The little Cottage

The private garden is a lovely place to sit with a glass of wine in the evening, and inside there's a 42-inch TV with an HDMI connection for plugging in a laptop, for example to watch Netflix. The owners live next door and were easy to reach in person or on WhatsApp with questions about hiking routes and restaurant tips. We lacked nothing in the apartment, which is comfortably furnished and beautifully located in the small village of Brauneberg, just a stone's throw from the Moselle. There's a bakery and butcher nearby, and the village and surrounding area are great for hiking and cycling. We recommend both the accommodation and region. The one thing to know is that the nearby church can act as an alarm clock ;-)

The cottage is spacious for two people, with room for up to four. It looks appealing, though some parts feel cheaply made, and the sofas are comfortable. The laminate floor has squeaky boards underneath, which was only an issue at night when someone went to the toilet. The doors also need to be slammed to shut. The kitchen isn't really set up for self-catering: we didn't need much, but anyone planning to cook may struggle. There wasn't even a pair of scissors. The owners live next door. They left without telling us in advance and came back the day before we left without even saying hello. We only had one day left, so there wasn't much point discussing or asking about things then. A Senseo machine is now available, though booking sites don't mention it. The back bedroom has only a flimsy curtain and no way to make it properly dark; the front bedroom's curtain gives at least some shade. Anyone who needs a fully dark room to sleep may not be happy. The TV was extremely annoying and very outdated, without HDMI or USB ports. We bring films on a hard drive to watch in the evenings, since regular TV isn't an option, and this was the first holiday place where we couldn't do that. At €85 a night, I suppose it's hard to complain, but we'd only return if some of these easily fixable problems were sorted out.

The owners gave us a lovely welcome, and the house had all the amenities listed. It's beautiful and centrally located, with plenty to do nearby.