Altes Pfarrhaus

The owners were very friendly, and breakfast was genuinely delicious. The house looks quaint from outside, with an idyllic setting. But inside, the room and bathroom made it hard for me to relax. The bathroom was only reached from the shared hallway, and it wasn't properly cleaned. The toilet, sink and shower were dirty, the shower curtain had mold, and the sofa had unpleasant stains. There was old dust and cobwebs in the corners, and the room smelled musty. The towels did too, and now I have to wash all my clothes and bags. People smoke in the kitchen, and the smell gets into the downstairs rooms. We stayed five days. If you want a very basic alternative kind of holiday, you may be fine here, but it was a real shame for me.

The place was wonderfully peaceful, and we could see the lake from our accommodation. We were grateful to our hosts for letting us stay in the rectory, a listed building dating from 1843. It sits on a natural property where the farm dog and animals wander freely, including pigs, sheep, ducks and chickens. Breakfast was generous, with homemade jam, honey from a local beekeeper and sausage from their own pigs.

We only stayed one night, which was a shame. Just the morning there felt as restful as two days of doing nothing. The attic room had a lot of charm, and the quiet was wonderful. We enjoyed the garden seating area, with a chance of curious ducks wandering over, and Luna, the dog, is a real sweetheart who makes sure guests get greeted. Breakfast was lovingly put together and almost all homemade. The owners were friendly and attentive without being pushy. It is tucked away in the middle of nowhere, but the view over the nature reserve makes up for that.

The biggest drawback for me was having no lock on the individual rooms. There was a key for the front door, and that was all, with the arrangement apparently based on trust. The old house has been lovingly restored, though it does creak and groan, and some doors are hard to shut. Downstairs, the bathroom isn't en-suite and is reached from the hall. The former attic is right at the top after two very steep flights of stairs, but up there everything is handy, including a private bathroom. The Zimmermann family, who own and rent the place, were very friendly. Breakfast was delicious and largely homemade, from the bread and rolls baked fresh each morning to the jam and other things. It's secluded and surrounded by greenery, with a little farmland feel: two sheep, a small cow and several chickens roam around, and there's a small vineyard too. A very peaceful place if that's what you're after.