Scandinavian inspired wood cabins sitting on a hillside in Alsace

48° Nord / Breitenbach / Alsace / France

I am so intrigued by border regions that mix the best (or in some cases worst, but let’s stay focused on the positive example for now) of two countries or more. South Tyrol in Italy is such a place. Tornedalen on the border of Sweden and Finland is another one. And this hotel, 48° Nord is located in yet another of these mixed regions, Alsace. Alsace belongs to France but has a strong German heritage. And the fun thing with 48° Nord is that yet another country has been brought into the mix. The founder, Emil Leroy-Jönsson, is from Denmark and wanted to create a place that combines Danish cabin life with Alsatian culture. And this is the result.

48° Nord is basically 14 cabins or ”hyttes” sitting on a hillside, overlooking the Rhine valley. There are 4 different kind of cabins, all built with the same sleek, geometric design, all in wood. The Norwegian architecture, Reiulf Ramstad wanted to do a reinterpretation of the Scandinavian cabin and place it in a totally different environment.

The surroundings here are wild and lush. It feels like the cabins have been gently placed in nature, trying to disrupt the environment as little as possible. And it is strange how the strict cabins with their untreated wood both blend in and clash with the surroundings. Hard to explain (and also to understand) how it can be both.

On the inside it is all wood, wood and more wood. This is compact living at its best with so many clever solutions taking care of every single square meter. Our hytte had two floors, a bedroom and a bathroom on the first floor and a lounge on the second with a giant window. I mean a really huge window letting the outside in. To sit here in the evening as the sun set over the Alsatian mountains was such a treat for the soul.

Welcome to 48° Nord! The logo is made up of the silhouettes of the different cabins on site. Very clever!

The main building of 48° Nord where you’ll find the reception, the restaurant and the small spa.

Our cabin, sitting in the middle of a field with uninterrupted views of the surroundings.

This is the view from the second floor of our cabin. Stunning!

Our bedroom on the first floor. Super cosy and with the same view as upstairs but partially hidden behind the wooden blinds.

M is enjoying some R&R in the sauna. I am pretty sure we were the only ones using it during our stay considering it was around 32° C outside…

I love this photo of our hytte where you can see the blue sky through the window.

Our neighbors,. All cabins where facing the valley so there was a real sense of privacy when you where inside.

Our neighbors further up on the hill. The mansion version of a cabin with their own sauna.

M is laying by the window doing some reading as the sun was setting over 48° Nord.

I always wake up early in the morning. The best part with that is that you can take photos such as this one. You can almost visually see how quiet and calm it was when I took this photo.

Love the view from where our cabin was standing. Especially in the hazy morning light.

Breakfast is served! Most of what they serve at the restaurant is from their own garden or from one of the neighboring farms.

I loved driving through the area, stopping at different vineyards for a short walk and to take in the scenery.

You almost have to visit Colmar when in this area. It is a stunning little town combining the best of France and Germany. Basically, it is Alsatian to the core.

RG inside info

This place is perfect if you…

…love Scandinavian design and are a nature buff. Here you get both in buckets. If you like your privacy when staying at a hotel and you are looking for some (or a lot of) tranquility, this is totally your place. And if you are a wino, the Alsatian wines are not too shabby either :-)

My favorite thing about this place…

…is how nature is allowed to play the main role. The cabins are created with very little interference with nature. The meadows surrounding the cabins are all left to grow wild which is such a great contrast to the linear, strict looking buildings.

What not to miss when staying here is…

…to explore the area. There are some really cute villages and towns nearby. The main draw for most is Colmar which is in a way Alsace distilled. But all along the wine route you’ll find cute villages and plenty of vineyards worth a stop and a sample. But remember to never drink and drive. That is a given.

If you like this hotel you might also like…

Creperiet, Järvsö, Sweden

Graace, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Autocamp Russian River, Guerneville, CA, USA