Barrier-free houses

In the water tower in Waren an der Müritz (Germany), two guests will find low barrier, ground level accom­mo­dation including a garden terrace for sunny times. In the bathroom, a wheel­chair-bound person can manage alone. Likewise, the double bed can be raised so that wheel­chair-bound guests can move them­selves from the wheel­chair to the bed and back. Note: The use of the kitchen is not pos­sible for wheel­chair bound guests without assis­tance. The other apart­ments in the water tower can only be reached via a spiral staircase and are the­r­efore not acces­sible to guests with limited mobility.

The Hofgut Haf­ner­leiten in the Lower Bavarian thermal region of Bad Birnbach has barrier-free accom­mo­dation for two people with the “Wie­senhaus”. The house is com­pletely acces­sible at ground level and also by wheel­chair and includes a seated shower with bathtub and ample space in the separate toilet or wet area. Guests who are unable to use the steps have barrier-free access to the main house and the inner cour­tyard, where ape­ritifs and dinners can be enjoyed in company, are also acces­sible without steps. However, guests do not have to leave the meadow house at all — dinner can be deli­vered on request. Note: Not available in the cottage are special holding or pulling devices that make it easier for people with disa­bi­lities to lift them­selves into or out of the bathtub.

The 83 square meter apartment “Theodor Fontane” in the Refugium am See in the German state of Bran­denburg was planned with and for wheel­chair users. Two people will find plenty of space to move around com­for­tably. The kitchen is par­tially wheel­chair acces­sible, the bedroom is equipped with its own bathroom which is designed for wheel­chair access. The bed is elec­tri­cally adjus­table and can be moved down with a lift if desired. Access to the terrace is obs­tacle-free. The path to the lake has a maximum slope of 6 percent the jetty to the Teupitzsee is 1.20 m wide and thus safe for wheel­chairs.

The vacation resort on the German island of Usedom was built barrier-free. All 14 vacation apart­ments are acces­sible at ground level or via ramps and are mostly barrier-free: Bath­rooms have floor-level showers and access to the sauna, sinks are acces­sible by wheel­chair, toilets are equipped with grab bars. Kit­chens are also acces­sible by wheel­chair, bed­rooms are cor­re­spon­dingly spa­cious.

The vacation home in Bad Her­renalb (Black forest) has three apart­ments and a large common area. The first floor is com­pletely barrier-free. Here the apartment “Die Zwei” has wide doors as well as a large bathroom, which is also acces­sible by wheel­chair. The apartment “Die Eins” on the first floor is also sui­table for guests with limited mobility.

The estate in South Tyrol’s Pus­tertal Valley has a wheel­chair-acces­sible unit for two people in the form of the “Waldile” suite. The 44-square-meter room as well as the main level including the reception and breakfast room are acces­sible via an ele­vator. The public restroom on the same floor is also barrier-free. The “Stodl” wellness area has been designed to be as barrier-free as pos­sible; the owners will be happy to provide details on usa­bility upon request.

The house on the German island Usedom has two barrier-free apart­ments for four people each. Both apart­ments are located on the ground floor, so that the terrace and garden are also acces­sible without bar­riers. All rooms have suf­fi­cient maneu­vering space. In the kitchen, the sink and stove are acces­sible under­neath. In the bathroom, the wash­basin is wheel­chair acces­sible, the floor-level shower offers grab bars, and a shower chair can be pro­vided on request. The toilet has a folding support handle, the toilet height has been opti­mized.

The hotel near Pristina (Kosovo) is excep­tional in many respects. It is not only an eco­lo­gical and multi-ethnic project with exem­plary cha­racter, but also barrier-free in some areas. The entire first floor, including the restaurant and public restroom, is wheel­chair acces­sible. There is also a barrier-free single room on this level. Of course, there is also room for accom­panying persons!