Just 30 minutes from the North Sea, Geestland is a wonderful region for a relaxing rural retreat in Lower Saxony. A good selection of accommodation options are dotted around the countryside, promising plenty of privacy for couples, friends and families. Our pick of the best places to stay in Geestland is one such hotel, with charming cottages in expansive landscaped gardens, plus an excellent restaurant and spa. What more could you ask for?

Geestland is easily accessible from Bremen or Hamburg, but it feels appealingly tranquil. Follow well-trodden paths through flower-filled meadows and verdant forests on foot or by bicycle, and spot circling birds overhead. Stunning Lake Bederska is lovely for swimming, sailing and kayaking, as are the rivers which wind their way through this part of northern Germany. Keen golfers can also play a round at the Gut Hainmühlen Bederksa Golf Club.

Day trips to the East Frisian islands come highly recommended during the late spring and summer months. Most visitors, however, will simply kick back in the gardens, spas and restaurants of the best places to stay in Geestland. Little wonder that travellers return again and again!