Six enchanting woodland hotels

They say it soothes the soul to be around trees. And, with the Japanese art of forest bathing a more popular pastime than ever, travel editor Francesca Syz finds six woodland hideaways where you can do just that

Domaine des Etangs, France

Set within 2,500 acres of protected forest, grassland and lakes in the Limousin region of southwestern France, this 11th-century private home – recently converted into an exquisitely stylish chateau hotel with lovely cottages, a spa in an old watermill, an art gallery and a gourmet restaurant – is a wonderful rural base. Expect crayfish from the Moulde River that runs through the estate, fruit from its orchards and vegetables from its kitchen gardens. Let the hotel arrange a private woodland picnic, complete with blankets, lanterns and a fire pit, or borrow one of the estate’s electric Citroens to really go exploring. Doubles from £361

Nearest airport: Limoges

Forest Side, Grasmere, UK

Dappled with light within 43 acres of woodland at the foot of the Lake District fells, Forest Side is a Gothic mansion-turned-neat little country house hotel with its own fellside, home to roe deer, red squirrels and native plants such as foxgloves and wood sorrel. After a good forest ramble, return to the hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant, where provenance is everything – chef Tickle (ex-L’Enclume) forages and the walled kitchen garden is a triumph. Doubles from £229

Arrive by car with Avis car hire

Naturhotel Forsthofgut, Austria

The family behind Naturhotel Forsthofgut at the foot of the Leogang mountains were farmers and foresters before they were hoteliers, so the surrounding pine trees have always been integral to their way of life. Austria’s newest ski-in/ski-out five-star hotel combines wellness with outdoor activity and is equally lovely in the warmer months, when the forests and meadows are a riot of colour. But it’s not all about being active. Be sure to settle into the spa, gliding effortlessly between the pool, sauna and relaxation room, with its front-row seats over the surrounding wilderness. Doubles from €185

Nearest airport: Salzburg

Terra, The Magic Place, Italy

When they were kids, the brother and sister behind Terra, The Magic Place, a rustic-chic restaurant with rooms set deep in the South Tyrolean mountains, used to run barefoot through the woods in which it sits. Today, Gisela (sommelier) and Heinrich (chef) Schneider run it as a foodie retreat, where people go to really get away from it all, to hike, to sleep and to eat in the two-Michelin-starred restaurant, with its exquisitely presented modern organic menu. Doubles from £245

Nearest airport: Innsbruck

Waldhaus Sils, Switzerland

The impossibly romantic Waldhaus Sils – the German word ‘waldhaus’ means ‘forest house’ – in the Swiss canton of Graubünden, has been run by the same family since it opened in 1908. Just southwest of St Moritz in the Engadin Valley, it sits within a hillside forest above Lake Sils and offers a warm, friendly welcome and a contemporary ‘take’ on a historical palace hotel. Enjoy the pine-smothered alps on foot or by bike in summer, on skis in winter – or from the comfort of the heated indoor pool through floor-to-ceiling windows and bobbing about in the outdoor hot tub, all year round. Doubles from £300

Nearest airport: Zurich

Anfasteröd Gårdsvik, Sweden

On a shady hillside densely forested with oak, beech, birch and pine trees, sweeping down to the inner archipelago of Bohuslän in western Sweden, the holiday resort of Anfasteröd Gårdsvik offers chic little bathers’ cottages, cabins and safari-style glamping tents, plus pitches for tents and caravans. Rich with mushrooms and berries and other local ingredients you will find on the waterside restaurant menu, the estate is a heavenly place to explore on foot. It is criss-crossed by footpaths, one of which, the Lookout track, starts at reception and takes you up to the highest point in the area, ideal for sundowners. Glamping tents from £139 per day

Nearest airport: Gothenburg

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This article has been tagged Adventure, Hotels