Ferienlandhaus Zempow

The one good thing was how child-friendly it was. Otherwise, the place felt neglected and looked better in the photos. There was dust and cobwebs everywhere, the shower was dirty, and the oven still had the previous guest’s greasy baking paper inside. I had to clean it myself, which made the final cleaning charge hard to understand. We stayed in both the small apartment and the special one. The special apartment is only wheelchair accessible on paper: its shower is much too small, and cars parked by the entrance leave no room to get through in a wheelchair. That really needs fixing.

The owners were friendly and easy to communicate with, and we had a really nice stay overall. We found the apartment quite expensive, but I’d still recommend it. The village grocery shop "Einladen" is close by and worth a visit for fresh rolls and bread you can order daily, as well as regional organic produce, fruit, and vegetables. Our nearest beach was in Schwarz, and we liked it a lot. The apartment is on the ground floor, with two rooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom. There are four beds, including a bunk bed, and everything was clean and provided. My two children and I especially enjoyed the big shared garden, with hammocks, a slackline, swings, a fire pit, and play spaces for little kids. It looks out over horse paddocks and woodland. We also had a small private terrace by our door. The living room has the bunk bed and a pellet stove, while the kitchen and bedroom look out onto the garden. The location is quiet on the village street toward the drive-in cinema, about a five-minute walk away, though evenings can be noisy. There was a flea market during our stay, with quite a few cars on the road. I missed having mosquito mesh on the windows. I’d also have preferred better light blocking than the curtains or pleated blinds provide. Some windows have curtains, but not all, and the ones that do don’t close fully.

There isn’t much in the village itself beyond an organic shop where you can get bread rolls. For a weekend, it worked fine, but I’d choose somewhere else for a longer stay. The landlady seemed a bit grumpy, though overall I’d rate it 3.5 out of 5. We had a duplex set up for four people plus children, made from two small apartments that connect through a door, which works well for friends sharing. Each apartment has a separate double bedroom. The tricky part was the other sleeping spots: the ground floor bunk beds are in the living room, and the two beds upstairs are in an attic space open to the kitchen and living room. So if you want quiet, everyone has to turn in at the same time.

The upstairs apartment fits four people. I really loved the view of the garden from the roof window, and the big garden is a great place to unwind. Parking under the carport is easy. There’s a lot to like here.