Althoff Hotel Fürstenhof Celle

The Lower Saxon town of Celle, in the countryside outside of Hanover, is known for its picturesque timber-framed old town, and for its Renaissance and Baroque-style castle. And just outside that town center, a short walk from the castle’s park, is another picturesque edifice: the 1680 Baroque palace that is now home to the Althoff Hotel Fürstenhof Celle.

Its rooms are divided between the original house and a more modern addition, and the style differs correspondingly, though not as dramatically as one might imagine — the contemporary rooms have an air of historical sobriety about them, and the palace’s rooms and suites have been kept quite up to date, both in their style and in their equipment. All of them feel like light and tranquil country-house lodgings rather than heavily historical castle rooms.

The hotel’s spa includes an indoor pool, a sauna, and a gym, and the bar and restaurant are particularly inviting. The former, the Foyer Bar, feels like a casual, cozy living room, and opens onto the terrace, while the latter, the Taverna & Trattoria Palio, is a remarkably authentic Italian experience — by no means a common thing in this part of northern Germany.