Now I can attest to the fact that this country is more amazing than anyone would think. It is a land of stunningly beautiful green nature, a land of legends and fairy tale castles, of welcoming people.
I found all this out on a week spent at the Sapiniere holiday park in Hosingen. Me, my husband and our 10 year old daughter decided to take a trip this year, besides our usual escape at the beach on the Belgian Coast. We wanted to go by car from Belgium, we figured that by doing so we can stop on the way wherever we want, and we also have the comfort of leaving towards home whenever we want.
Looking for the perfect vacation spot...
I spend weeks looking for a suitable holiday destination this way, I wasn't quite sure what to choose. What I did have to keep in mind though was the fact that our daughter is less of a "lady-character" than the average. She loves the outdoors, she loves sports and nature. My husband and I, we love the sea and the relaxing on the beach part more than others, in fact. So, as compromise is many times the key to a happy family, we figured this year is going to be the one to prove that.
All in all, in looking for a location that was reachable by car, I stumbled upon the Sapiniere holiday park in Luxembourg online, and it seemed like a fun place: big, clean and with plenty of nature and things to do. We come from Charleroi, which is not far at all, less than two hours drive away. We've heard about this holiday park before, but have never gotten the chance to actually go there so we kind of set it aside in the "maybe one day" drawer.
I booked an apartment for three in spring, a Type C apartment as I found it online. I can't say it was a gamble, as we had friends that had been there before and they highly recommended the place. The booking was for August but I wanted to make sure we get a good deal for the money too, so I made the reservations in plenty of time..
And off we go...
We left on a Friday and even stopped in Namur on the way, a beautiful city I would totally suggest you visit if you get the chance. We left in the morning, and by afternoon we were in Hosingen.
We entered the park... it had parking, which was great. We headed straight to the reception when we arrived. The nice lady there showed us to our apartment, it was perfect for three. A nice living room, a little terrace outside, a comfortable bedroom, a well equipped kitchen, everything clean, nice and in its place.
We unpacked and took a walk in the park, we were more than pleased with its facilities: a tennis court, table tennis, mini-golf, playground and so on. One of its most attractive features for us though was clearly the heated pool. Our daughter was thrilled by it and immediately "demanded" the right to take a swim. That wasn't at all a bad idea as she immediately made friends with a little girl from the Netherlands that was also there with her family and with her little brother. That was a great relief for us too, we really wanted her to have someone her age to hang out with, so everything fell right into place.
The park has a bar/restaurant, which became our "afternoon buddy" for the stay. In being curious as to what we can do in the area the next day, we headed down to the reception area again to ask for a few extra info. This was the "glorious moment" we found out that about 100 meters away from the park there is an ultra-modern and extensive sports and leisure pool which also has spa treatments. Needless to say, we instantly knew what our plans for the next day were. If you stay at the Sapiniere holiday park apparently you have 2 hours access for free at this complex... not bad at all. I must say we were more than impressed with the modern facilities here: a huge indoor pool with a movable floor, saunas and fitness equipment, etc.
We went here for three days in a row, that's how much we loved it. Another day we spent hiking, the park is right at the edge of a vast nature reserve with many hiking routes... amazing. The landscapes are truly breathtaking, incredibly relaxing. Absolutely worth it!
One day of our incredible week spent at the Sapiniere holiday park was saved for visiting Vianden. I take pride in the fact that it was my idea, and it was a truly fantastic one. The castle of Vianden set on the rocks here is breathtaking. We found out there is also a great cycling route to Vianden up the Sauer and Our Valleys... but that's ok, next time. The town in itself is very beautiful, with historic streets and churches, well worth the visit.
A week at the Sapiniere went by in a heartbeat. We're definitely coming back, and next time we'll come back in winter. They said they have cross-country skiing right behind the park. That can only be great, especially considering the surrounding landscape.
And off you should go...
To summarize this all, this holiday park in Luxembourg is fantastic for relaxing among nature and having fun at the same time. The accommodations in it are all renovated, it has tons of facilities for adults and for children as well. You can choose to bathe in the pools or go hiking, visit nearby towns or simply relax among breathtaking landscapes, go horseback riding or canoeing, sailing, surfing and so on. We truly recommend it, and for even more than a week. It's a surprising holiday destination, no wonder.
