De Blijhof♡

Secluded cabin with proper sauna

10.0

Idyllic cabin in the countryside, comfy and secluded. It's the charm of a campground with the comforts of an equipped building— AC, wood-fired sauna, internet, running hot/cold water, shower, kitchenette, view of the fields, pond, outdoor seating, luggage cart, & even roaming chickens nearby. All of this surrounded by trees and fields, felt private with the freedom to relax— even though it's 10 minutes' walk from the adjacent town (!!), and there's a bus stop around the corner. We were even warned that the nearest city Zwolle was "further away" to drive; only 15 minutes! We were spoiled for choices when planning an outing. It was very quiet and yet so accessible and close to everything. The cabin was reliably warm & cozy, even during some wind & rain, since we went late-season; both heating & cooling was smooth, and the whole place was properly insulated even though it's "just" a cabin. The hosts mentioned they've had someone stay several months— everything's up to spec. As for the sauna, it felt spacious, like it fit many more people than the cabin. It got going quickly anyway. Benches at good heights, low enough gabled roof, tiled flooring, metal stove with chimney and valve… The sauna was our not-so-secret reason for picking de blijhof— the Netherlands has many spas, but few actual proper saunas. This one's a proper one, and we were very happy to find it. We didn't try the grill, open fireplace, or hot tub, but they looked robust as well. Hosts were very helpful & accommodating, showed us around, recommended local spots, kept in touch throughout… Welcoming and lovely, and they know the place inside-out, since it was built by them! They found something we forgot and even mailed it to us. Another cabin was in the works, too. We had a nice break from daily life— It's the kind of place you can sleep in late, but still feel like the entire day is ahead of you.

− It's all good, our only note is about driving: The compound entrance is a cute but narrow wooden bridge, so you need a somewhat manoeuvrable car. Any normal European car will be fine, our clio had no problems, but I'd think twice before showing up in a big ute, van, or camper.

Prachtige wagen in rustige omgeving

8.0

De rustige omgeving, de leuke gedecoreerde pipowagen en de hot tub zijn dingen die ervoor zorgen dat je helemaal tot rust komt. Verder is er veel ruimte om buiten te zitten en zijn er verschillende plekjes gecreëerd waardoor je in zowel de schaduw als de zon kan zitten. In de omgeving is een bezoekje aan Zwolle, Giethoorn en Ommen ook een aanrader. Met de auto is het erg goed te bereiken, maar ook kun je er op de fiets prima naartoe.