Editorial Selections of hotels, Field Guides, Itineraries & Events | Wonderful Stays

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Seasonal field guides, hotel stories, itineraries and travel inspiration for exceptional stays across Germany, Austria and Italy.

Discover five design-led forest retreats in Germany, Austria and Italy, where thoughtful architecture, woodland spas and forest bathing offer a different kind of luxury.

Forest Therapy Stays That Take Luxury Into the Woods

Discover five design-led forest retreats in Germany, Austria and Italy, where thoughtful architecture, woodland spas and forest bathing offer a different kind of luxury.

Wonderful Stays

November 1, 2026

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5 min

Architecture & Design

Looking for a unique Halloween getaway? Discover five extraordinary castle and monastery hotels in Italy and Austria, where centuries-old architecture hides beautifully modern interiors.

A Little Spooky, Surprisingly Beautiful: 5 Castle & Monastery Hotels for Halloween in Italy & Austria

5 mountain chalets and Alpine hideaways made for a cinematic Christmas — from festively lit chalet villages in the Allgäu to high-altitude retreats in Oberlech and Ehrwald. Expect deep snow, timber interiors, private spas, fireplaces and the kind of winter setting that makes staying in feel like the best part of the trip.

5 Mountain Chalets for a Cinematic Christmas in the Alps

Four design-led stays in Tuscany and Umbria where truffle hunting with trained dogs becomes part of the autumn experience. From private estates and restored villas to art-filled retreats and contemporary countryside lodges.

4 Design Hotels for Truffle Hunting in Tuscany & Umbria

Six wild stays in Germany, Austria and South Tyrol where autumn nights come with a different soundtrack. Red deer rutting through the surrounding forests and valleys.

Wild stays where deer call after dark

Discover apple harvest season in South Tyrol with our guide to Merano and the Vinschgau, including orchard tours, apple festivals, local varieties, regional food, a 48-hour itinerary and the best design stays.

FIELD GUIDE: Apple Harvest | South Tyrol

October brings plenty of reasons to travel beyond the stay itself. From guest-chef dinners and yoga retreats to cycling events and longevity days, these are the hotel happenings worth knowing about across Germany, Austria and Italy this month.

What’s On in October 2026

Six beautiful vineyard hotels in South Tyrol, South Styria and Piedmont where autumn means waking up among the vines, just as the grape harvest begins.

Best Hotels Where Grape Harvest Happens Outside Your Window

Exceptional Alpine stays in Austria, Italy and Germany that come into their own after the summer holidays. Quieter trails, cooler days, changing landscapes and some of the best weeks of the year for the mountains.

7 Alpine Stays That Get Better When the School Holidays End

Six beautiful lakeside stays across Italy, Germany and Austria for that perfect in-between season. Warm enough for a swim at noon, cool enough for a sweater by dinner.

6 Stays Where You Can Still Swim at Noon & Wear a Sweater by Dinner

A practical guide to the 2026 grape harvest in the Mosel, Wachau and South Tyrol with wine events, local varieties, food, vineyard experiences, 48-hour itineraries and design stays worth booking.

FIELD GUIDE: Grape Harvest | Mosel, Wachau & South Tyrol

Why beautiful places to stay are only the beginning, and how Wonderful Stays is rethinking travel through architecture, people, seasons and the reasons that make a place worth the journey.

Where to stay is only half the story.

Fünf Design Hotels in den Alpen, in denen MTB Lover Architektur, Bike Werkstatt und Trails direkt vor der Tür finden.

Design Hotels für Mountainbiker: 5 Adressen, an denen Architektur auf Adrenalin trifft