For animal lovers who prefer the sounds of nature over city noise, a night away doesn’t have to mean a stay in a humdrum hotel. Across Europe, a number of destinations are bringing guests closer to their wild side.
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Beyond mere Instagrammable views, research has found that being out in nature has vast benefits for our physical and mental health. A study into "forest bathing", or sleeping in a forest, found it can reduce blood pressure, anxiety and boost relaxation.
Being out in the wild, especially being active through walking, cycling or kayaking, can help to maintain a healthy weight, while being out in the sun (with sunscreen to hand) increases our vitamin D levels, which is important for our bone, blood cell and immune system health.
So, where can travellers go to encounter animals and nature on a European getaway? Here we pick out some options for a wild night away…
Sleep with the wolves in Norway or France
While “sleeping with the wolves” might normally sound like putting oneself in harm’s way, Wolf Lodge, an enclosure within Polar Park in northern Norway, offers visitors a journey through Arctic nature, under the curiously watchful, amber-eyed gaze of the wolves.
"Wolves circle the lodge and watch its guests at all times," according to the lodge website, so, despite them being accustomed to living alongside humans, the lodge advises visitors to control their movements and maintain relative quiet.
The lodge offers both a once-in-a-lifetime experience for visitors and welfare for the wolves in captivity, with each stay contributing to the Polar Park Wolf Welfare Fund.
If this sounds up your street, but you’re put off by the idea of harsh Scandinavian snow showers, France’s Parc Animalier de Sainte-Croix may be a milder alternative. Home to 56 lodges, the Moselle destination’s seven wooden cabins dedicated to wolf enthusiasts offer a peek into the lives of black, white and grey wolf packs.
Belgian animal encounters
At the Pairi Daiza zoo in Brugelette, Belgium, visitors can meet more than 7,500 animals during a day trip, or, if they like, stay overnight.
Home to more than 1,000 species under its care, the destination’s Rockhaven quarters were carved into rock to create a cave-like atmosphere. With a range of configurations, guests can choose from family suites overlooking the territories of tapirs, capybaras and monkeys.
The zoo's other permanent guests include giant pandas, elephants, polar bears, orangutans, rare birds, gorillas and walruses.
Residences are spread across the zoo's Worlds of The Last Frontier, The Land of the Cold, Cambron Abbey, and Edenya zones, which are accessible all day long for those spending the night. Guests also enjoy access to the entire park one hour before public opening via special access paths.
Luxembourg’s treetop sleeps
At Luxembourg’s Bamhaiser in Escher Déierepark, guests can relive their childhood memories (or dreams) by sleeping high in the treetops.
With neighbours of as many as 150 animals, including deer, goats, rabbits and birds, Bamhaiser offers three cosy tree houses, kitted with electric heating, a kitchenette (although for safety reasons, visitors can’t prepare hot food), wifi and bathroom, to choose from. Each house is named after fictional characters, as a nod to the nostalgia theme.
The “Mia Morilla” and “Maisy” treehouses can fit up to six people, with the latter specially designed for guests with reduced mobility. While the “Dr Dachs” (Doctor Badger) house sleeps up to four people. Each also has private terraces to soak in the outdoors.
Although hot food is a no-go within the treehouses, the quaint Escher Bamhauscafe serves up Luxembourgish favourites, such as “kniddelen” flour dumplings.