As soon as there was an end of the first lockdown in sight I booked myself a spot in the Black Cabin, a holiday cabin located east of Berlin near the Polish border. I had been following their Instagram for a while and had always been intrigued about the concept of it.
The first available spot I could book was in September 2020, which underlines the first and most important fact about this place: It is usually fully booked all year (which obviously adds to all the hype). I was only able to book two nights, but at that stage I would have literally taken anything, just to give me some sort of travel plan to look forward to. This felt as good of a treat as it could get in 2020.
September came and by then the world felt slightly more normal again, so I managed to arrange a stay in Berlin around the same time with friends who I had not been able to see all year. I also managed to get my best friend to come and stay with me and was really glad to have her with me when trying to find the place.
From the outside the property looks like a garden allotment just off the main road of the tiniest village (the main road basically is the village). It can easily be overlooked especially as there is currently a building site in front of it.
We arrived on a rainy Sunday afternoon and I have to say it did not show off the place in its full glory. The cabin felt a lot smaller than I had imagined and we dragged the cold and the rain literally in with us, as we had nowhere to leave our wet and muddy shoes. So we settled for the Take Away food we had brought from Berlin (cooking in an outdoor kitchen on a rainy September evening was not an intriguing vision to have in mind), made use of the sauna and watched "Tatort".
Waking up the next morning I instantly understood the hype about this place. The sunrise had dunk the whole room into a yellow & orange light and through the large windows you were looking onto what felt like a huge meadow. It was almost like looking at some kind of mural and I could have easily spent all morning sitting there gazing out into nature whilst having my coffee.
As soon as I opened the door I was greeted by the sounds of the bee colonies (that are part of the experience) and the migrating birds at that time of the year. The colours were really quite magical especially in this light - blue sky, lush green grass and bright yellow and orange flowers in the distance.
The set up of the property consists of the main sleeping cabin, an outdoor kitchen, a sauna with an outdoor shower and a toilet. There is also a vegetable garden, which visitors can make use of.
The outdoor kitchen area, including an induction field and an outdoor oven makes this place quite unique - and also very photogenic when the sun is out. However, as this is the only real area to prepare hot food you will find yourself praying for good weather during your stay. But I can imagine that if the weather does play along, this is a really dreamy place for summer lunches and small gatherings.
The main sleeping cabin does have electric heating, which we didn’t have to use during our stay as it felt quite warm and well insulated. However I learned the other day that the water pipes of the shower and the toilet are not protected from frost, so the place is definitely more suited for the warmer months of the year.
The owners are also currently in the process of building another bigger cabin on the same stretch of land (said building site) and it is not decided if it will also be rented to guests. I think that this will definitely ad a different dynamic to it all and won’t feel as remote anymore, so I am glad I experienced the place as it was originally set up.
The surrounding nature is also really beautiful as it is part of a riverbed, which has a a little beach spot during the summer. The area is really good for cycling and walks through long stretches of fields and meadows. You won't come across many other people during those, which may be just what you need.
Because of the flat landscape the surrounding area also feels quite vast and on the second evening I was able to witness a an amazing sunset (literally as far as I could look).
The place also definitely delivered in terms of photo opportunities and I picked out some of the ones on here that sum it up the best in my opinion.
If I had the opportunity to stay at Black Cabin again I would definitely do so. If you need a quiet place to think and work from, this offers a really nice little escape and change of scenery, especially if you live in or around Berlin.
Check out the Instagram account for more information and any last minute cancelations.
Fingers crossed for your booking!
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