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Top Ten Hideaways

There are times when you want to be right in the heart of it all, close to all the attractions and places of interest, and other occasions when you just want to get away from it all and forget everyday life. Here we list some of our most secluded – and often most romantic – hotels.

Torre del Visco, Aragón. Given that it is a couple of miles from the nearest road, the luxurious Torre del Visco has to top our list. The tranquillity is absolute – so much so that a pair of Bonelli’s eagles nests in the grounds. As soon as you step in the door, you know you have arrived somewhere special: warm-coloured fabrics, comfy sofas, masses of fresh flowers, attractive stone fireplaces and intriguing books left open on occasional tables invite you to relax and unwind. The cuisine is excellent and the extensive breakfast spreads laid on each morning are some of the best you will ever see. It is hard to think of another luxury hotel where you feel so wonderfully away from it all, and it is perfect for romantics, too. The hotel features on our Mountains of Southern Catalonia walk.

Abbazia di San Pietro in Valle, Umbria. It’s not every hotel that can boast of having been converted from a beautiful Romanesque abbey, and many of those who have experienced our Italy’s Green Heart walk have spoken of feeling privileged to stay at such a special place. The abbey’s origins date back to the 8th century, when a group of Benedictine monks decided to establish a small community on the broad flank of Monte Solenne, and there are superb 12th and 13th-century frescoes, as well as a two-storey cloister.

Douar Samra, High Atlas Mountains. This mountain hotel on our Beneath Djebel Toubkal walk offers as authentic a taste of Berber life as you will ever get. Owned by Jacqueline Brandt, it was built by the villagers who have adopted this impassioned and pioneering Swiss émigré as one of their own. Like the other village houses, the main hotel and the four standard rooms have no electricity – the rooms are warmed by open fires and lit by candles which create a cosy glow – yet the cuisine, prepared by one of the village women, is some of the best you could wish to sample in Morocco. So remote is the village that you often have to travel by mule for the last kilometre. A very unique place to stay, and one where you very definitely feel removed from everday life!

Berghotel Zirmerhof, Trentino Dolomites. If you are looking to escape to the mountains, this is a great choice, with the option, if you want to spend time out of doors, of some marvellous walking (the hotel features on our Valleys & Villages of the Dolomites walk and our Lakes & Mountains discovery). If you prefer to stay at the hotel, though, there is plenty of space to relax, with a cosy library, steam room, sauna and delightful stube (parlour). You won’t miss out on the breathtaking views, either – the frescoed restaurant affords a splendid panorama of the western Dolomites to admire as you savour excellent regional dishes.

Alojamento Senhora da Ribeira, Douro Valley. Situated on the banks of the Douro, cut off from other villages and towns by the river on one side and steeply cut hills on the other, this simple rural inn on our Valley of Gold walk occupies an amazingly secluded spot. Were it not for the birdsong and the very occasional train by which you arrive, the silence would be absolute. You can admire the strikingly beautiful views and watch the river glide lazily past the hotel from the small balcony of your bedroom, but you don't stand much of a chance of getting a mobile phone signal. Nor can you rely on your hosts understanding enough English for you to get by without any Portuguese – you’ll need a phrasebook. To add to the sense of being far removed from the everyday world, you access the inn by means of a small river ferry which collects you from the railway station on the opposite bank.

Val au Cesne, Normandy. The décor of this half-timbered auberge in the green, rolling hills of Normandy is best described as quirky, but if you don't mind quirkiness then you'll love it. There are just five rooms, and the feeling of intimacy is enhanced by the building’s numerous nooks and crannies. The atmospheric restaurant with its beamed ceiling and polished wooden floor is the setting for dinners of refined Norman cuisine, while breakfast is served in your bedroom as standard – a pleasant treat.

I Due Roccoli, Lake Iseo. Midway between the larger – and much better known – lakes of Garda and Como, Lake Iseo is a secret jewel, with rugged landscapes to the north and vineyard-covered slopes to the south. I Due Roccoli is a real oasis of tranquillity immersed in its own attractive parkland with a superb panorama over the lake. The focal point is the elegant restaurant, the setting for refined interpretations of traditional Lombard cuisine which you can accompany with a locally produced Franciacorta wine.

Hotel Meisser, Engadine. With its timeless, fairytale villages surrounded by flower-filled meadows, the Engadine is Switzerland’s best kept secret, making it a great destination for a week away from it all. The Hotel Meisser is in the best preserved of all the Engadine’s villages, Guarda, where the cobbled streets are dotted with fountains and lined with solid stone houses decorated with intricate pastel murals. The charming Meisser family have created an intimate, relaxed atmosphere, and the use of light wood throughout the hotel is at once stylish and cosy. In summer, the garden, with its wonderful views of the surrounding peaks, is the perfect place to relax after a day of walking, while in winter you can explore on snow-shoes and later relax by the open fire in the attractive lounge.

Hotel Castle, Goms Valley. There are two main reasons for including this secluded 4-star hotel which perches on the slopes above the village of Blitzingen. Firstly, the welcome is among the warmest you could hope to encounter in Switzerland (the hotel has in fact won awards for the outstanding level of service). Secondly, the food is superb – owner Peter Gschwendtner is a great chef, creating delicious mountain dishes with a lightness of touch. The icing on the cake is the view across the delightful yet little-discovered Goms Valley from the restaurant.

Les Vents Bleus, Aveyron. Set in a sleepy hamlet between the Tarn and Aveyron rivers, Les Vents Bleus has been exquisitely converted from a beautiful old stone house. Although the interior is fit to be included in a stylish homes magazine, there is a very relaxed feel to the place, and guests are made to feel very much at home by hosts Monsieur and Madame Gropallo, whose warm hospitality is regularly praised by customers on our From the Tarn to the Aveyron walk.

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