In 2017, the term "tiny house" was added to the U.S. building code for the first time. It refers to a dwelling with a floor area of up to 400 square feet (37 square meters). In German-speaking countries, however, there is no precise definition. Anything from a vacation bungalow to a circus wagon can be called a "tiny house" if the living space is limited.
But there is much more to this living concept than the quantitative reduction of square footage. Tiny houses are the answer to the culture of waste and abundance, in fact they follow the trend of downsizing and minimalism. This movement is also being felt in tourism: More and more travelers are looking for vacation experiences in the spirit of renunciation - and more and more providers are following suit.
But there is much more to this living concept than the quantitative reduction of square footage. Tiny houses are the answer to the culture of waste and abundance, in fact they follow the trend of downsizing and minimalism. This movement is also being felt in tourism: More and more travelers are looking for vacation experiences in the spirit of renunciation - and more and more providers are following suit.
Comfort in a small space
Sacrificing floor space does not mean sacrificing luxury and living comfort. Tiny houses are usually equipped with all the amenities of a conventional hotel. From panoramic windows to comfortable beds, rain showers to wood-burning stoves, all the modern traveler's needs can be met in a tiny space. Tourist "tiny houses" have become very sophisticated in the last decade: Creative forms of living on land or water, such as treehouses, pods, lodge tents, sleeping beach baskets, stilt houses, living boats or converted lighthouses, offer an authentic but unusual stay and are in great demand by guests from all over the world. It is not only the unusual form of these accommodations that makes them attractive, but also their closeness to nature and their local roots.
Tiny houses worldwide
The USA remains the pioneer of this trend. On June 1, 2019, the world's largest tiny house hotel will open in North Carolina, consisting of 20 tiny houses. Each tiny house is individually designed, equipped to hotel standards and named after a North Carolina river. The River Twine also offers a wide selection of restaurants, breweries and event venues in the immediate area.In Europe, too, there are now numerous opportunities to spend your vacation in a tiny house. Near Florence, for example, you can stay in a treehouse among the branches at the "Casa sull'albero," while in Murnau am Staffelsee (D), a converted circus wagon offers a unique place to sleep. In St. Moritz (CH), a historic observatory offers a unique view of the surrounding mountains by day and the starry sky at night. St. Moritz also offers a decommissioned cable car gondola, the so-called "Tiny House Gondola", at an altitude of over 3,000 meters.
