Stiemerheide – The Urban Hotel & Golf Retreat ★★★★ Sup

“Nature is not a place to visit. It is home.” – Gary Snyder

It is all too easy to forget during our busy lives what our natural environment is. Not the office, not the bustling street scene, nor the supermarket aisles. We were born from and will always belong to the world outside the doors, windows and rooftops we have built around ourselves. Of course, even whilst enjoying nature you need a comfortable place to lay your head.

Built in the style of an English cottage, Hotel Stiemerheide provides 70 rooms and suites, with contemporary design and modern comforts. After stretching your legs you will find plenty of cosy spots for some rest, where you can return to a roaring fire and curl up with a cup of tea, or enjoy a glass of wine at the terrace bar with its panoramic views of the landscape. After working up a hearty appetite you will find a choice of two elegant and stylish restaurants happy to satisfy your hunger with a fine dining experience, and a welcoming bar to end the evening with a night cap.

“Nature always wears the colours of the spirit.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

If this is true then during my time at Stiemerheide the colour of my spirit was lush green, yellow and orange from a mass of forest towering around, velvety purple from heathered heathlands, and vivid bluey-greys from an expanse of sky above and the waters below.

A maze of cycling and walking paths around the area provide hours of opportunity for getting lost in nature. The 'Spiegelven' 18-hole golf course right by the hotel offers yet more opportunity to unwind in this tranquil location. The peace of the outside world continues inside with the indoor swimming pool, solarium, sauna, and sanarium. All too often I forget this intrinsic connection to the great outdoors and that is why my time spent at Hotel Stiemerheide was precious in reminding me.