Hiking Page 4 of 21

The Meraki Studios rise out of the Mediterranean landscape of Southern Crete like an abstract rock. An archaic place for which the Danish architect Sigurd Larsen has designed a terraced building made of concrete, natural stone, wood and steel.

Nestled like a peninsula in one of the typical Moselle bends, Trittenheim offers spectacular views of the surrounding vineyards. A traditional slate stone house dating from 1723 sits in the middle of the historic town centre. After decades of abandonment, it has been thoroughly renovated and reopened as a guest house.

Vertical loft: In the small Dalmatian coastal town of Novigrad, nothing works without stairs. A local circumstance that turns the Kuća Skala - the house of stairs - into sculptural and interactive architecture. A hand-made work of art to experience in every detail!

Once the residence of a distinguished family of politicians and officers, the Scarpatetti Upper House is still one of the most important architectural monuments in the Rhaeto-Romanic Val Surses in Graubünden. Today it offers a retreat for up to six guests in the midst of the impressive mountain scenery.

Surrounded by the landscape of the Vogelsberg, Europe's largest extinct volcano, on the outskirts of Freiensteinau, sits a holiday home with a compact cubature in monolithic construction, which follows the ‘Einfach Bauen’ concept.

A blend of contrasts: the 250-year-old Bavarian farmstead has been translated into the present day with fresh ideas, cheerful colours and proven courage.

The Kleiner Faktor not far from Zittau - once the servants' house of a cloth merchant in the Umgebinde style - openly tells its story and adds personality with bright colours and collected art.

The former wine estate has been overlooking Siena and the Chianti hills for 800 years. Today, Colle ai Lecci is a creative ‘borgo’ with purist apartments, ateliers, organic gardens, a pool and an inspiring workshop programme.

The Seemanshaus, built around 1850, lies in the tranquil village of Born on the Fischland-Darß-Zingst peninsula, surrounded by a vast garden with a view of the Bodden.

Anyone expecting contemporary timber architecture behind the wooden façade with sliding shutters in the Bregenzerwald will be surprised. Actually, the Mellauer Haus has been looking to the future for over 50 years.

Located right by the River Isarco and the Eagle Bridge, the hotel in Bressanone has become an architectural statement. bergmeisterwolf has restored the 500-year-old building with the cadastral number 1 in close collaboration with the monument protection authorities and placed it in the present with timeless elegance.

On the edge of the Schorfheide biosphere reserve, just a few minutes from Templin and Lake Lübbe, the 19th-century farmhouse ‘Die 22’ gives a new twist to local tradition.

Minimalism on the edge of the forest: the compact building is simple and unpretentious, but a glance through the window reveals that the holiday home in the pretty village of Hitzacker is full of highlights.

Between the Pyrenees and the sea, just an hour from Barcelona, Mas Oak, a listed farmstead with private horse stables and an atmospherically renovated guest house, hides in a green valley surrounded by fields, pastures and old almond trees.

Vila Slatina, set amidst the sun-drenched hills of the Slovenian wine region of Štajerska, is another project by owners Igor and Vanja, who are revitalising old rural structures and transforming them into sophisticated accommodation with a contemporary look and comfort.

Archaic architecture: half temple, half barn, the holiday home Casa Bendico near Noto stages the essentials and, despite its massive walls, creates a lightweight atmosphere with stunning sea views and a pool.

The guest house "Zum Schockelgaul" is located directly on the German Wine Route in the the village of Forst. The farmstead features four apartments, a converted barn, a wine bar, a village shop and a spacious garden.

Bring everyone along: if you're looking to get away from it all in a larger group, you'll find what you're looking for in the gentle landscape of Wallonia and the Maison 10étangs - a place full of peace, space and a dozen bathing ponds.

Unwind in style: Set in a vineyard, the three accommodations at Quinta da Lila give an old Portuguese farm a new lease of life - with subtle aesthetics, contemporary comfort and unusual pools.

Cast off: the Seedorf 360° architect's house on the island of Rügen tells the story of the adventures of a circumnavigation, both in form and content, combining traditional building elements with modern design language and bespoke art.

Perched on a rocky hilltop overlooking the Ionian Sea, Kap A kritas is a straightforward holiday home with a veranda, pool and sweeping views in all directions.

Gentle transition to the next generation: the renovation of the former farmhouse d'Kammer in the Lower Allgäu is a tribute to the past, a celebration of minimalism and a labour of love that shines through in every detail.

As if you had landed on the set of a Wes Anderson film, A House for Essex rises up in the English countryside - an experimental synthesis of the arts with an enigmatic narrative.

The Hotel Casa Montelongo in the heart of Fuerteventura is a tribute to the island and its history - a building with two suites and a pool that masterfully stages minimalism, light and colour.