Apartement Batzenhaus

The views from this guesthouse are lovely at both ends of the day, and the sky was full of stars at night. It sits at the highest point in Todtmoos, so we could see across the whole town as soon as we parked. The living room skylight faces the church, and the children loved being held up against it to listen to the bells chime every hour. There was loads of room: a bedroom, bathroom, two living rooms, kitchen, storage room, and a long hallway lined with bookshelves. The apartment was stunning. Its high-end kitchen had everything we needed, including a microwave and large oven, and the excellent dishwasher saved us from handwashing. A couple of useful things were missing, though: heat-resistant gloves for hot plates and dishcloths for the table. After a long day, the steam room was a nice way to unwind. Adults and children both enjoyed the spa-quality shower, but there was no shower curtain or absorbent mat. We could do laundry in the washing machine and dryer. The drum dryer is powerful enough that lint and jewelry can come off, so laundry bags and baskets would be helpful. We were touched by the owner’s birthday gifts, a bottle of fine wine for my husband and chocolates for my child. One thing to keep in mind: the owner doesn’t live here and is a two-hour drive away. He usually emails guests two days ahead with the key location and puts his contact number on the front door. Check your email in advance, including the spam folder.