“A Pickle Barrel for Two” is the latest in adventures awaiting outdoor enthusiasts. How would you like to spend a vacation in a cozy pickle barrel? The only place I have ever seen these pickle barrel pint-sized hotel rooms is in Luebbenau, a town about 60 miles southeast of Berlin, Germany. Lodging runs in the neighborhood of 35 Euros per night plus a small fee for cleaning and the obligatory city tax.
Luebbenau – pickle barrel hotel hub
Where in the heck is Luebbenau you ask? Luebbenau has less than 18,000 residents and is located in the heart of the Spreewald (literally “the woods of the River Spree”) in the German State of Brandenburg. The settlement was first mentioned in 1315, but excavations indicate that it may already have existed in the 8thor 9thcentury. Its landscape was shaped during the ice age. The first settlers were Slavic tribes. Also known as “Little Venice” because of its dense network of small waterways, the Spreewald was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1991.
Pickle barrel mini hotels
The Spreewald is known for its production of natural organic produce. Cucumbers have been grown here since the 17thand 18thcenturies, and the pickles from the region are renowned throughout Germany. Aside from agriculture and fishing, tourism is one of the main sources of income in Luebbenau. That prompted an enterprising soul to come up with the idea of pickle barrel hotel rooms. They are a cross between camping and a night in a hotel, but oodles more unique and romantic. During the day, you might want to boat, hike, fish or explore to your heart’s content, and at night …
pickle barrel pint-sized hotel rooms in Luebbenau, Spreewald, in Germany. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2015. www.walled-in-berlin.com
With a length of just under 11 feet and a diameter of 7 feet, pickle barrel mini hotel rooms are obviously larger than the vats used for pickling cucumbers. In fact, these pickle barrel pint-sized hotels are large enough to sleep two adults. They are furnished with a double bed and room for some storage beneath the bed. Some barrels are divided into a small vestibule and a sleeping or sitting area. But that’s all! There isn’t room for a toilet or a shower, but that doesn’t mean you have to do without. Those amenities are usually provided just steps outside your barrel. Neither do you have to make due with nutrition bars for breakfast or dinner. Hearty meals await you in nearby restaurants. Ready to try a pickle barrel hotel on your next vacation? Let me know how you liked it.
For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.
Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.
