Weekend Hideaways

Brandenburg – A place where the first thought is a certain emptiness, both culturally and socially. A place where there is nothing, only nature, wildlife and silence. So close to Berlin where everything is happening, yet so far away. What is a tough thing for rural children, surely is paradise for the stressed urban species, the grown-up, busy Berliners who want to flee the hectic city and spend a few days doing absolutely nothing, enjoying the silence and indulging in its nothingness.

The areas surrounding Berlin that house fewer people than animals are especially great for hideaways, both small and big, simple and luxurious, minimal and traditional. It’s hard to choose, but here are our favorite holiday homes you can escape to with you partner, family, friends – all secluded and hidden away, with almost a guarantee not to cross other people’s paths – unless you want to. Houses for the design and architecture lover, where old meets new, where comfort and aesthetics meet nature and rural life.

BLACK CABIN  – For the minimal loner

The Oderbruch is famous for its wild, untouched landscape, close to the German-Polish border. Marsh and fenlands prevail surrounding the river Oder carving its way through the fields, calm but powerful. Soft greens, wild overgrown trees, cranes flying through the misty air – the Oderbruch sometimes seems out of this world, disconnected from reality. It is the perfect place to get some peace, calm down, and take a break from everyday life.

Here, in the middle of nowhere, a small, newly built cabin is almost invisible,  embraced by the wild grown trees and bushes. It’s an ideal hideaway for those searching instant recovery and silence, for those longing to go back to the essentials, yet offering enough comfort to make for a lovely weekend retreat.

BLACK CABIN consists of three small cabins – a sleeping cabin for two people with ground-to-ceiling windows to take in the soft, wild meadows, a bathroom-like-cabin with toilet and sink, and a sauna cabin in which to relax. No unnecessary luxuries are provided,, just a simple outdoor shower, that has warm water for colder days or a little treat. The outdoor terrace  and kitchen offers the bare necessities, including a woodfire oven for barbecues in the wilderness. In the adjacent garden grows herbs and vegetables – the freshest food possible. Everything is provided for breakfast or dinner with nothing but fresh air and nature surrounding you.

Sit there, read a book, talk with your loved one, take long walks through the incredible nature. Switch off. Lay in the grass, listen to the birds and watch the clouds floating above you. If you still feel the urge to switch on for a quick reality-check, there is even wi-fi. But we promise you, you won’t need it – as you are already somewhere else in your thoughts, calm, peaceful, dreaming away your day.

Houses 2 people / Oderbruch / 1,5 hrs from Berlin – Website – Instagram

DAS SCHWARZE HAUS – For the hard-line design devotee

Not only is ‘Black House’ the title of a novel from Stephen King, it’s also a prize winning architectural landmark.

Located at the foot of one of the hills, the house first resembles an American countryside barn: the outside walls made from wooden panels and a starkly contrasting pitch black roof– it’s a clear and very striking architecture. Getting closer, you realize the vast windowed areas, covering almost the whole facade on both sides, opening up to the flat land and thus embodying the surrounding landscape.

The name of the house refers to the interior led by the color black: the walls and ceiling are completely covered in black-brown wooden panels. The inside is minimal, reduced, almost empty. It’s a puristic interior design without compromise. Strong colors contrast the black walls, where hard and shiny surfaces prevail – again in contrast to the soft colors and lively nature of the world just outside the window. From inside, your view can drift freely and capture the essence of the house: the stretches of pure landscape, drastically set in scene by the puristic interior and thus becoming the striking element. The airy insides and nature melt into a quiet and almost meditative place. Magical.

The modern architecture allows the house the freedom to have a vast, six meter high living room with a fireplace and open kitchen. On the ground floor are two sleeping spaces that can be separated through sliding doors, two more bedrooms upstairs, and again a bathroom with a huge bathtub, the huge windows providing a massive view of the countryside. On top, the SCHWARZE HAUS has a study with a six meter high ceiling, and sliding doors that separate it from the rest of the house.

Sitting on a 5000 square meter property, nothing disturbs the calm, almost sedative views out onto the soft, hilly landscape surrounding the house. In the direct neighborhood, there are three lakes for swimming, set in the vastness of the area, inviting you for long walks to clear your head and feel free again.

Houses 8-10 people / Uckermark / 1,5 hrs from Berlin – Website – Instagram

NEWHAUS – For the beach lover

Last but not least, one favorite that is a bit farther from Berlin, but close to the sea.

Nestled in a pine forest bordering a sweeping sand dune, almost invisible at first, NEWHAUS slowly comes into vision with its stark, contrasting dark wooden facade. It consists of two separate houses, Sand and Pine. Designed by a Berlin-based architect, the straight lines and sharp architecture interrupts the soft shapes of the surroundings, but at the same time, somehow still fits in. The wooden facade pays homage to the encircling pine trees, the many vast windowed surfaces mirror its surroundings, and the houses seem to almost sink into the soft, sandy dunes.

Fitted out with a clear style in mind, the interior combines classic design pieces with the latest tech, calling out to design lovers as well as the tech savvy. Despite this, the houses come with a natural, subtle coziness, making your stay as comfortable as possible. The well-equipped open kitchen, dining and living room (naturally with a fireplace) features lavish windows on both walls, opening up to two terraces facing the dunes and the woods. There is a sauna, two and three bedrooms with adjacent bathrooms, a studio, and lounge area – again with a beautiful view of the dunes.

Behind the house, a small path winds his way through the dunes and pine woods, leading directly to the beach.Stop for a moment, take in the view of the sea spreading out before you, the endless horizon. There is a salty breeze, the subtle scent of pine trees, the lost sound of birds somewhere far, and the distant sound of the waves softly crashing onto the shore. Nothing else. After long walks on the shore, you will find NEWHAUS the perfect place to stay in all seasons, with every comfort and design need being catered to, making you feel like you never want to leave again.

Houses 6-8 People / Baltic Sea / 3,5 hrs from Berlin –  Website – Instagram