Lucca villa rentals - country house to rent, with pool, Garfagnana, Tuscany

Holidaymakers looking for Lucca villa rentals should check out this country house to rent (sleeps 9), with pool, in Tuscany's Garfagnana.

The Garfagnana, to the north of Lucca, is a beautiful and rugged region between two mountain ranges: the Apuan Alps and the Appenines. (This part of the Apennine range marks the boundary between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna). The Garfagnana forms the heart of the Apuan Alps Natural Park, and is characterised by vineyards and by woods of chestnut and beech.

The many paths that criss-cross the countryside and mountains make expeditions on foot, bike or horseback an enticing possibility from this Lucca villa rental. There are lovely little villages (especially Campo Catino, near Vagli). With their stone houses and air of tranquility, they give an idea of the slow, relaxed pace of yesteryear. And don't forget to taste the specialities of the Garfagnana. There are excellent home-made cheeses and cold cuts, products based on chestnut flour, such as Castagnaccio, Necci and Polenta Di Neccio, and of course roast chestnuts in October and November. The sea and the resorts of the Versilian Riviera are 45km away.

This Lucca villa rental combines all the convenience of being near town (Castelnuovo Garfagnana) with the quiet of the country. From the roof-terrace you gaze upon a superb natural landscape: the peaks of the mountains, including the Uomo Morto (literally 'dead man', this is a peak that looks like a man's face in repose). And there is the church tower of Sassi, a tiny hamlet clinging to the rocks. In autumn the trees turn gold and in winter the mountains are covered with a blanket of snow.

You reach this country house to rent by passing through a chestnut wood. At the entrance you immediately see the house, entirely re-built in 2002-2003 in the typical country style of Tuscany’s Garfagnana. Surrounding the house is an estate of 25 acres, great for families with children. You’re within the Apuan Alps national park of course, so you may – if you’re lucky – glimpse squirrels and deers. Take a refreshing dip in the 12 x 6 metres swimming-pool with water-chute, or take the sun on the surrounding sundeck.

The house is set up as follows. On the ground floor there's a large room, combining kitchen, living and dining room. The kitchen corner has an electric oven, microwave, a fridge-freezer and a dishwasher. The living room has a 32in satellite TV, DVD player and hi-fi. You should bring your satellite TV smart card: the decoder supports every code system except NDS. The ground floor also has a bathroom and lumber room.

The first floor has three bedrooms (two large, one small). Two of the bedrooms access a large roof-terrace with lovely views. There’s a further (large) bathroom on this floor.

The main villa (accommodates 7) has a small dependance (accommodates 2) made from a lovely stone antique metato, composed of a spacious bedroom and an en-suite bathroom. During July and August only rental of both villa and dependance is available (9 guests). During the rest of the year you can rent just the villa if you wish.

Outside, beneath the roof-terrace, there's a wood oven for pizzas and a long cellar/lumber room (within which you’ll find a washing machine). Barbecue facilities are available in the garden. The seven guests have exclusive use of the whole property (house, swimming pool, gardens and so forth). Prices for this Lucca villa rental start from EURO €850 per week. Short stays at €130 per night. For more detailed information on prices, please, contact the owner. Lighted table tennis, table football,2 swings, 2 mountainbikes available in the gardens.

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