Holiday lettings, villas, apartments and cottages to let

Description

Perched above the medieval village of Bagnone, our villa is set in the hills about half an hour from the coast. It's perfectly placed for a peaceful holiday whether that's sun, sea and sand, culture and incredible scenery, skiing or just getting away from it all. An hour from 3 different airports it is easily and cheaply accessible.

The villa was originally a fairly grand land owner's house and retains a sense of seclusion and independence. Surrounded by a large area of private land, steep terraces overlook the mountain stream and natural pond at bottom of the garden. However, it's only a 10 min stroll down to the town square for easy access to the local shops, bars and restaurants.

Portofino, Pisa and the romantic walled city of Lucca are around an hour away. Nearer still are three ski resorts, the five cliff top fishing villages of Cinque Terre, Portovenere and a host of picturesque medieval villages amongst the rolling hills of North Tuscany. Florence is easily reached for a day trip.

THE VILLA
Arranged over three floors, the house sleeps eight to ten comfortably, with room for a maximum of 12 people if the sofa bed in the lounge is used. It has a large hallway with a marble staircase leading up to the first floor, an en-suite master bedroom with a king size bed, a second bedroom with its own private balcony and king size bed, a third double bedroom with en-suite bathroom, a bunk room which sleeps four, a main bathroom, a downstairs bathroom, and a lounge (with a sofa bed). There's also a huge kitchen/winter dining room, two balconies, a large ground floor terrace overlooking the garden, two cellar rooms and a large cantina/summer dining room/games area with table football and table tennis. The second bedroom has an additional sofa bed so this can be used as a twin bedroom. The downstairs bathroom can be used as an en-suite for the third bedroom or as a general bathroom.

BEDROOMS
� Master bedroom: king size bed and en-suite bathroom.
� Bedroom 2: king size bed and balcony at rear (plus a sofa bed so can be used as a twin room).
� Bedroom 3: double bed and en-suite bathroom.
� Bedroom 4: four bunk beds.
� Lounge also has a sofa bed.

BATHROOMS
� En-suite bathroom to master bedroom with large shower and wc.
� Main 1st floor bathroom with bath and shower over the bath and wc.
� Third bathroom downstairs with large corner shower and wc, which can be used as en-suite to bedroom 3 or as a separate bathroom.

KITCHEN
Massive kitchen/winter dining room leading on to large outdoor terrace. Brand new fitted kitchen equipped with cooker, hob, two fridges, washing machine and dishwasher.

LIVING ROOM
Large living room with wood burning stove, two large sofas (one of which is a sofa bed), 32" wide screen LCD TV, PlayStation 2, DVD player, Hi-Fi, piano and lots of board games.

GAMES ROOM
Large games room in cellar with table tennis, table football and storage area for sports and games equipment including tennis rackets, two sets of golf clubs, badminton rackets, boule, croquet, cricket set, 3 mountain bikes, skis, ski boots and ski poles.

OUTDOORS
The villa itself has a large sun terrace and two balconies. It is set in 3,000 square metres of private land with secluded terraces linked by winding paths overlooking the mountain stream and natural pond at the bottom of the garden. There are four sun loungers, two outdoor tables, a large parasol and several outdoor chairs at the villa. There is also a BBQ on the sun terrace.

FACILITIES
General: Central heating, Linen and towels provided, iron, hair dryer, cot, high chair, stair gate
Lounge: Wood burning stove, TV, DVD player, Hi-Fi, board games
Kitchen: Dishwasher, cooker, hob, fridge, washing machine, kettle, toaster
Outdoors: Balcony / terrace, private garden, BBQ, bicycles available, parking space

ACCESSIBILITY
There is one bedroom and bathroom (with shower) located on the ground floor allowing access for those with reduced mobility, although the villa is not otherwise specially adapted for this.

GENERAL
Bedding and towels are provided (except for bedding for the cot). The property is normally cleaned at the end of the stay, but additional cleaning during your stay can be arranged.

Location of holiday rental in Bagnone, Massa Carrara Province, Tuscany

Location description

BAGNONE AREA
Bagnone itself is a beautiful medieval village with cobbled streets, narrow alleyways and a town square overlooking the impressive waterfalls of Torrente Bagnone. An old Medici castle perches on top of the hill above the town. With a handful of shops, four restaurants and three or four caf�s and bars, the village has everything you need just 5-10 mins walk away.

COAST/BEACH
The coast is about 35 mins drive away, with many beautiful beaches and picturesque ports and fishing villages, including the amazing cliff top villages of the Cinque Terre. Fiascherino has a beautiful private beach with waiter service to your sun lounger and a price tag to match, plus a public beach nearby. Tellaro is a small fishing village on the coast overlooking the 'gulf of the poets' - an ideal place for a drink and an evening meal watching the sun go down. See our website for more details.

GOLF
There is a good nine hole golf course in Lerici, about 40 minutes from the villa. There are several larger golf courses in Tuscany including Versilia Golf Club in Pietrasanta (eighteen holes), Montecatini Golf Club (eighteen holes), Golf Club Tirrenia (nine holes), Golf Club Fontevivo (nine holes), and the Cosmopolitan Golf and Country Club (eighteen holes) in Tirrenia.

SKIING
There are 4 ski resorts within easy reach of the villa - Cerreto Laghi (5 lifts), Prato Spilla (3 lifts) and Zum Zeri (3 lifts), around 45 mins drive, so are perfect for a skiing day trip. Abetone - the fourth, much larger resort (25 lifts) - is further away but ideal if you want to spend a night in the resort and get a couple of full days of skiing in. They are all situated in the Apennine mountain range which runs down the centre of Italy and, although small by the standards of the Alps, the local resorts have plenty of character and are normally much more peaceful and less crowded, with queues for lifts being a rarity. There is plenty of variation available by visiting a different resort each day. Bear in mind, however, that the Apennines are further south and generally a little lower than the Alps, so it is worth checking snow conditions before setting off. The resorts normally open for skiing from around late December and it is occasionally possible to ski as late as Easter.

OTHER FACILITIES NEARBY
Tennis (5 mins). Public swimming pool (5 mins). River swimming (5 mins). Crazy golf (30 mins). Go-carting (40 mins). Theatre/outdoor cinema (30 mins). Boat hire (45 mins). Walking and hiking in surrounding hills and mountains.


PLACES OF INTEREST NEARBY
Florence, Lucca, Portofino, Pisa, Portovenere and Cinque Terre are all within easy reach

FLORENCE (FIRENZE)
It takes about an hour and three quarters to drive from the villa to the outskirts of Florence, so it's easy to visit for a day trip, or you can spend a night in a hotel and stay a little longer. Alternatively you can travel by train, directly from the local station at Villafranca, or from La Spezia, from Pisa or any of the stations in between. The most central station in Florence is Florence San Maria Novella. We would actually recommend travelling into Florence by train as the traffic and parking in the centre of the city can be a nightmare. Terravision also operate a coach service from Pisa airport to Florence.

LUCCA
The romantic walled city of Lucca is only an hour from the villa. Hiring bikes and cycling all the way around the fortified walls is a great way to see the city. The oval Piazza Anfiteatro is also worth a visit and a good place to stop for a drink and some food.

PISA
Pisa and its leaning tower are only an hour from the villa too. Head for the area around the tower and the cathedral or wander along the banks of the Arno. There's a good pizzeria in a small courtyard on the right hand side of Via Santa Maria just to the south of the tower. For the tower, leave the motorway from the Pisa Nord exit if you are travelling from the villa.

TELLARO
Tellaro is a small fishing village on the coast not far from the villa. Overlooking the "Gulf of the Poets" it is an ideal place for a drink and an evening meal watching the sun go down. The village is at the end of the coastal road to the south east of Lerici, just beyond Fiascherino.

FIASCHERINO
Fiascherino has two beaches: a beautiful private one - "Eco del Mar" which has a very exclusive feel, waiter service to your sun lounger and a price tag to go with it - and a more modest public one slightly further down the road. The private beach is open to the public, but there is an entrance fee and it is compulsory to hire a lounger and umbrella.

LERICI
Lerici is one of the nearest coastal towns to the villa and has a picturesque habour overlooked by a medieval castle perching on the edge of the town. There are a few impressive churches, seafront restaurants and an open air cinema in the town as well as a nine hole golf course, an olympic size swimming pool and a go-cart track nearby.

Lerici is situated on the eastern side of the gulf of La Spezia, nicknamed "The Gulf Of The Poets". In 1822, Percy Shelley and his family hired a villa just outside Lerici and he and Lord Byron sailed their boats around the coast nearby. It was on an ill-fated trip from Livorno to Lerici that Shelley's boat was caught in a heavy storm and went down under full sail.

CINQUE TERRE
The Cinque Terre are five cliff top fishing villages set within a few kilometres of each other along the coast just north of La Spezia. The five villages are Riomaggiore (the southernmost and nearest to the villa), Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso (the northernmost and furthest from the villa). The train line and a coastal foot path link the villages and it's possible to reach them from the house by car in 45 minutes or by train in less than an hour. We would strongly recommend travelling by train as parking is very, very restricted in the whole of the Cinque Terre and you may find the only place to park is a few kilometers away from the centre of each village. You can catch a direct train from the station in Villafranca near the villa.

It is also possible to take a boat between any of the five fishing villages and also on to Portovenere, La Spezia and Lerici, and in the other direction to Portofino. One of the best ways to see the villages is from a boat and a good option is to get the train to the furthermost village (Monterosso), get a boat back down to Riomaggiore and then get the train back to the villa from there. Alternatively, you can walk along the coastal path for some of the way. The boats stop at all the villages, but not all the trains stop at all the villages.

PORTOFINO
Portofino is a elegant coastal town between La Spezia and Genoa, with some of the clearest water and best swimming anywhere on the Italian Riviera. Portofino has an exclusive and sophisticated atmosphere, so if you plan to stay overnight be warned that hotels can be quite pricey.

PORTOVENERE
Portovenere is a small town set on the headland on the northern side of the gulf of La Spezia with stunning views across the bay and of the nearby island. The town is a maze of alleyways dotted with small shops and restaurants. The black and white striped church at the end of the headland is also impressive. It is possible to arrange cheap boat hire in Portovenere.

MARINA DI MASSA
The strip of coast between Sarzana and Livorno is more or less one long beach, very much in the Italian Riveria style: covered densely with sun loungers, umbrellas and during the peak season crowds of people and small children. However, there are one or two choice spots worth visiting. Around Marina di Massa there are some quite exclusive private sections of beach with good beach front restaurants and stunning swimming pools set back from the beach. One called San Francisco is reccommended.


FURTHER AFIELD
ELBA
The island of Elba was Napoleon's home during his first exile and is an hour's ferry trip from the mainland. The ferries depart regulary from Piombino (approx. 2.5hrs drive from the house). There are some stunning beaches on the island.

SIENA / SAN GIMIGNANO
These are both within about 2.5hrs drive of the villa.


DISTANCES
There are several shops, bars and restaurants in Bagnone which is 5-10 mins walk from the villa. Nearby places of interest include: public swimming pool and tennis courts (5 mins), Pisa (1 hour), Florence (less than 2 hours), Cinque Terre (1 hour), Lucca (1 hour), Portofino (1 hour), Ski resorts (around 45 mins).

FURTHER DETAILS
For much more detailed information and further pictures of the villa, the garden and the surrounding area, visit our website via the link below.

Other activities

Public swimming pool (5 mins away)
River swimming (5 mins)
Crazy golf (30 mins)
Go-carting (40 mins)
Theatre / outdoor cinema (30 mins)
Boat hire (45 mins)

Directions

There are three airports near the house: Pisa (1hour), Parma (1.25 hours), Genova/Genoa (1.5 hours). All of them are served by low cost airlines.
Pisa is the largest and quickest to get to with many flights each day from the UK with Ryanair, Easyjet, British Airways, Jet2.com and other airlines. There are also regular flights to Pisa from many other European cities. The nearest train station is about 5km away from the villa.

Rates

Deposit/Booking Notes

� Please note rentals which include Easter, Christmas or New Year will be charged at High Season rates.
� Heating, electricity and gas are included in the rental price.
� Towels and bedding are provided.
� At full occupancy the High Season rate works out at less than �10 per person per night.
� The villa is cleaned at the end of your stay and a contribution to cleaning costs of �60 is added to all bookings. Additional cleaning during your stay can be arranged if required.
� A returnable security deposit of �250 is required for each booking

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