MAGIC MOUNTAINS

Searching for an antidote to the stress of modern urban living? You'll find it by heading for the hills-and, more specifically, at any one of these five rare and rather special hotels.

The 20th-century German novelist Thomas Mann set the events of his masterwork, The Magic Mountain, in a sanatorium high in the Swiss Alps. It was there his protagonists had journeyed to recover from ailments both physical and mental, their progress aided by quiet contemplation, the bracing air and views beyond the merely glorious. Even if you’re hale and hearty in body and mind, we reckon there’s nothing more restorative and soul-awakening than a sojourn among the mountains—and there are few places in which to do that better than in any one of these five wonderful hotels.

STORFJORD HOTEL 
NORWAY

Set on a majestic Norwegian fjord close to the fairytale port of Ålesund, the 30-room Storfjord Hotel is a haven hewn almost entirely from wood, whose thick grass-covered roofs make it appear as if it had simply sprung out of the landscape rather than been built by human hand. Design and decor mix the traditional with the ultra-contemporary in a way only Scandinavians can and, though spacious, everything’s so unbelievably cosy (and the wood scent so enticing) you hardly want to move—until, that is, you look or, better still, venture outside (every room has a balcony) and encounter views that must be experienced to be believed. Visit in midsummer, when night barely falls, and at 10.30pm you may find yourself gazing down—in broad daylight—at a cruise liner as it slowly sails up the fjord, a sight that takes some beating. It’s a great base for touring, but as it’s so darn comfortable, the food so good and the staff so friendly, we wouldn’t blame you for staying put.