3 nights at Watermill Resort — a secluded anniversary getaway in South Estonia

Sometimes an anniversary trip doesn't need to involve getting on a plane, booking a fancy city hotel or planning every minute of the weekend.

Sometimes you just need a really beautiful place, a lot of privacy, a sauna, a hot tub and absolutely no reason to leave.

For our anniversary this year, we decided to do exactly that.

We stayed at Watermill Resort from 20–23 August, near the southern border of Estonia. The whole place was surrounded by grain fields and felt incredibly secluded. It was one of those locations where you arrive and immediately feel like the rest of the world has disappeared somewhere behind the fields.

And that was exactly what we wanted.

Watermill Resort

The first thing that stood out about Watermill Resort was the location.

It was really secluded.

The resort is surrounded by fields, greenery and countryside, and there wasn't much happening around us. No busy roads, no city noise and no feeling that you were constantly surrounded by other people.

We had our own large garden, which made the whole stay feel much more private than a typical hotel or even a standard holiday cottage.

The cabin itself was also much bigger than I expected. It had been renovated and had that nice combination of feeling rustic because of the location, while still being modern and comfortable inside.

But obviously, the outdoor area was where most of the excitement was.

There was a large terrace with a lounge area, a grill and, most importantly, a hot tub built directly into the terrace. There is something very relaxing about sitting in warm water while looking out at fields instead of buildings.

And then there was the sauna.

The sauna was in an ÖÖD glass house, which was probably my favourite detail of the whole place. Having a glass sauna surrounded by nature is one of those things that sounds slightly unnecessary until you actually sit there and realise how nice it is. The sauna even came with a built-in radio.

Our anniversary weekend

We stayed for three nights, from 20 to 23 August, which felt like just the right amount of time.

Three nights is long enough to actually switch off, but not so long that you start wondering what day it is or whether you've accidentally moved there permanently.

The plan was pretty simple: enjoy the cabin, cook something on the grill, use the sauna and hot tub, spend time together and just have a proper break.

I think that's something I've started appreciating more with trips like this. Sometimes when you travel, you feel like you have to make the most of the destination by constantly doing something. Go here, see this, eat there, take photos, find another attraction.

This time, the point was almost the opposite.

We wanted to slow down.

And then came the storm

Of course, no trip is ever completely perfect. At some point during our stay, Estonia apparently decided that our anniversary needed a full dramatic soundtrack and we got an extremely stormy and rainy Saturday.

And when I say rainy, I mean the kind of rain where you look outside and immediately decide that whatever you were planning can probably wait until tomorrow.

So we basically became storm-trapped. But honestly it wasn't even that bad.

Actually, it was kind of perfect for the cabin.

There is something quite cosy about being stuck somewhere beautiful when you're not actually trying to escape.

If we had been staying in a city hotel and had planned to spend the day walking around, I probably would have been much more annoyed.

But at Watermill Resort, the storm almost became part of the experience.

To sum it up

Our three nights at Watermill Resort were exactly the kind of anniversary getaway we were looking for.

The location was probably my favourite part. Being surrounded by grain fields and countryside made the whole place feel incredibly peaceful and private.

The renovated cabin was spacious and comfortable, while the outdoor setup really made the stay: the big garden, terrace lounge, grill and hot tub built into the terrace.

And then there was the ÖÖD glass sauna, which was definitely one of those details that made the whole experience feel a little more special.

Even the stormy, rainy day ended up fitting the trip somehow.

We were literally storm-trapped for a day, but instead of feeling like we'd missed out on something, it gave us an excuse to slow down even more.

And maybe that's the biggest takeaway from this trip.

You don't always need to travel far to feel like you've properly escaped.

Sometimes a secluded cabin somewhere in South Estonia, surrounded by fields, with a sauna and a hot tub, is more than enough.

Especially when you're there with the right person.