Weekend getaway in a restored mid-century trailer in Liège (+ things to do)
‘Sup MTV, welcome to my crib.
You might have read how my first venture into cabin-style getaways made me hungry for more. The small space and atmospheric interior were the ideal setting to slow down and relax, but what really surprised me were the surroundings. I never expected to find such beautiful hikes and see such stunning sights so close to home, so as soon as the darker days of autumn started to take their toll on my energy levels, I was on the lookout for a similar little pick-me-up. Requirements: a small accommodation about a two hour drive away, that would allow us to live completely at our own pace (no hotel or B&B), preferably in a green setting and with some activities in the vicinity.
Via Airbnb, we landed on a completely restored, fully equipped Buggenhout trailer parked in a beautiful spot somewhere in Blégny: La Roulotte.
The trailer
After only a 90 minute drive, we met our host who was keen to show us to our trailer. The first thing I should compliment is most definitely its location: the garden is beautiful on its own, a bit unruly with sheep, goats and geese frolicking about. The trailer is located at the end, near a little brook. The surroundings: sloping meadows and woodlands all around. I can’t post more photos because photographing the hosts’ home would have been inappropriate, but you get the picture.
The Roulotte comes with its own fenced off outside space comprised of two decks (one raised and one ground-level) including a hammock and a fire bowl for chilly nights.
The interior is what initially drew me to this accommodation, and sweet Jesus did it deliver. While many tiny homes have this cabin-in-the-woods type look that I love to be immersed in for a couple of nights because it’s so different from my own personal style, I’d gladly copy and paste the Roulotte’s decor into my own home. It’s laid-back modern day mid century heaven. Lots of vintage with bespoke contemporary touches where needed, breezy yet inviting and above all: comfortable.
The trailer comes with most luxuries you’d also have at home: air conditioning, a fully equipped kitchen, a full-size shower and flushing toilet, and even a TV in the bedroom.
California cool amidst Walloon meadows.
Can you spot the rucksack I expertly tried to keep out of the shot?
Black plumbing, gold details and a vintage cupboard-turned-bathroom-cabinet… So many ideas to steal.
Couldn’t resist trying the mattress before snapping a photo. The bespoke cabinetry was a great choice for such a modest space.
Activities
So there we were, all settled in our trailer, somewhere in a little village near the city of Liège. How did we spend our time?
Day 1
We didn’t really have any plans for our first day since we arrived in the afternoon and were quite busy digesting the absolutely massive amount of food we had had along the way (we may or may not have stopped at a certain burger restaurant with heinous ethics but quite an okay McVeggie I’M SORRY). The rest of the day was spent tasting the local beers our host so kindly put in the fridge as a welcome gift, planning the days to come and watching TV in bed.
Gimme ALL the pea green velvet sofas plz.
Inner seven year old = satisfied.
Day 2
For our second day, we took a 30 minute drive crossing the Dutch border to spend the day exploring Maastricht. I basically planned this day around food: the only stops I really decided on beforehand were the places we were going to have breakfast, lunch and dinner, with lots of possible things to go see and shops to visit between each stage.
If you’d like a vague idea of what our day looked like, here it is. We left our car in the parking garage underneath the Vrijthof square and walked to De Brandweerkantine (a defunct fire station) for breakfast. I had yoghurt with strawberries and white chocolate rice krispie treats, which was every bit as good as it sounds.
De Brandweerkantine with its lovely hodgepodge interior of vintage, industrial stuff and plants.
Afterwards we went back for a stroll around the Vrijthof square before setting off to our next destination: the Dominicanen bookshop. Which, in case you didn’t catch that, is a bookstore inside an old Dominican church. I mean, you already had me at “bookstore” but this one definitely stands out. It has a huge collection of books within virtually all genres, both in Dutch and English (and, probably, other languages). I managed to limit myself to two purchases so yes, feel free to gush over my restraint in the comments. I’ll wait.
Not your average bookstore.
As close as I’ll get to a religious experience.
After having explored every nook and cranny of the bookstore, we went to have a look at the churches still in function and browsed some more (notably Festen and some vintage shops).
Afterwards we took a detour for lunch at Lumière: a cinema located in an old ceramics factory, with an excellent restaurant/café. We were doubting whether to maybe skip this stop since we were still a bit full after breakfast, but as soon as I spotted cheese croquettes on the menu I promptly forgot ever having had a meal in my life. As you might know there are very few things that can piss me off quite like a bad cheese croquette. Turns out, Lumière happens to serve the best I’ve had, probably ever. The sheer memory of those, paired with a glass of Duvel… Give me a minute.
How’s this for a setting?
No words needed.
Ceramics meets movies.
After lunch we strolled rolled back towards the center, making a stop at Wonderwoud to look at some houseplants (yet managing to leave empty handed. Once more, clock the restraint!). Then we sauntered some more before getting our car, crossing the river Meuse and parking it on the other side.
Saint-Servatius basilica. Sadly, no bookstore in this one.
Plants, String and PF Candle Co. Looks oddly like our apartment…
Vintage Island. No luck here, but fun to have a look.
After parking we headed towards the Wyck neighbourhood. This area is packed with shops which we mostly just walked by, with the exception of De Verwondering, a concept store with a curated collection of brands selling furniture, interior accessories and gifts.
Furthermore we mostly just soaked up the atmosphere and enjoyed the decorated streets. Because we still had some time to kill before our dinner reservation, we walked along the river for a bit to have a look at the Bonnefanten museum from the outside and enjoy the sunset.
Then it was time for some more food at Eetcafe Céramique, a spot I picked because they use local, organic ingredients and mainly serve vegetarian and vegan dishes, with some options for those who prefer fish or meat as well.
I had the mushroom risotto and chocolate mousse. The atmosphere was friendly and serene and the food was great. A recommended hotspot for those big on sustainability.
Bonnefanten museum. My dirty mind has some thoughts about this building.
Pastel wonderland.
Don’t miss this one!
Day 3
On the morning of day three we were faced with a problem we should have seen coming in Belgium: the weather was shit. We had planned a forest walk in Eupen, followed by a couple of hours exploring the city and had already made dinner reservations there for the evening as well. After literally hours of back and forth (admittedly interspersed with some reading and generally enjoying “our” lovely Roulotte) we bit the bullet in the afternoon: the game was afoot.
Quite a downpour erupted during the drive, but miraculously, it stopped by the time we started our walk. The route was lovely: not too steep, nice views of both the forest and the reservoir, and most importantly we were completely alone for the vast majority of it. Belgian Ardennes, how I underestimated you for all those years… We did get a light (yet persistent) drizzle during the last 20 minutes, but weren’t too bothered by it.
View of the reservoir.
Grumpy old man.
We didn’t have any time left to explore the city, so straight to the restaurant we went. I had made a reservation at La Bottega, a Bib Gourmand-rated Italian restaurant. We did look a bit worse for wear after our walk, but were cordially welcomed nonetheless. Our waiter talked us through the menu in French, but the accent and pacing were very much Italian. I couldn’t help but laugh at our own sheer confusion: two Flemish people with very flawed French skills at an Italian restaurant in the German speaking part of the country.
I crossed my fingers, ordered the burrata with egg yolk and the spighe al tartufo and hoped for the best… which is exactly what I got. Great food, great service, great way to end the weekend. We left happily stuffed and ready for one more night at the Roulotte.
The next day, there was nothing left to do but pack our bags and leave this lovely little place behind. And even though we were only gone for three days, I felt like these three days were all I needed.
Burrata with truffle and egg yolk.
The spighe al tartufo.
Conclusion
This was the perfect three day getaway for us. The accommodation was everything we hoped for and while it has grid connections and all the comforts we have at home, there are still lots of nods to sustainability in La Roulotte. The trailer and many of the furnishings are vintage and lots of woods were used. The craftsmanship implemented while restoring it is obviously of very high quality as well. And let’s not forget it is parked on private property: I’m no expert but I do believe a stay here ranks miles above staying at a commercial hotel. (By all means feel free to correct me if you think differently though.)
Sticking to Belgium for these kinds of trips eliminates the need of flying and besides, I think I’d just feel the pressure to see as many sights as possible if I were to fly to, say, a more remote European capital for a couple of days. Staying in our own country somehow means being able to slow down and explore at our own pace, because if we were to miss something, there’s no reason not to come back for it later. All it would take is a 90 minute drive.
So if you live in Belgium, I hope you at least found something in this post you’d consider trying as well. Yes, the world is out there, but don’t forget it starts on your doorstep.
La Roulotte
In order to protect our hosts’ privacy, I won’t go into detail about its location. All you need to know is that Blégny is fairly close to Liège.
If you want to discover this vintage gem yourself, just head on over to Airbnb and start your own little adventure here.