Long Stays, Low Prices in Europe

A company called My Europe Base (http://www.myeuropebase.com) has apartments for rent along Germany's scenic river Mosel (or Moselle) in a town called Zell an der Mosel. The Mosel is one of the country's finest wine regions, and vineyards line terraced slopes rising from the river bank behind historic towns.
This is one of the most ancient and beautiful parts of Germany, well worth a visit in its own right. The towns of Trier and Koblenz are not far away, nor is Aix la Chapelle or Aachen, the city where the Emperor Charlemagne was crowned. It has the added plus of being located near Frankfurt-Hahn airport, a major hub for low-cost European carrier Ryanair. Fares from Hahn Airport to Sweden are as low as $17, $16 to Poland, $31 to Ireland or $55 to Bulgaria.
The apartments start at about $200 a week if you stay four weeks or more. They are owned by an Australian couple with experience in the tour business, who saw a need among their fellow inhabitants of the Antipodes for inexpensive places to stay while trying to see as much of Europe as they can.
The benefits of apartment stays include the ability to save by making your own meals, and a more relaxed pace than most hotels offer. They also allow you to meet locals during shopping expeditions, and to experience a city or town as a local does.
I have enjoyed short-term apartment stays in Berlin and St.Petersburg, and would not hesitate to explore apartment living in a smaller town.