A week-end at the Baumhaus Lodge Schrems

A few miles away from the Austrian-Czech border, at the end of a narrow dusty road swirling in the shade of the Waldviertel oaks and fir trees, an unusual construction shoots up to the treetops.

The Baumhaus Lodge Schrems, the first treehouse resort in Lower Austria, was built on the site of an old granite quarry. Composed of a cluster of three distinct cabins – the “Haus an der Mauer”, “Haus am Fundament” and the “Turmhaus” – this unique venue truly offers the comfort of a four-star hotel.

All three cabins which offer between 18 m² and 40 m² of living space, feature a living room, bedrooms, a modern bathroom with toilet, and a balcony (“Haus an der Mauer” and “Haus am Fundament” ) or a roof terrace (“Turmhaus”). The cabins are also equipped with all necessary modern amenities like electricity, water and drainage as well as with individual stoves for heating. As usual, you can find details about these buildings in their listing on treehousemap.

How our adventure all started

Last Christmas a relative presented us with an unexpected and lovely surprise: a voucher to spend the night at the Baumhaus Lodge. As treehouse and nature enthusiasts, we were absolutely excited with the idea of discovering the Waldviertel region from the treetops! After all, the region even carries Wald (forest) in its name. However, even though all Baumhaus Lodge treehouses are equipped with individual stoves for heating, we nonetheless decided to wait for the coming summer when temperatures would be more favorable to long hikes in the woods and fields.

Since all three treehouses have their own specific features, the tricky part was to choose the treehouse where we’d be staying over the weekend. After a few days spent making up our mind, we chose to try the “Haus an der Mauer” (House at the wall).

We reached out to the Baumhaus Lodge manager to let him know about our upcoming stay, and tell him how excited we were to discover his treehouse resort. Slowly, the conversation drifted to the story of our blog and our passion for treehouses. Thrilled by our enthusiasm, the Baumhaus Lodge manager kindly offered us to stay over an extra night so we could try the resort’s crown jewel: the “Turmhaus” (Tower House), a 4 beds cabin built 17 meters above ground with a private roof terrace offering 360° views of the treetops.

Our two days weekend was turning into a full adventure. And we just couldn’t wait to get there.

Preparing our stay at the Baumhaus Lodge

Our check-in process at the Baumhaus Lodge was pretty straightforward: a few days before our arrival, we received an email reminding us of our upcoming stay, with some basic useful information (direction to the hotel, a list of points of interests and local attractions in the region…). The code for the key box was sent to us by text message the day of our arrival.

The email also asked us to choose from a list of local food and drinks that would await us in the fridge of the treehouse upon our arrival. For our breakfasts we selected a variety of cheese & cured meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits and pastries.

Last but not least, a selection of fresh bread was delivered every morning at around 5.30 a.m. so we wouldn’t have to worry about going to the bakery every morning. Oh, and do not by any means forget to order enough Mohnzelten, a poppy seed cake in potato dough. They’re dangerously delicious and addictive!

For the evenings, we had a bottle of a local sparkling wine, and ordered three different locally brewed beers – like the Schremser Hanfbier, a must try, which is made out of hemp.

Breakfast out in the open: the true highlight of a stay at the Baumhaus Lodge

Treehouses are great per se: there’s truly nothing like falling asleep in a bed at 8 meters above the forest ground, while being lulled by the sound of the wind in the trees or of the rain drops on the tree leafs. However, having your breakfast on a roof terrace surrounded by the treetops and a boundless view on the horizon, is priceless. No wonder why this place is known as being the favorite spot of young married couples and fancy hikers.

And even if we had to resist the temptation to just chill out the whole day in a room equipped with the comforts of a four star hotel, it is really out in the open that one sees the potential of the Baumhaus Lodge. Located at the heart of the Waldviertel, a region famous for its wide patches of coniferous forests broken up by pristine river valleys combined with fields and fish ponds, the Baumhaus Lodge truly is an ideal setting for nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts.

Discovering the Waldviertel’s natural treasures

In fact, the treehouses are located at the edges of the  Schrems Upland Moor Nature Park (“Naturpark Hochmoor”), the largest area of upland moor in Austria. From the entrance to the nature park, the 4.5 km circular upland moor trail led us through far-reaching meadows and past former peat cuttings on the edge of the moors and forests. The Schrems Upland Moor Nature Park is a true heaven for otters, dragonflies, frogs and carnivorous plants such as the sundew or the common bladderwort.

Upon further hiking the moorland trail, we climbed the Himmelsleiter (“Heaven’s Ladder”), a gigantic 60 feet (20 meters) high observation platform that gave us a fascinating views of the surrounding moorlands. On our way back, we could not resist diving our feet into some fresh, dark and viscous peat; a truly amazing experience…

We finally ended up our trip visiting the UnterWasserReich, a modern complex which deals with the history of the moorland. This interactive indoor and outdoor museum is another interesting feature of the Naturpark Hochmoor, particularly for travelers with kids. You could almost spot it from the treehouses if it were not for the trees surrounding the Baumhaus Lodge.

During our three days stay, we also went on a hike in the Thaya Valley National Park, took a dip in the Kamp lakes, and marveled at the Wackelsteine, enormous rocking stones that were once venerated by the Celts as cult objects and sources of special power.

Conclusion

Whether you’re a couple looking for a slightly remote venue to spend a romantic week-end relaxing among the treetops or a small group with kids or friends on a hiking trip to discover the natural marvels of the Waldviertel, the Baumhaus Lodge Schrems is the perfect place to unwind.

Waking up at the sound of the chirping chickadees, while lazily stretching in bed with the warm cuddle of the morning sun falling from the skylight in the roof, is an incomparable feeling. All the more so as when you come from the city. Add a delicious breakfast on the terrace, and you have the recipe for a perfect weekend.

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