Italian villa, private pool - cycling, hiking, wine tours, slow-food, fast WiFi
About
La Casa Pietra is an old stone farmhouse in a quiet sunny location by the river in the Bormida Valley, lovingly renovated with the original stone facades and vaulted ceilings restored to create a stunning home that provides comfort and style in a tranquil setting. If you want to relax by the pool, go out road or mountain biking, hike in the hills, taste world-class wines, eat wonderful Italian food in the local restaurants, visit churches or Roman remains, enjoy a restoring spa, take the kids to the beach for a day, poke around local markets, swim in the river or explore majestic Turin and historic Genoa then a week or two at La Casa Pietra are for you. Location… The Bormida Valley is a stunningly beautiful, quiet and sunny area, with gently sloping hills covered for the most part in vines, forest and hazelnut groves. It is a delightful and tranquil location in easy reach of many places of interest, such as Asti, Acqui Terme, Canelli, Alba, Genoa and Turin. There is so much to do here all year round, from cycling and walking to museums and art galleries, markets, beach trips and wine tasting, you can enjoy the rich and varied culture of Piedmont in any season. Inside... The property can accommodate up to 8 adults and 6 children, with 4 double bedrooms (including 2 large family bedrooms), 3 bathroom/shower rooms, a large kitchen/dining room, comfortable living room and TV room/playroom/study. The floors are tiled throughout; all external windows and doors are double-glazed and have traditional wooden shutters. Two of the bedrooms have their own balconies and there is an en-suite bedroom on the ground floor with French windows opening on to the courtyard. Outside... La Casa Pietra has a beautiful secluded garden, with lawns, fruit trees, a covered terrace and two other outside eating areas. There is a lovely private pool 12m x 6m with shallow and deep end suitable for families with children, as well as a large trampoline, swings, foosball (table football) and table tennis. The pool has an electronic cover, which can be closed when not in use. We have WiFi provided by SpaceX Starlink, with excellent download speeds so multiple users can stream simultaneously. Nearby village… Our local village, Bubbio, is only 15 minutes’ walk away and is a charming village with some shops, cafes and a couple of restaurants. The village centre has a lovely green space with a little playground overlooked by the outside terrace of the local auberge. Here you can find 2 family-run delicatessen/grocery/general stores, a bank, post office, butcher, bakery, patisserie, pharmacy, hand-made pasta shop, newsagent/tobacconist, clothes shop, florist, hardware store and tourist office. Wine Tours – UNESCO World Heritage Site vineyards This area is renowned for its world-class wines - in particular Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto, Roero Arneis, Cortese, Nebbiolo, Moscato and Asti Spumante. In 2014 many vineyards in the area were designated jointly as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognising not only the quality and tradition of the wines but also the incredible views across the hills and valleys from the vineyards themselves. You can visit most vineyards to sample and purchase these excellent wines at amazing rates during your stay, and a local English-speaking guide is nearby if you would like a wine tour arranged for you and your guests. Slow Food and local gastronomy Piedmont is famous for its gastronomy – the Slow Food movement started here – there are many wonderful restaurants within easy reach serving local and Piemontese gastronomic specialities, such as truffles and Robiola cheeses. Come for the White Truffle Fair in Alba during October and November, Slow Fish Fair every other May in Genoa, Cheese Fair every other September in Bra, or any of the many Slow Food events in the area. Local restaurants serve the most delicious lovingly home-made dishes in the Italian tradition, and at the most reasonable prices. Children are welcomed and the service is exemplary – local Piemontese are rightly proud of their food and wines and love to make their guests happy. We can also arrange food and wine tours for your party during your stay. Chef services – we can arrange for a local chef to cook a wonderful Piemontese meal for you and your guests at La Casa Pietra. This could be breakfast, lunch or dinner, with cooking lessons offered for children and adults too! Please contact us for more details. Cycling – road biking and mountain biking The cycling – road biking and mountain biking – is excellent here, with an endless supply of hills, valleys, ridges and tracks to challenge even the most avid cyclist. The Bormida valley is surrounded by lovely hills, most with a pretty village on top, and each hill has a number of winding roads leading to the peak, so the choices and routes are endless. We have four road bikes available for guest use (email us for more details). If you want some guided rides – either mountain bike or road Tourist License / Licencia de turismo N °: 00501100001,005011-CIM-00001