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Designed by architects for travel enthusiasts: Our curated collection of outstanding holiday accomodations – also via map. Do you already know our new entry?

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Literary Escapes

A holiday without books? Unimaginable. For those looking to save on luggage space, ensure a steady literary supply or simply be pleasantly surprised, here’s a curated selection of accommodations featuring their own libraries.

in January 2025

Literary Escapes

Scottish for the Advanced Reader

What’s a school without reading material? That’s why the secluded Tigharry Schoolhouse on North Uist, one of the Outer Hebrides islands, boasts an entire wall of books.

Its black shelves mirror the façade of the former school building, with colourful spines glowing as auspiciously as the finely composed interior of the house. Do you prefer some Scottish Gaelic poetry, classics by Muriel Spark or something provocative by Irvine Welsh? Deciding where to enjoy your chosen book, however, might be the real challenge, as every spot here is the perfect one. Whether it’s the cosy nook in the living room, by the warm fireplace, in one of the bright bedrooms with minimalist furnishings or on the nearby beach, the choice is yours. A holiday home in a dramatically beautiful landscape, offering freedom and openness all the way to the rafters.

Danish Fairy Tale

Like in the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, nature plays a starring role at Agger Farmhouse – from its own little lake at its doorstep to endless beaches, dramatic skies and the nearby Thy National Park, Denmark’s largest wilderness, which begins right behind the farmhouse.

Inside the listed building with its picturesque 19th-century thatched roof, up to eight guests can find room and time to relax, cook, laugh and read. The carefully curated Red Library, assembled by the owners, offers an array of artistic, visually stunning and thought-provoking books, in both small and large formats, along with inviting armchairs perfect for sinking into. Those looking to vary their reading environment can wander into the bright living room, furnished with vintage pieces and Scandinavian design, complete with a fireplace – or retreat to the beach chair in the garden. It’s a place where Henry David Thoreau’s Walden truly comes alive.

Generational Retreat

“Time together” is as much a priority at the Fuchsegg Eco Lodge in the Bregenzerwald as are sustainability and regionality.

Embraced by meadows, forests and mountain peaks, this hotel, built in the Vorarlberg tradition of timber construction, harmoniously integrates with the surrounding landscape. Whether it’s a getaway for two, a holiday with the whole multi-generational family or a workshop retreat, the straightforward architecture – inspired by the area’s traditional alpine “Vorsäß” huts – is unobtrusive, giving all individual needs enough space. The six-part ensemble features a variety of room categories, as well as a cosy fireplace room with a gallery and library. Stocked with carefully selected works on culture, nature, economics and personality, it provides inspiration in a serene environment of white fir wood, blueberry-coloured accents and lush green views.

Pure Classic

For those who dream of diving into piles of books, the perfect setting and accommodation awaits in Schoppernau in the Bregenzerwald. Wenefrida, another example of contemporary Vorarlberg timber architecture, is a clearly structured, stylish holiday home exuding natural charm and a warm atmosphere.

While the ground-floor bedrooms are as simple and white as a blank page, the upper floor reveals an inviting living, dining and kitchen space clad entirely in wood, complete with a reading nook by the fireplace and a spacious library. Windows on three sides afford stunning views of the landscape and flood the space with natural light. In winter and in poor weather, guests can nestle indoors in comfort, while summer and sunshine invite them to enjoy the sheltered loggia. Whether it’s Bernhard, Bachmann, Jelinek, Handke or your very first novel, Wenefrida has all the makings of a classic.

Epic Architecture

If the spectacular holiday home Umberto 121 in the medieval village of Montisi were a poem, it could almost be compared to Dante’s Divine Comedy.

The complex history of this revived palazzo dates back to the 14th century and has undergone an architectural transformation during each era. To preserve its multifaceted authenticity, layers of the past have been carefully unearthed and restored – from imposing 19th-century frescoes to original beams and doors, through to terracotta and graniglia floors. Each room has its own unique character, combining antique furniture with modern design. This fascinating dialogue is enriched by books in the library and can be continued in the cosy lounge by the fireplace or in the garden.

Urban Book Stack

Just 15 minutes by metro from the city centre, the Jardin Urbain Paris apartment offers the perfect retreat to recover from a packed day in the vibrant metropolis.

The two-storey loft, with its expansive window fronts, crowns a series of distinctively stacked structures, offering visitors a bright and spacious living area along with a small rooftop garden overlooking the streets of Paris. The personal flair and charmingly eclectic interior make it feel instantly like home, with bookshelves stretching from the living room to the bedroom. How about the astute humour of Yasmina Reza or a glimpse of Parisian café life by Patrick Modiano?

Stately Women’s Power

At the listed Gut Pohnstorf in Mecklenburg Switzerland, the historical brick architecture and the authentic ambience of the elegant, spacious rooms take you back in time, while the names of the holiday suites pay tribute to special female protagonists of the 19th century.

Here you can stay in rooms named Malwida (von Meysenbug), Margarete (Steiff), Marie (Curie), Bertha (Pappenheim), Hedwig (Dohm), Clara (Schumann) or Louise (Otto Peters); guests meet to chat or discuss politics in the Blue Salon, dance in the large hall or draw inspiration from one of the biographies, novels or illustrated books in the glass cabinet – ideally, of course, works by or about one of the aforementioned ladies. Whether among antique furniture and modern design or shady trees and a boules court – there’s no shortage of enchanting spots to read.

Rustic Elegance

Nestled among vast fields, meadows and forests, Märkisches Landhaus No. 8 in the Stechlin Nature Park is surrounded by peace and relaxation and lives up to its name.

The former cavalier’s house, built with regionally typical fieldstone, has been fully renovated and transformed into a charming holiday home that combines original details with modern comfort and an elegantly minimalist cottage aesthetic – from the rustic wooden table beneath a contemporary chandelier to the panoramic sauna with views of the unspoilt nature. The centrepiece of the house is an old built-in wall unit with a fireplace and a library filled with historical volumes that tell stories of the land and its history. For those seeking a literary connection to the atmospheric Mark Brandenburg landscape, Theodor Fontane’s last work, Der Stechlin, is a must-read.

Collected Works

Like a veritable encyclopaedia of styles, the listed Faktorenhaus in Upper Lusatia brings together a mix of architectural influences under one roof: from Art Deco to Baroque, classicism and modernism to contemporary art.

Built in 1831 by a cloth merchant as a half-timbered house (“Umgebindehaus”), the special architecture is still characteristic of the tri-border area between Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland today. Inside the renovated landmark, large families and groups can enjoy a relaxed blend of old wooden ceilings, 1960s design, stucco, tiled stoves, antique furnishings and historical wallpaper. The house also offers ample opportunities to secretly escape the community spirit, whether in the private library, one of the five bedrooms, in the sauna, in the idyllic orchard or between the lines.

Waves and Words 

Open to all kinds of adventures, Villa M7 extends into the rocky landscape of Sweden’s west coast.

This elongated, blue-green wooden structure with its barrel-shaped roof features numerous yellow-framed windows, most of which look out to sea and open directly onto a balcony or the all-around terrace. The vibrant range of colours continues indoors, where wooden fixtures and furniture meet 15 different shades. On cool or stormy days, guests can wander through the airy, light-filled spaces to the library and music room, where they can curl up on the sofa with a carefully chosen book. On sunny days, the deck calls. Whether it’s Astrid Lindgren or August Strindberg, maritime poetry by John Masefield or a Swedish crime novel, only a swim in the sea might interrupt the flow of reading here.

Text: Julia Hauch

Photos: © Cara Forbes (Cover picture: Tigharry Schoolhouse), © Pierson Austin (Tigharry Schoolhouse), © Tina Stephansen (Agger Farmhouse), © Günther Standl Photography (Fuchsegg Eco Lodge), © Philipp Moosbrugger (Wenefrieda), © Meritxell Arjalaguer (Umberto 121), © Sepideh Farsi & Frank Salama (Jardin Urbain Paris), © Andrea Rüster (Gut Pohnstorf), © Märkisches Landhaus No. 8, © Jörg Simanowski (Faktorenhaus), © Marvin Berge (Villa M7)

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