)
5. The Folly at Old Melrose, Scottish Borders
Cosy forest bolt hole for two in the Tweedy Valley
Perched above a secluded bend in the River Tweed near Melrose, what once served as a woodland summerhouse in the 19th century is now a hideaway for two. Dinky dimensions and a magical forest setting add to The Folly’s Hansel and Gretel feel, its original tiled floor and stained-glass windows now fringing a modern kitchen and shower room. A decked platform stretches out to one side of the cottage; it’s the perfect spot for autumnal sundowners, or a morning coffee as you plan walks around the surrounding Old Melrose estate or bike rides in the nearby Tweed Valley Forest Park.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for two from £595 (unique-cottages.co.uk)
6. The Treehouses at Lanrick, Perthshire
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Roomy treehouses lodges with woodland sauna
If you go down to the woods on the Lanrick Estate near Doune, you’ll find all sorts of surprises. As well as five one-bedroom treehouses, each with outdoor baths and branch-level views of the surrounding forest, this ancient estate has just opened a swish new woodland sauna and plunge pool for guests. The vibe is distinctly Bilbo Baggins; a pod that looks like the sawn end of a giant tree trunk, with an organic mossy roof (and clean lines interior). The new addition slots seamlessly into the surrounding foliage.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for two from £520 or from £600 for a family of four (lanricktreehouses.co.uk)
7. Burrows Cottage, The Gower, Glamorgan
Coastal and country cottage on the Gower peninsula
This former forester’s home, hidden among pine trees, promises both woodland and beach. Handy for exploring Whiteford Burrows Nature Reserve, on the wild-edged northern tip of the Gower peninsula, this three-bedroom cottage is perfectly placed for cobweb-blowing beach walks and birdwatching among the surrounding dunes, woods and salt marshes (regeneration of the latter means some of the plantation-sown pines have been thinned out). Cwm Ivy Woods, a short walk inland, balances out the pines with ash, oak, sycamore and beech. Head that way and you’ll also find the village café and homemade Welsh cakes.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for five from £384 (nationaltrust.org.uk)
8. Badger’s Rest, Alfriston, East Sussex
Luxury woodland cabin with South Downs views
Biscuit-tin pretty Alfriston may be known for its boutique pubs and cute shops, but this oak-framed cabin on the village’s southern fringes is more Walden than Boden. One of four rental properties in woodland within the South Downs National Park, this little cedar-clad cottage may be a lot more luxurious than your classic backwoods cabin but wood is the star of the show, outside and in. If the autumnal views through the large gable windows have you itching to explore, you’ll find yourself almost directly on the South Downs Way. Follow it south to Friston Forest, to stroll beneath bronze-leaved beech trees.
Details One night’s self-catering for four from £170 (alfristoncabins.co.uk)
9. Swallow’s Nook, Castlerock, Co Londonderry
Snug woodland lodge with floor-to-ceiling windows
West of the Giant’s Causeway, just inland from Downhill Strand, the 202 acres of forest at Burrenmore Nest shelter four slick lodges, including Swallow’s Nook. It may have Bluetooth and home cinema equipment but the views are more compelling than anything you might find on screen; floor-to-ceiling glass walls give the impression of sleeping in a bird’s nest. Outside, there’s a private hot tub, brilliantly camouflaged with mossy cladding. Soak amid ferns and pine trees after a day exploring the surrounding forest paths, or hiking over to neighbouring Mussenden Temple.
Detail One night’s self-catering for two from £265 (burrenmore-nest.com)
10. Top Lodge, Longtown, Cumbria
One-bed on the borders with outdoor bath
Whitewashed tongue-and-groove flooring, a clawfoot bath and a pumpkin-coloured sofa cosy up this restored gatehouse on the Netherby Estate, north of Carlisle. On the banks of the River Esk, pressed up tight to Cumbria’s border with Scotland, this one-bedroom woodland cottage is within striking distance of the Borders, the Lakes and the Solway coast. Tree-lined trails stretch out from the door across the estate and, via a swing bridge, the river. For forest bathing in its most literal sense there’s also an outdoor bath, installed among the trees behind the cottage.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for two from £200 (netherbyestate.com)
11. The Red Shed, Denbighshire
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Bespoke woodland cottage with craft courses on offer
In the unlikely event that any of the sturdy wooden furnishings break while you’re staying in this little red cottage, you won’t need to wait for outside help to fix it; the owner Rob Hill built most of them by hand and is clearly a whizz with a chisel, hammer and saw. The cottage is part of a small woodland arts centre and guests are welcome to sign up for a crafts course during their stay; many are wood or woodland-inspired. If you sleep soundly in the shed’s greenwood bed there’s even a course that will teach you how to make your own.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for two from £190 (wernogwood.co.uk)
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12. Casa Slow, Normandy, France
B&B lodges with heated plunge pool
As the name suggests it’s all about unwinding at this modern timber holiday home in Orne, one of three at Casa Rosalie in the verdant Perche regional park. It’s built from poplar and Douglas pine, and huddled between a lake and a forest, with seven acres of wooded grounds to explore, and you’ll find windows looking out to russet-hued leaves in almost every direction (including skyward), and a glass façade on one side to maximise views. There’s a heated plunge pool that’s as magical on misty autumn afternoons as it is on sparkly summer evenings. Breakfasts of organic local bread, cheese, charcuterie and jam are included.
Details Two nights’ B&B for four from £670 (casa-rosalie.fr). Take the ferry to Caen
13. Kaseke, near Tallinn, Estonia
Tree-circled villas with Michelin green star food
Less than an hour’s drive south of Tallinn, Maidla Nature Resort is home to three unique villas fringed by forest and wetlands. Prow-shaped Kaseke, the first to open, in August 2020, was built around the existing birch trees; gaze out at them from the comfort of your bed or clamber up to the rooftop terrace for coffee looking out over gold-tipped autumn trees. Also on the estate is an old manor house and SOO, the site’s restaurant. The restaurant has won a Michelin green star, and the chef serves elegant cooking that’s in touch with its wild side (think wild boar with elk moss and rosehip sauce).
Details B&B doubles from £257 (maidlaresort.com). Fly to Tallinn
14. Margot’s Retreat, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Forest foodie stay with yoga and hiking
A model of barefoot chic (the hot water shower is semi-outdoors and the toilet is composting, but interiors undeniably cute), there’s nothing rustic about the cooking at this little black timber cabin in the woods in the Ardèche, run by the chef Lottie Tork and her partner, Jean-Marc. Every day starts with a fabulous homemade breakfast delivered to the door — walnut and panela porridge, perhaps, or buckwheat galettes with goat’s cheese and homemade compote. While that — and weekend table d’hôte dinners — make it popular with foodies, Margot’s Retreat also offers woodland yoga and great hikes out to chestnut trees and waterfalls.
Details B&B for two nights for two from £217 (airbnb.co.uk). Fly to Grenoble or Lyons
15. Cabin ANNA, De Maashorst, the Netherlands
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Light-filled cabin in the Holenberg forest
This is a vision of timber and glass. When the sun shines you can draw back Cabin ANNA’s roof and walls to enjoy the light, leaving it open to the air or with a glass shell between yourself and the elements. When it rains, or you want more privacy, roll it closed. Deep in the Holenberg forest, north of Eindhoven, is the Hartje Groen campsite, where you can stay in one of five incarnations of the concept. Two new versions open in November: at Holenberg, and off-grid on a forested peninsula in Biesbosch National Park, 40 miles to the west.
Details B&B rooms for four from £274 (holenberg.com). Take the train to Eindhoven or Rotterdam
16. Landifornia Lodge, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
A hint of surfer style
It may be inland from the beaches that draw the saltwater crowd to this part of southwest France (Hossegor is a 20-minute drive away), but Landifornia Lodge still has a hint of surfer style to it. It’s hewn from local wood and set beside a lake in a lush little corner of the Landes, and its crocheted deckchairs and bamboo-fringed outdoor shower give this one-bedroom cabin a sandy-toed ease. Hike out on paths through pine trees, take a boat trip into the nearby Courant d’Huchet (a watery nature reserve the locals dub “little Amazon”) or stay put and fire up the hot tub.
Details B&B doubles from £181 (landifornia-lodge.com). Fly to Biarritz
17. Stuub Bierhäusle Feldberg, Black Forest, Germany
Revamped pop-up hideaway
Part traditional inn, part conceptual architecture project, this historic retreat near the Black Forest’s highest peak was reimagined late last year, putting a playful modern spin on the local cuckoo clock vernacular. One of a new crop of clever pop-up hotels in the region, giving dated mountain inns a temporary revamp before more comprehensive overhauls take place, this one will stay in place until 2025. Until then guests can enjoy its perky pink paintwork and glossy green-tiled fireplace after days spent hiking around local lakes, waterfalls and nature reserves.
Details B&B doubles from £153 (stuub.de). Fly to Basel or Freiburg
18. Irati Barnean, Navarra, Spain
Calm cabins perfect for stargazing in Spain’s north
At Irati Barnean, a herd of five shingle-clad Iglu rooms and suites are corralled on a slope in the Navarra region’s Irati forest, but the views steal the show. The curvy cabins’ chipboard walls are brightened by white bed linen, rugs and paintwork, forming a calm, utilitarian backdrop to views of cloud-dappled wooded mountains — a Herculean prompt to get out into the surrounding beeches and firs. Guided forest-bathing sessions, ecologist-led hikes, stargazing expeditions and mushroom-hunting forays can all be booked if you want to delve a bit deeper into this biodiverse corner of northern Spain.
Details B&B doubles from £178 (iratibarnean.com). Take the ferry or fly to Bilbao
19. Fjellhytte, Trysil, Norway
Brand new cabin with easy access to hiking trails
The forest views take centre stage at this new cabin, the building’s pared-back, open-plan architecture forming a serene frame to the woodland beyond. With Trysil, Norway’s largest ski resort, on the doorstep it’s a skier’s haven in winter, but in autumn it’s all about friluftsliv (a simple life in nature without disturbing it), whether that’s heading out on hiking trails carpeted with pine needles or sweating your cares away in Fjellhytte’s sauna with a view. On clear nights pack a flask and make for a spot above the tree line to look for the northern lights.
Details Seven nights’ self-catering for eight from £2,415 (welcomebeyond.com). Fly to Oslo, or in winter months to Scandinavian Mountains airport (Salen Trysil)
20. Nutchel, Ardennes, Belgium
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Low-key wildlife-watching cabins in the Ardennes
With trees tinted the colour of spice stalls and farm-to-fork restaurants serving bowls of wild mushroom soup, the Ardennes region hits its mellow stride in the autumn. Make one of Nutchel’s 30 cabins your base for exploring it and you can squirrel away in arboreal glory; all have hot showers and flushing toilets, some hot tubs too, but further frills are kept to a minimum to encourage guests to slip into the slow lane. On the doorstep is the 17,000-acre Anlier forest, home to deer, wild boar, badgers, otters and beavers as well as quiet hiking and mountain-biking trails.
Details Two nights’ self-catering for two from £172 (nutchel.be). Fly or take the train to Brussels or Luxembourg
21. Hisa Radhua, Luce, Slovenia
Hand-crafted treehouses with mountain views
The far north of Slovenia is a distillation of Alpine loveliness, its pastures, rivers, waterfalls and forested slopes rising steeply to towering snow-dusted peaks. In the heart of it is Hisa Radhua, a family-owned hotel known for hyper-local cooking. Stay in one of five handcrafted suites: there are two treehouses, a hayloft and two suites in a converted barn. How to pass the time? Hike up through the trees to a mountain hut for a lunch of mushroom soup and apple strudel. The hotel’s fourth-generation owners know the local landscape and its forest trails intimately.
Details B&B doubles from £241 (i-escape.com). Fly to Ljubljana
22. Trakt Forest Hotel, Jonkoping County, Sweden
Minimalist treehouses in Swedish countryside
Suspended on stilts among spruces, Trakt Forest Hotel’s five minimalist treehouse suites may be available on a bed and breakfast basis but the concept is based around giving guests a wider forest experience, rather than simply a treetop perch for the night. Here in Jonkoping County, three hours’ drive east of Gothenburg, woodland hiking trails, wood-fired forest baths, boat trips across the adjacent lake, woodland picnics and wallows in a timber sauna after cold-water swims are all possible, as individual add-ons or through a range of packages. Dinners in the hotel’s farmhouse can also be booked.
Details B&B doubles from £462 (traktforesthotel.com). Fly to Gothenburg
23. Casa da Montanha, Braga, Portugal
Secluded self-catering stay with wild swimming
Teetering between the trees on a mountainside near Vieira do Minho in the Braga region, Casa da Montanha is built in harmony with the surrounding oak and birch forest. Its earthy colours and slatted sides reflect the landscape rather than shout above it. Inside all is bright and white yet far from clinical; the owner’s family use it as a holiday home and it is well stocked with board games. Steep access and a secluded location mean most guests stay put, enjoying river swims, walks and meals on the balcony, looking out across the Cavado river to Peneda Geres National Park.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for eight from £574 (airbnb.com). Fly to Braga
24. Hotel Rantapuisto, near Helsinki, Finland
Beach and forest haven big on mid-century Scandi design
Built by a bank as a training centre in the 1960s, Hotel Rantapuisto is an under-the-radar favourite with lovers of mid-century Scandinavian design. Beyond its glass-walled corridors and a lounge dotted with Yrjo Kukkapuro chairs, the hotel is surrounded by pine forest and beaches (one of them home to the hotel’s seaside sauna). Standard rooms are available year-round, and in the warmer months there’s a little cabin for hire. Hike among birch, alder and spruce trees in the neighbouring Ramsinniemi nature reserve and it’s hard to believe you’re 20 minutes’ drive from downtown Helsinki.
Details B&B doubles from £103 (rantapuisto.fi). Fly to Helsinki
25. Jarzebinowa, Nowa Luka, Poland
Musician-owned country cabin among ancient spruces
The Polish brand Slowhop specialises in “hideaways with soul” across Europe. Unsurprisingly strong on places to stay in its home country, Jarzebinowa is one to note. A country cabin for five (seven if you use the sofabed), it’s tucked among spruce trees on the fringes of Nowa Luka, close to the Siemianowka reservoir. Owned by a musician, it’s an offbeat, colourful space with a violin on one wall and a library of art and music titles. It’s close to the Bialowieza forest, one of the last remaining tracts of the primeval forest that once stretched across central Europe.
Details Three nights’ self-catering for five from £257 (slowhop.com). Fly to Warsaw
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