Europe may be home to over 700 million people, but there are still hidden corners where solitude reigns. These 40 remarkably remote hotels prove that true peace and quiet is still out there – if you know where to look. And while they may be off the beaten path, remote doesn’t have to mean rustic; many of these secret stays are every bit as stylish as they are secluded.
Click through this gallery to discover the best remote hotel in every European country currently considered safe and accessible for travellers...
One of Europe’s most up-and-coming destinations, Albania has seen a surge in visitors drawn to its white-sand beaches and pristine Adriatic coastline, dubbed the ‘Albanian Riviera’. For true seclusion, head into the Kurvelesh highlands to Camp Nivica – a stylish, off-grid bolthole.
It’s three hours from the nearest airport, a 30-minute drive on rough terrain from the nearest village and surrounded by deep canyons. Inspired by African safari camps, it features thatched roofs, panoramic views and a roster of intrepid activities.
A tiny principality with a population of less than 80,000, Andorra more than pulls its weight in tourism numbers, with millions visiting each year – mainly for snow and skiing. L’Ovella Negra is perfectly positioned for the latter, with two popular slopes nearby.
Its location at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains, nestled deep in a gorge, means guests are surrounded on all sides by snowy peaks or green valleys, depending on the season. In winter, the hotel is accessible only by their resident snowcat vehicle, as the roads become blocked by heavy snow.
Like a castle straight out of a fairytale, Rosewood Schloss Fuschl is surrounded by lakes and mountains, offering stunning views in every direction. Jutting out into the turquoise waters of Lake Fuschl, the property has stood since the 15th century, but its approach to hospitality is resolutely modern, with a high-tech spa, four restaurants, a golf course and an outdoor infinity pool.
While it’s not the most remote hotel on this list (it’s a fairly easy drive from Salzburg) its utterly unique surroundings make Rosewood Schloss Fuschl feel worlds away from civilisation.
Tucked away in the middle of the Ardennes Forest, it’s no surprise that Le Manoir de Lébioles is the hotel of choice for high-profile travellers in search of privacy – Brad Pitt stayed here in 2024 while filming a movie nearby.
Surrounded by tall pine trees and miles from the nearest town, this early 20th-century château feels wonderfully remote – a true escape from the outside world. Especially dramatic in winter, it’s easy to see why Le Manoir de Lébioles has been called a ‘little Versailles’.
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Guesthouse Letnja Basta sits in the remote mountain village of Lukomir – the country’s highest settlement at 3,428 feet (1,045m) above sea level. Reaching it involves a bumpy two-hour drive along rocky mountain roads, but the payoff is worth it. The guesthouse is a true community hub, offering travellers not just a bed but a window into a way of life that has almost vanished from modern Europe.
Rooms are simple and rustic, but guests are welcomed with warm hospitality and home-cooked local dishes like flaky börek pastries, making this one of the most authentic stays in the region.
Ski resorts can be notoriously touristy, but not so at Hotel Malyovitsa. This ski-in-ski-out resort is also blissfully tranquil, nestled high in the heart of Bulgaria’s remote Rila Mountains.
Guests can take in the fresh mountain air, marvel at the stunning Malyovitsa Peak, or venture out to hike in the Rila National Park, which is on the hotel’s doorstep. While accessible by car, roads can be snowy and difficult to pass in winter.
Perhaps the most luxurious hotel on this list, Villa Nai is one of Croatia’s newest high-end properties. Located on Dugi Otok, one of the least-visited large islands in Croatia, the 1% can arrive via helicopter (the hotel has its own helipad, obviously) but everyone else will have to take a catamaran or ferry from the city of Zadar.
It’s worth the wait: each of the hotel’s eight rooms are carved into the terracotta hillside, the surrounding olive groves produce award-winning oils and fresh Adriatic fish is on the menu each night.
The first boutique hotel in the remote Bohemia region of Czechia, Mezi Plutky (Czech for ‘between the fences’) is a lovingly restored, 200-year old farmhouse. With the breathtaking Beskydy Mountains as its backdrop, the hotel is close to the tiny mountain village of Čeladná, hidden among meadows, forests and picturesque national reserves.
With just four rooms, it’s as exclusive as it is secluded, while outdoorsy types will love its convenient location for all-season hiking, horse-riding, skiing and cross-country walking.
Tucked away on Vejro – a privately-owned archipelago north of the Danish island of Lolland – is Hotel Blæsenborg. A self-described ‘symbol of sustainability,’ this ultra-chic 11-room resort generates its own electricity and energy, and is accessible only by boat, helicopter or seaplane.
Its on-site restaurants, Skipperly and Gaia, offer seasonal menus featuring produce grown on the island, while guests can explore a variety of tranquil experiences, from a sculpture park to a nature reserve and coastal hikes.
In the middle of the Baltic Sea, on Estonia’s island of Muhu, lies a former Soviet outpost turned luxury estate. It may seem an unlikely spot for a Michelin-recommended hotel – Muhu has just 2,000 residents – but this restored 15th-century manor house, one of the island’s few buildings, features a Nordic spa and a locally sourced menu at Alexander, considered Estonia’s best restaurant.
In winter, it’s accessible only via ice roads; the rest of the year, guests arrive by ferry or private helicopter.
Venture to the far North of Finnish Lapland, deep within the Arctic Circle, and you’ll eventually find Javri Lodge. Once the private retreat of Urho Kekkonen, Finland’s longest-serving President, the Lodge is now a stunning boutique hotel with 13 suites and 360° views of untouched wilderness.
The fact that there’s no TVs, phones or even newspapers in any of the rooms adds to the sense of silence and stillness – ideal for those seeking total seclusion from the outside world. Guests instead spend their time at Javri husky sledding, Northern Lights-spotting and doing laps in the log cabin pool.
The clue’s in the name: Le Refuge de la Traye offers complete privacy from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Only reachable by quad bike, 4x4 or touring skis, this luxe eco-chalet is tucked away above the commune of Les Allues in the forests of Mèribel, a popular ski resort.
Taking guests totally off-grid is their mission, and with the fresh mountain air, outdoor infinity pool with breathtaking views and lineup of activities ranging from ziplining to snow-shoeing, you may never want to leave.
Perfectly placed for maximum escapism, Das Kranzbach sits pretty in the middle of a vast alpine meadow. In summer, it’s surrounded by wildflowers; in winter, a blanket of snow. An hour from Munich and accessible only via a private toll road through a steep Bavarian valley, Das Kranzbach’s dedication to quiet luxury and reflection extends throughout the property.
There’s a forest yoga platform and two yoga spaces, a meditation house and a ban on weddings, events and children under 12 in place to protect the peace.
Greek holidays often conjure images of azure seas and sandy beaches, but for real escapism, head to the Grand Forest Metsovo hotel high in the Pindus mountains – one of the country’s least-visited regions.
Getting there is part of the adventure: the hotel crowns a private mountain, reached via a winding 45-minute drive from the nearest airport. Those who make the journey are rewarded with luxurious comfort and the chance to spot incredible wildlife, from brown bears to wild cats and wolves.
A relatively recent addition to Hungary’s rural retreat scene, Glashütte Kisújbánya is a quietly stylish guesthouse tucked deep in the Baranya forest, near the village of Hosszúhétény in the country’s southwest.
Promising to transport guests to an ‘untouched, impenetrable wilderness’, the journey begins with a winding rural road. Once there, visitors can enjoy the lodge’s many simple pleasures, from forest walks and deer-spotting to unwinding in the sauna or stargazing by the firepit.
There are remote hotels – and then there’s Iceland’s Hotel Búðir. Perched on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, two hours north of Reykjavík and not far from Greenland, it offers guests a true edge-of-the-Earth experience.
Equal parts romantic and wild, the hotel comes with staggering views as standard. It sits beside a lava field, has a colony of seals nearby and offers prime location-spotting for Game of Thrones fans – the Snæfellsjökull glacier featured in the series.
Inis Meáin, the smallest of Ireland’s Aran Islands, is home to just 160 people – and the exquisite Inis Meain Island Stays. Consisting of two remote houses on the off-road Island Farm Estate, guests must first take a small plane, ferry or charter their own helicopter to reach its shores.
Rich in biodiversity and natural landscapes, intrepid travellers can explore this tiny island, soaking up its incredible natural beauty and tranquility – to enable this, the hotel even provides guests with ‘Explorer Kits’, to help them navigate the rugged surroundings.
When the only way to reach a hotel is on foot, you know you’ve found a true hidden gem. Tucked high in the Isarco Valley in Italy’s tranquil South Tyrol region, this charming inn is surrounded by storybook scenery – think mountains, meadows and babbling brooks.
To enjoy Briol’s many delights, guests must either hike in or catch a ride with the hotel’s off-road ‘Taxi Torggler’, before settling into the main lodge or its striking new addition, EINÄUGL – a minimalist wooden villa with undeniable James Bond flair.
Karlamuiza Country Hotel is a self-described 'nature-lover’s retreat', and it more than delivers on expectations. Located in the heart of Gauja National Park, guests are immersed in the wilderness, surrounded by picturesque hiking trails, sandstone rock formations and even medieval castles.
Housed in an 18th-century manor house, the 15-room hotel is particularly beautiful in autumn, when the leaves around the property turn gold, and the seasonal menus – featuring wild berries, rhubarb and locally foraged mushrooms – are especially delicious.
Sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria, most of Liechtenstein’s tourism is focused on the capital, Vaduz, while the north – and the Alpine village of Malbun – is rugged and less explored.
Located deep in a valley, JUFA Hotel Malbun is a family and ski-friendly lodge hotel that offers both dreamy views and value for money – a rarity in Liechtenstein, which can be prohibitively expensive.
Lithuania’s five national parks are a vital source of tourism – and offer staggering biodiversity and stunning landscapes for travellers to explore. Žemaitija National Park, in the country’s remote northwest, has a wealth of lakes, ponds and wetlands, which Sala Resort Plateliai makes excellent use of.
Located on the shores of Plateliai Lake, guests can ease into life in the wilderness with endless hikes, bike rides – or just whiling away the hours in the property’s lakefront hot tub, gazing at the panoramic view.
As the name suggests, Cocoon Hotel La Rive whisks weary travellers from their daily grind and transports them to an otherworldly retreat, a waterside hotel on the banks of the River Sûre.
Described as 'the calmest place you could imagine for your stay in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg', its location deep in the Ardennes forest, in a chocolate-box hamlet, make it the ultimate rural escape. The hotel also boasts breakfast-with-bubbles, trout fishing and a full-service spa.
With 74 rooms, Ta' Cenc Hotel & Spa is one of the larger hotels on this list. But while it may not be boutique, its location, on the Maltese island of Gozo, accessible only by ferry – makes it feel worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland.
And thanks to its position – perched on Gozo’s highest point and surrounded by craggy cliffs and beautiful flora and fauna – noise pollution is nonexistent, leaving guests to relax with only the sounds of the waves in the background.
Landlocked by Romania and Ukraine, Moldova has been slow to attract travellers, but those who do venture east are rewarded with a country steeped in history, culture and delicious wine.
Case in point: Chateau Purcari, a lush winery and hotel situated between the Dniester River and the Black Sea, which wouldn’t look out of place in deepest Tuscany. Guests can stroll through the rolling vineyards, explore the wine cellars and relax alfresco on the hotel’s many terraces.
Truly remote hotels are rare in the small, densely populated city-state of Monaco – but the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel comes close. Perched on the eastern edge near pristine Larvotto Beach, it sits high above the Mediterranean, surrounded by lush gardens that provide privacy and seclusion for its wealthy and high-profile guests. Sea views come as standard.
An increasingly popular European hotspot, tourists are flocking to Montenegro’s picture-perfect (and relatively affordable) coastal resorts. But for travellers wanting to get closer to nature – and further from the crowds – there’s the untouched beauty of Durmitor National Park, and the Eco Resort Cermeniza.
Sitting on the shores of Skadar Lake, an ecological marvel that’s home to one of the largest bird reserves in Europe, the hotel comprises a handful of stylish and sustainable lodges, where the only sounds are the gentle rustling of leaves and the rhythmic flow of the river.
Searching for a stylish bolthole that combines escapism with an exquisite culinary experience? Enter Hotel De Echoput, which is nestled in the heart of the Het Loo Royal Estate’s forest, in the Veluwe region of Gelderland.
Boasting 11,000 hectares of adjacent nature reserve, where animals including wild boar, roe deer and a huge variety of edible plants and flowers live, the hotel is also one of the finest producers of free-range game in the entire country.
An emerging destination only just making it on most travellers’ radars, North Macedonia has beautiful lakes, mountains and breathtaking scenery in abundance, with much of the country remaining unexplored by tourists.
Villa Dihovo, in the tiny hamlet of Dihovo, is incredibly rural, with all-around views of Mount Baba. Rooms are rustic but warm and homely, in the traditional Macedonian style, and it’s a truly special hidden gem.
Four words: floor-to-ceiling windows. If you like your escapism with a side of serious luxury, Juvet Landscape Hotel is your one-way-ticket – the property’s tagline is even 'leave the world behind'.
Only 10 rooms mean maximum privacy and seclusion, and while the architecture may feel space-age, the hotel’s vibe is warm and friendly, serving up communal dinners. Juvet is also a must-visit for film and TV fans: the HBO series Succession and Oscar-winning film Ex Machina were filmed here.
Travellers seeking seclusion in Poland are spoilt for choice when it comes to remote destinations, thanks to the country’s plentiful forests, lakes and open spaces.
Tucked away in the serene Bieszczady Mountains, Hotel Carpatia Bieszczadzki Gościniec is situated in the heart of one of Poland’s most unspoilt regions, and while rooms are rustic, the views are nothing short of spectacular. The hotel even boasts its own library, as well as extensive gardens.
A world away from the country’s touristy Algarve region, the Azores islands – an incredibly biodiverse archipelago of nine islands, halfway between the USA and continental Portugal – are a once-in-a-lifetime trip. And it simply doesn’t get more remote (or charming) than Aldeia da Cuada.
Situated on Flores Island, the westernmost point of Europe, it’s less a hotel than a stylish collection of traditional stone cottages in a previously abandoned village, lovingly restored by a husband-and-wife team. You can’t fly directly to Flores – instead, intrepid travellers can fly from another one of the Azores islands, or via a long, choppy ferry journey.
Famous as the home of Dracula and various vampire lore, Transylvania has long been a tourist trap. But stray off the beaten track and you’ll discover the beautiful Carpathian mountain region and the Bethlen Estates, three immaculately restored, 300-year old guesthouses hidden deep in a rural valley.
The region is often called 'Europe’s last great wilderness', and it’s easy to see why – a rocky 2.5 hour drive from the nearest airport, guests are immediately immersed in the region’s fairytale churches, preserved medieval villages and plethora of wildlife, from brown bears to wolves.
Getting to San Marino – a tiny, landlocked republic of just 33,000 people – is an adventure in itself. The country has no airport, so travellers must first head to the Italian city of Rimini before boarding a bus to San Marino. Due to its size, finding a truly secluded hotel is difficult; but Hotel Rosa gets you close.
While it’s located in the historic centre of San Marino, its position at the foot of the first Torre la Guaita means it offers panoramic views over the stunning peaks and valleys of Montefeltro, one of Italy’s prettiest regions.
Picture the scene: you’re sleeping on a mountaintop 8,641 feet (2,634m) above sea level, with only the moon, stars and mountain peaks for company.
The highest hotel room in Central Europe, Noc Na Lomnickom Štíte sits literally on top of Mt Lomnický štít, in the High Tetras mountain region, and is quite possibly the most Instagrammable hotel in Europe (and definitely bucket list material). The journey to the hotel is unsurprisingly unique: travellers must catch three separate cable cars to reach the summit.
When a hotel encourages guests to leave their mobile phones at reception, you know they’re all about escapism. Combining seriously chic Alpine vibes with a strong focus on wellness, Vila Planinka is designed to work in harmony with the incredible natural wonders surrounding it, including the Karawanks mountain range, the heart-shaped Planšar Lake and the Kamnik-Savinja Alps.
While it’s breathtakingly remote (and a car is essential to reach the hotel) there’s a plethora of outdoorsy activities on offer, from night hikes and bike rides to forest yoga.
Got your eye on a stay at the exquisite La Donaira, in Andalucia, Spain? Be prepared to drive: it’s a 90-minute journey from the nearest airport, and you must park your car in the charming village of El Gastor, before being collected by hotel staff and driven for the last stretch.
It’s worth the petrol: you’ll be greeted by a lush resort on the site of a biodynamic farm, where horses roam free and there’s sensational views of the Sierra de Grazalema Natural Park from every angle. The hotel’s freshwater pool is open 24/7, so you can soak up views of the valley at sunrise or sunset.
In the turbulent waters off the coast of Sweden lies the tiny, rocky island of Hamneskär, containing little more than a handful of buildings – and a bright red lighthouse, which doubles as an award-winning hotel, Pater Noster.
To get there, adventurous guests must reach the city of Gothenburg and take a bus to Marstrand, followed by a 15-minute boat ride to the harbour. Once there, they’ll be treated to a variety of luxurious experiences: from a dip in the hotel’s cliffside hot tubs to freshly caught lobster dinners and sea swimming.
A strong contender for the most remote hotel on this list, Switzerland’s Alp Grüm is cut off from civilisation for an incredible 12 hours a day. Only accessible by a several-hour hike or the Rhaetian Railway, which runs until 8pm, overnight this 10-room hotel is completely cut off from the rest of the country – which only adds to its charm.
Sitting on the knife edge of the Bernina Pass, Alp Grüm also doubles as a train station, platform and waiting room, where guests can sip schnapps and coffee while taking in the staggering views of lakes, glaciers and deep valleys from on top of the world.
‘Mainland Britain’s most remote hotel’ is a bold claim, but Garvault House lives up to it. Located eight miles (13km) from the tiny hamlet of Kinbrace in northern Scotland, its nearest neighbour is four miles (6km) away, and the closest shop is a 40-minute drive.
There’s no mains gas or electricity, but guests enjoy a freshly prepared set menu each day. With no light pollution, the night skies are spectacular – often lit by the Northern Lights. Popular with hikers, birdwatchers and those craving true isolation, the hotel’s address is simply ‘off the B871’ – the only road, and building, for miles around.
This World War II bunker has been transformed into an amazing hotel