Weekend in the countryside

April… The winter outing, the sunny days coming back but the summer holidays that still seem far away. So how about a little weekend in the country to relax?

Imagine, a weekend away from stress, work and the noise of the city. A short stay in the green, with family or lovers to get together and recharge the batteries.

Rural tourism, as it is often called, takes many forms and covers many thematics and activities.That's why I wanted to offer you this focus in order to see more clearly. And who knows, this may give you ideas for organizing your next week-end in the countryside.

Stays at the farm

The ideal weekend for families, placed under the sign of discovery and authenticity!

During your weekend in the countryside your children will be able to pet the rabbits, feed the hens, take a donkey ride, participate in the milking of the cows or the picking of the fruits,... So many activities our hosts already offer you. In this way the children discover the farm animals and local products. It is also a good way to make them aware of the work of farmers in order to get to know them better and to understand the manufacturing of the products we consume.

Some farms even offer you more unusual experiences: snails exploitation, llama farm, help with the work of draught horses, ... It’s time to think outside the box!

Discover Alosnys: its garden and educational farm

For parents, it is an opportunity to share moments with their children and to make the a lot of memories, of course.

But most of the time leaving for the weekend in the countryside also allows them to eat well. On the program: tasting local and seasonal products and discovering specialties. Preference for Slow Food (as opposed to Fast Food): We take the time to taste, test new kinds of kitchens or new products.

If you choose to spend your stay in a guest room you can certainly discover local recipes.The Kookooning members are here to offer you activities to introduce you to the pleasures of the region: picking, cooking lessons, identification of wild plants...

Mushroom picking and cooking workshop with Francine

Since few years, agritourism (or agrotourism) is increased. The tourist authorities have understood this and have managed to organize it as well as possible this new industry. Easier to manage for farmers for whom tourism is not the first vocation but also benchmarks for you in order to best organize your weekend. One can quote in particular Bienvenue à la Ferme, Accueil Paysan, Vignobles & Découvertes.

Here are some of our members who can welcome you for a visit, an experience or even a stay on the farm:

To Log Out

Taking time for yourself, resting is all you’d expect from a weekend in the country. So put aside your SmartPhones, e-mails and tablets, forget the TV and initiate the "airplane mode" for a few days. Don’t feel obliged to tune out the world and make a real "Digital Detox", but reducing the time you devote to your screens is already a good first step.

Pedro and me had already covered this subject in a previous article in which we explained in detail the principle of disconnected holidays.

Our article on off-line holidays

Some basic tips to organize your week-end in the countryside around this thematic:

* Pay attention to the choice of destination and avoid as much as you can the tourist areas with a high frequency;
* Turn off your connected objects as often as possible;
* Do a lot of activities to keep your day busy and really rejuvenate.

Some of our members are specialized in this type of stay: Yoga, Meditation, Qi Gong, Afghan Walk, Sophrology and many other activities on Kookooning.

Practice sports in nature

Take a big breath of air, another thing you can do for a weekend in the country!

Playing sports allows you to clear your head and do good for your body, but during the holidays it’s still more than that. It is also a way to discover a region in another way, by being closer to nature. You don’t have to go very far, you can be surprised by a destination you already know but under a new look.

Discover the beaches of Morvan canoeing

It is also a good opportunity for you to try new practices such as canoeing, cropping or fly fishing. Whether the activity is very intense or quieter, the main thing is to have fun and share friendly moments with your loved ones.

So on foot, by bike, by horse or by canoe-kayak, you will find the activity that will match you among the offers of our members.

Les éco-habitats

Lorsqu’on évoque un weekend à la campagne la première idée qui nous vient à l’esprit c’est bien évidemment la nature, le retour à la simplicité.

Et de ce point de vue l’offre d'hébergements plus respectueux de l’environnement ne cesse de croître ces dernières années.

Il y a évidemment les logements insolites : cabanes perchées dans les arbres, roulottes, yourtes, bulles... De quoi être complètement dépaysés ! En choisissant ce type de logement vous avez la promesse de passer un weekend original, on pourrait même dire unique. Kookooning ressence de nombreux exemples de ce type de structure, c'est pour cette raison que nous leur avions d'ailleurs consacré un article sur le blog il y a quelques temps.

Notre coup de coeur pour les hébergements insolites

Mais n'oublions pas les écolodges, les éco-gîtes et autres types d’éco-habitats. Panneaux solaires, récupération des eaux de pluie, compost,... les initiatives écoresponsables sont variées et ne manquent pas. Ils sont également très bien intégrés à leur environnement sont même parfois écoconçus. L'écoconception ? Cela signifie qu'ils sont bâtis (ou rénovés) de façon à réduire au maximum son impact environnemental avec des produits et matériaux plus respectueux de l'environnement.

Aujourd'hui il existe des marques et labels qui vous garantissent l’engagement de votre hôte d’un point de vue durable et écologique comme l’Ecolabel Européen, la Clef Verte, Green Globe ou encore les Gîtes Panda.

Assez parlé, voici pour vous une sélection d'hébergements insolites et/ou responsables :