1-2 (house/apartment)

In the flow by the river: take the Tyrolean Isar Valley, a timber house spanning 38 square metres of meticulously crafted detail, a starry sky above the bed and your feet in the water – that’s all you need for a day of retreat in the Flussbett.

Step back in time: in the holiday apartments of the 300-year-old Hofreite Lorsbach – an architectural heritage site in the Taunus Nature Park – you can experience the regional architectural style in all its facets.

A radical presence: El Elevador is a retreat on the edge of El Hierro’s volcanic landscape – an architectural invitation to contemplation, exposed to the elements. Far removed from perfection and comfort, yet full of honesty and poetry.

It's a rare gem: on the bright banks of the Saale River in Naumburg, two experienced designers are setting a real example with the renovation of a listed Wilhelminian style villa, aiming to turn a wine region into a design region too.

Just a short walk from Aljezur and an eight-minute drive from Praia da Amoreira, this former farmhouse nestles in the hills of the Costa Vicentina, surrounded by fields and weathered cork oaks.

The charm of two worlds: Just like the scenery in Lagrasse, a small village in the south of France with medieval structures, the Vipp Townhouse builds a bridge between bygone eras and modern times. Surrounded by picturesque nature.

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.

Between town and mudflats: the two holiday homes at the foot of the Harlingen lighthouse unveil themselves as artfully designed tiny houses behind a Frisian façade.

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.

Travelling back in time with Adolf Loos: the Villa Winternitz in Prague is the Austrian architect's last great achievement - a functional and sensual experience based on Loos' finest spatial planning and minimalism.

Holidays with campus flair: Not only the fresh breeze, but also the reinterpreted brick architecture of the JAP Retreat Appartments in Wilhelmshaven reveal that the North Sea is only a few minutes away.

Scottish heritage with Scandinavian flair: In the northern Highlands at the head of the Kyle of Tongue bay, Kyle House nestles in the rugged, lonely landscape. Surrounded by wild beaches, unspoilt countryside and the mighty peaks of Ben Loyal and Ben Hope.

Lightness in Luxembourg: the transformed, historic townhouse proves how easily privacy and community can go hand in hand.

Haus Herzogstand in Kochel am See is a beautiful combination of historical flair, modern comfort and future-proof renovation against the alpine backdrop of the "Blue Country".

The Schaalsee loft in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is reduced to the essentials with an open-plan layout, large glass and steel windows and timeless materials: A stage for light and landscape.

From the outside, the GDR prefabricated building on the edge of Märkische Schweiz faces up to its past without embellishment; inside, it breaks up old structures and surprises with two bright, airy holiday homes.

In the Swiss mountain village of Vals, the two houses of Brücke 49 offer a harmonious mix of local architecture, unique antique pieces and Scandinavian design – and a temporary home for design lovers.

Like a canvas, the white backdrop of Monopoli reflects the sky and the sea. Casa Santa next to the San Salvatore Church also focuses on the essentials, staging light, texture and the magnificent view.

The Calitardo Suites tower majestically over the poetic Umbrian landscape. The manor house, which has been transformed into an agriturismo, combines history and modernity with ease and elegance.

From the outside, the listed Dortmannhof seems as if it has fallen out of time; inside, an artistic backdrop of historical inventory and unusual perspectives opens up. A subtle and clever concept by architect and furniture designer Sigurd Larsen, which now also welcomes guests.

Alluvial forest and litter meadows as far as the eye can see, with Lake Chiemsee glistening in the distance - the Schneeganserhof occupies an exclusive box seat. And it has done so for many hundreds of years. Renovated to be summer-fresh and winter-proof, it offers a holiday accommodation for two in the former barn.

In the wide expanse of the Simmental valley, framed by grassy hills, rugged rock faces and the glaciated Wildstrubel, the 100-year-old Lenk Lodge offers spectacular views and individual spaces.

Poetic minimalism behind an artful façade: the virtuously decorated Casa 1923 is one of Faro's outstanding Art Nouveau buildings. With their careful handling of traditions and materials, the architects of PAr tie in with the building's past and redefine it for today's needs.