Hotel Burghaus Kronenburg ★★★★

When I say that this feels like the world of an old German fairy-tale, it is because there is undoubtedly something enchanting and magical hanging heavy in the air around this historic hilltop village. Atop one of the low peaks in the undulating landscape of the Eifel mountain range, snow-capped in winter yet lush and verdant in summer, it overlooks a still blue lake, fields and thick forests. It is the kind of setting which we usually associate with the legendary stories penned by the Grimm brothers hundreds of years ago. With its traditional architecture and mystical atmosphere, Kronenburg seems defiantly stuck in the Middle Ages, apart from the medieval castle which used to be a grand fortress ruled by knights, but which has long since fallen into ruin. Not quite a fairy-tale castle but, who knows, maybe it was once…

The Burghaus Kronenburg is intertwined with the ruins of the old fortress, just at the foot of the mound from which the keep used to look out over the valley. The setting certainly captivated me and had me dreaming of knights and dragons, so I can only imagine how much my little boys would have loved it. Consisting of a couple of buildings set around the edges of a courtyard, the hotel is an 18th century manor house, more elegant and less rugged than the remnants of the castle which are scattered around. Over the course of its 250 year history, it has welcomed some extremely prestigious guests through its doors, none more so than Napoleon Bonaparte himself. In keeping with the rest of the village, the facades are whitewashed with red detail, completed with an enormous slate roof which is reminiscent of the country chateaux in France.

Inside, the stately grandeur is in no way diminished. Antique wooden furnishings, intricate ornaments, elaborate gilded mirror frames, long flowing curtains and beautiful chandeliers lend every space a timeless class. The front desk was a gracefully carved piece of dark wood with an old-fashioned bell on the top and a tapestry hanging on the wall behind it. We were greeted here with great warmth, friendliness and professionalism, and directed towards our bedroom, which was decked out with all the old-school sophistication you would expect. Our eyes were immediately drawn to our stunning canopy bed, but our jaws truly dropped when we looked beyond it and out of the window, where we were lucky enough to have dramatic views over the valley below. The rest of our furnishings were suitably antique, while we were kept in the 21st century by our outstandingly luxurious facilities. We were welcomed with a bunch of roses and a bottle of wine in our room, and it was immediately apparent that this would be a supremely romantic stay.

Speaking of romantic, I may as well cut straight to our first evening, and indeed almost every evening after that, when we enjoyed a candle-lit dinner at the hotel’s restaurant. Though we would go on to eat in the chic dining room, on our first night it was a mild evening, so we took our seats on the terrace to watch the sun go down and darkness slowly descend. We made our way through seven courses of culinary perfection, taking our time over an exquisite bottle of wine as we stayed on the terrace for several hours and admired the awe-inspiring views in the dying light. People come from miles around to sample the cuisine here, so we felt extraordinarily privileged to be able to merely waddle back up the stairs and return to our room after filling ourselves to the brim.
Our week in this bewitchingly beautiful part of the world was simply spent relaxing and soaking in some of the local culture. We took long walks through forests, along streams and over the peaks of the Eifel; we explored idyllic, secluded villages and observed traditional rural life; we discovered more fairy-tale palaces and immaculate gardens… When leaving our cosy cocoon of a hotel seemed like a bit of an effort, we luxuriated in the hotel’s spa, enjoying the Finnish sauna and infra-red sauna. The German summer treated us to some fantastic weather, and we were even able to spend a few hours snoozing in the sun and taking the occasional dip in the infinity pool, which is set underneath the walls of the original castle and offers bathers gorgeous valley views. We discovered almost every secret that our hotel and this magnificent area had to offer, although there was one which escaped us…

As perfect as our romantic stay at the Burghaus Kronenburg was, it would be a great shame not to return and try out the duplex family rooms. Accommodating up to five people on two floors, even including two bathrooms, these ‘rooms’ are more like having your own house! And how I would love to see the looks on the children’s faces as they splashed in the swimming pool under the medieval ramparts, or dreamed of fairy-tale heroes and monsters as they explored the beautiful castles of the northern Rhineland. With the choice of rooms available, VeryChic makes the Burghaus Kronenburg the ideal retreat for every occasion.