Imagine the perfect castle hotel with a stylish restaurant and historically furnished rooms. The atmosphere is characterised by tasteful antiques – and there are no TV sets. A place where you can perfectly switch off the stress of modern life. From there it is only a short walk through the castle park with its fantastic climbing trees for children and soon, you are standing in front of one of Denmark’s most modern art museums: the Fuglsang Art Museum. Staying at the Herregård Castle Hotel on the Lolland-Falster peninsula offers you this unique connection. You can experience even more such stately historical estates in this rural area on a walk that leads from Fuglsang through fields and small forests to Guldburgsund. Or take a trip to the Reventlow Museum Pedestrup, where you can marvel at the house’s perfectly reconstructed historical kitchen.

A few hundred metres from the western shore of the Müritz in a manor in the style of the Danish clinker brick Renaissance, a new life had already taken hold more than 20 years ago. Manfred Achtenhagen, who was one of the first “space pioneers” of the German post-reunification years, has turned the dilapidated building into a stylish hotel in which the flair of old Prussia has been resurrected in a contemporary way. The menus in the “Morizaner” restaurant are also extremely tasteful: using regional ingredients, the traditional country cuisine of this area is interpreted in a modern way and enriched with new influences. In the meantime, Achtenhagen’s sons have taken over the management of the house, where guests can always get a little family connection – for example on a small trip with the hotel’s own sailing boat or on the historical tour “1000 Years of Mecklenburg”, during which the host himself leads the guests through the grounds every Sunday and brings history to life.

A strong feeling of peace of mind sets in the second you are gazing from the Peene riverbank over this gently flowing stream, which is sometimes also referred to (perhaps somewhat exaggeratedly) as the Amazon of the North. At Gutshaus Stolpe, which is less than a three-hour drive from Berlin, you can enjoy this view all day long and jump into the water to your heart’s content in between – just slip on your bathrobe, walk straight out of your room through the flower meadow and into the cool water. Everything in the Relais & Chateaux hotel is designed to pamper you: the wellness area with open-air hot tubs, the Michelin starred restaurant, the country-style rooms. But with all this, don’t forget: there is so much more to discover in the surroundings of this little paradise. For example, the 350-year-old Fährkrug, where the poet Fritz Reuter enjoyed having a beer. It was brewed in the ancient monastery, the ruins of which can still be visited right next to the manor. Usedom with its wonderful beaches is not far away either – although in Stolpe, you feel completely removed from the tourist flow and holiday hustle and bustle.

The ambience at the “Pałac w Rymaniu” hotel in West Pomerania near Kolberg is truly stately. And yet the rooms and halls of this historic building are not only imbued with the spirit of the past. Great Polish hospitality is equally important for the unique atmosphere of this place with all the openness and child-friendliness that you can encounter there. An old manor has been transformed into a comfortable modern hotel that offers every imaginable amenity – from a good restaurant to an indoor pool to a sun terrace leading to a picturesque park. All this is available here – and it is less than a three-hour drive from Berlin – at booking.

Babylon Berlin, The Great Gatsby, Downton Abbey – when you first enter this noble hotel resort with its riding facilities, restaurant and exclusive wellness area, the wealth of 1920s flair immediately conjures up various associations from the world of film and literature. The lovingly selected furniture, the wallpaper, the stylish antiques all over the house make sure of that. This manor was probably never as inviting as it is today, having been resurrected as a 5-star hotel. And yet, even as a normal wage earner, you can certainly afford this luxury: in spring, Ciekocinko offers very affordable deals, also for families. So how about an Easter or Whitsun weekend at the Baltic Sea? The white sandy beach is only 5 kilometres away. This can also be perfectly combined with a city trip to Gdansk. The city is only an hour and a half away from Ciekocinko by car.

A young Lithuanian couple about to embark on their next career move in London decided to return home – and turned the elegant Vila Komoda in the historic seaside resort of Palanga into a charming boutique hotel with a very personal atmosphere. The cuisine here is of the highest standard and the rooms are decorated with great attention to detail. For example, there are no room numbers, only the names of the people who used to live there. You are a bit removed from the bustling life of the seaside resort, and yet right in the middle of it: the dreamlike Baltic Sea beach, the Amber Museum, the many cafés, bars and restaurants are all only a walk away. Add a few days on to your trip and visit the natural wonders of the surrounding area – such as the gigantic dunes of the Curonian Spit or the Rambynas Regional Park on the Nemunas River – you won’t regret it.