Cabin fever: 2 nights at Nutchel Les Ardennes
Whether for the aesthetics, the lifestyle or just as a way to slow down and recharge from the daily hustle and bustle, the internet has grown to LOVE cabins. I (along with millions of others) have been watching tiny house channels over the last couple of years, mainly for inspiration on small space living and sustainable living solutions. I love life in the city way too much to adopt the cabin lifestyle, but as a no-frills, back to basics getaway? It sounded mighty appealing.
In light of that-thing-that-shall-not-be-named, it seemed sensible not to cross any borders for our trip. As it turns out, Belgium has a nice selection of tiny houses/cabins for rent in various regions all over the country. Some excel in their architecture, some in their ecologic technologies, and some in their location. Many different approaches at many different price points, however, they all have one thing in common: a literal small footprint. I was keen to try it out, so for my 28th birthday, I booked a two night stay at Nutchel in the Belgian Ardennes.
The concept
According to their website, Nutchel offer a “next level glamping” experience. Their cozy cabins are basic and allow you to wind down and get back in touch with nature, the people and things that really matter. They are hooked up to the grid, yet they encourage you to limit your use of utilities: every cabin has a flushing toilet and a warm shower, few power outlets and a wood stove. You use oil lamps, candles and some LED string lights to light your cabin and terrace at night.
To me it sounded like a great beginner proof cabin experience: some creature comforts, only a couple of small sacrifices and no need to continually monitor your water or power levels as would be the case with an off grid build.
our stay
The cabin
The Classic Cabin we booked can sleep up to four people, so for the two of us, it was nice and spacious. It was warm and humid during our stay, so the terrace naturally became an extension to the already roomy living area. This really does bring you close to nature, with birdsong all around and squirrels scrambling in the trees in front of us.
The mezzanine on which our bed was located had plenty of storage space and about a 1 meter wide landing separating the bed from the edge, making this space very comfortable to crawl in and out of. We used the second bedroom area as a space to store our bags. The only space that felt a bit small at first was the bathroom, however, this room is long and narrow, so still perfectly usable by two people at the same time.
A lot of thought has been put into interior design. At first glance, the cabin appears to be stripped down to the basics, but a lot of attention went into form, as well as function. Despite the use of lots of darkly stained wood, the space still feels quite bright, thanks to the large windows. The hodgepodge of items oozes a quaint atmosphere of a simpler life, while still providing you with everything you need. The aesthetic is very granola, very instagrammable and above all, very appealing to someone wanting to get away from fast city life for a couple of days (i.e. me).
The Nutchel way of life
Although the cabin had greenery all around, neighbours were never far away (yet perfectly quiet and non-obtrusive). This is still a camping site, so just keep in mind that you might want to put on some clothes when having breakfast on the terrace.
Little “inconveniences” like having to boil water in order to do the dishes or unplugging the lights to use our phone chargers didn’t feel like a hassle at all. As a matter of fact, these small actions suddenly felt pleasantly deliberate instead of something that’s part of the daily rush. Additionally, it did make us more aware of how much water and electricity we were using, despite having an unlimited supply.
We did order two food baskets. The breakfast basket was nicely filled with entirely local products: apples, nut butter, bread, milk, yoghurt, jam, coffee, tea, cheese, boiled eggs, croissants, ham and apple juice. Plenty to actually last two days, provided you’re not big on breakfast (we’re not). This pescatarian and omnivore boyfriend were more than happy with this selection, however, vegans would have to look elsewhere as there was no plant-based alternative.
That was also the case with the barbecue basket we ordered. I went for the vegetarian option, my boyfriend did not. The little potato, pasta and carrot salads included were lovely, however, the meat and vegetarian stuff itself was a bit minimal. Perfectly tasty, but if you’re a big eater, we’d advise going to the supermarket or butcher instead.
How sustainable is a nutchel cabin?
Nutchel promotes slowing down and being more mindful and conscious during your stay. The food baskets are all locally sourced and contain information on each item’s origin, which I really appreciated.
When it comes to utilities, they are not self-sufficient or particularly innovative. Limited use of electrical appliances is encouraged but not absolutely necessary, since our cabin had 4 usable power sockets. The shower runs on drinking water, and has a rain shower head: glorious after a long sweaty hike, but by no means water saving. Also: single glazing. In a cabin that for the most part relies on a wood stove for heating, this struck me as odd.
This did not take away from our enjoyment of staying there though. I just mean to say, don’t let the back-to-basics aesthetic tempt you into expecting some state-of-the-art walhalla of eco-technology. Nutchel never claim to be anything of the sort, they mostly focus on the “slow living” aspect instead, and do a great job at that. Cute cabin, beautiful surroundings, 10/10 would stay again.
Nutchel Forest Camp Les Ardennes