From the moment we pulled onto the entrance for the Trapp Familly Lodge, I knew that Lauren and I were in for a truly special getaway. Even though we were surrounded by the rolling hills and luscious landscapes of Vermont for the entire drive up from New Hampshire, there was something more than the surrounding beauty that gave us that feeling. The property had a certain quality that we couldn’t quite put our fingers on, a “je ne sais quoi” if you will. Then we passed a sign on the way in that said it all: Welcome to the Trapp Family Lodge, a little bit of Austria a whole lot of Vermont. In a nutshell that was it. From the second we stepped foot on property we were transported into a whole other world where pampering and relaxation were the top priority. We sought out the Trapp Family Lodge because we were looking for a great romantic, pet friendly getaway and we found it in Vermont.
Does the name Von Trapp ring a bell? Well it should! The Von Trapp family story has been immortalized in books, movies, and a Broadway play: The Sound of Music. After the Trapp Family singers toured the US the Von Trapp family settled into Stowe, VT and eventually opened their first lodge in 1950. From there, it has grown into a word class resort with spa facilities, multiple restaurants, an Austrian bakery, and most recently, their own craft brewery! On top of that the resort offers access to cross country and downhill skiing in the winter as well as a ton of other activities year ’round.
After the initial feeling of awe started to settle in, we made our way to the main lodge building and checked in. The staff was impeccably warm and friendly and the lodge itself was just the right mix of rustic, quaint, and adorable. As we wandered the hallways with Zoe and made our way to the room, we were greeted with some new delight at every turn.
The lodge is adorned with lovely artwork from the many books and movies about the family, as well as little nooks and crannies to sit and relax making it cozy and inviting. It’s the kind of hotel that makes you want to wander the hallways and explore as opposed to just hiding away in your room.
Not that the room itself was disappointing. On the contrary, we found the room absolutely adorable! It was large and cozy, and I can honestly say that while in the room, I could have sworn I was in a foreign country as opposed to Northern Vermont.
Being and extremely pet friendly property, a bed and pet dishes were provided by the lodge. Zoe made herself right at home and gave this room a stellar 4-paw rating :-)
Once we saw that Zoe had settled down for a nap, we decided to go for a stroll around the property. How could we not fall in love all over again here?!?!?
All the gawking and wandering around the property made us thirsty. It was a good thing that the Trapp Family had us covered with their own on-site brewery. Opened in 2010, Von Trapp Brewing has been crafting traditional Austrian lagers with an American twist. They have been doing so well that they recently built a new brewery and have been bottling and distributing their beers all across New England. Even though the brewery isn’t open to the public just yet, we had a chance to take a peek inside.
While the facility was beautiful, the real star of the show was the beer. With 4 year-round styles and several seasonal rotations, there was a little something for everyone. The Pilsner & Vienna Lager were solid but the two standouts are definitely the crisp and refreshing Golden Helles and the full bodied Dunkel.
As if the lovely surroundings and freshly hand crafted beer weren’t enough, the Trapp Family Lodge also has a restaurant and bakery on site to fill you up after an exhausting day of relaxation :-). We celebrated Lauren’s birthday dinner in the main dining room, which was an intimate setting for some delectable European style cuisine.
We started off with something that you wouldn’t expect to find in Vermont. A lovely plate of charred octopus that was one of their many seasonal items. For an entree, Lauren selected the Beef Cheek Sauerbraten, which was made with locally raised beef and Vermont Crème Fraîche served over a bed of braised red cabbage. It was so tender she could cut it with a spoon!
I decided to be a traditionalist and order the Wiener Schnitzel which was topped with the traditional capers and anchovies with a side of fresh veggies on top of a bed of spaetzle. It was very well executed and a perfect partner for my Von Trapp Dunkel.
For dessert we enjoyed a fresh berry tart from their on site Austrian Bakery, and found the crust to be impeccably tender while the filling was just the right amount of tart and sweetness without being overpowering.
In total, Lauren and I found our two night stay at the Trapp Family lodge to be indulgent and relaxing. Normally, the two of us spend the majority of our time wandering around exploring an area only using our hotel for sleep. However when we stayed at the lodge we suffered the opposite fate. All we wanted to do was stay here, relax, and soak it all in. If that’s not a testament to a wonderful resort experience, I’m not sure what is!
