Zelený Les: house in a secluded 100 acre wood with meadows, pond, and brook

Set on 100 absolutely private acres of stunning conservation land in the Catskill Mountains, Zelený Les (Czech for "Green Woods") accommodates up to 8 guests. (Under special circumstances, more guests may be hosted comfortably; please ask if interested.)

The house is relaxed, yet refined. All four bedrooms are spacious, and feature additional single beds and/or pull-out sofas, ideal for children who prefer to sleep with their parents. The large master bedroom has an en-suite bath and walk-in closet. Bathrooms are fully supplied with towels, soap and shampoo. The fully equipped, sun-filled eat-in kitchen has updated appliances and everything you need for cooking, baking, and dining. The airy living/dining room features a wood-burning stove and a double-height cathedral ceiling. The sunny ground-level floor opens out to a lawn and has a Pop-A-Shot hoops game, Foosball table, and play area with dollhouse for small children. Rounding out the house are a covered porch, and an expansive deck for grilling and dining, both with beautiful views of the countryside. Other amenities include firewood, high-speed wifi, a 40” smart TV, new high-capacity washer and drier, and stocked bookshelves to browse.

The hundred private acres of evergreen and mixed wood forests, meadows, pond, and brook are absolutely private, and yours alone to explore. The land supports an amazing variety of wildlife: watch for deer, fox, chipmunks, rabbits, quail, wild turkeys, herons, porcupines, owls, bald and brown eagles, red-tailed hawks... even fisher cats. The forests are criss-crossed with three linear miles of mapped trails to roam, perfect for hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. There is a large crystal-clear, spring-fed pond in which to swim and fish for wide-mouthed bass, and has a fire pit on its banks. Just outside the house is a big hillside that is fantastic for sledding, all the way down to the tiny brook in the valley, which is home to rainbow trout.

Zelený Les is located in Delaware County, a scenic 3.5 hour drive from New York City. It's quiet and rural here, but there's lots to do. Two miles down the road is First Bloom Corner Store, offering "most things you'd need to make wonderful food, plus a few things just to make you happy." Our area is home to some of the best farm-to-table eateries in New York State. In Bovina is the Brushland Eating House. In the picturesque neighboring town of Delhi, stock up on provisions and shop for local organic produce, cheeses and meats at Good Cheap Food. After visiting the town's meticulously preserved Victorian village green (painted by Norman Rockwell!!), stop in at the classic Delhi Diner or the more upscale Blue Bee Café and ice cream shop. A little past Delhi is Hamden, whose General Store is equal parts old-time general store and organic produce vendor. To the northeast, Hobart is home to no less than six independent bookstores; bring your new reading material to Hobart's superb English-style gastropub, The Bull and Garland. To the southeast, the village of Andes boasts a new town pool, a plethora of antique shops, galleries and cozy cafes. To the northwest, the West Kortright Cultural Center, whose cutting-edge music and theatre program attracts internationally renowned performers, is an easy drive along beautiful country roads. A bit further is another gem, the Hanford Mills Museum, a historic operating sawmill. And we're less than an hour away from Cooperstown, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Glimmerglass Opera House.

Further explore the area via one of our customized self-guided car or bike tours of the local country roads, covered bridges and farm stands. Zelený Les is a few minutes from the Catskill Scenic Trail, a flat rail-trail that begins in Bloomville and extends all the way to Roxbury. It winds along the Delaware River and is perfect for jogging or bicycling. More serious hikers can try one of the public trails, such as the nearby Bramley Mountain Trail, or the Palmer Hill Trail further away past the village of Andes. For skiing and snowboarding, choose between the Plattekill, Windham, Belleayre, and Hunter Mountain slopes, a 30-45 minute drive.