Tuscan Retreat in the heart of Garfagnana.

This is a beautifully restored and modernised 500-year old house with majestic views over the mountains to the west and up to the magically medieval town of Cardoso. The house is 3 storeys with a modern, spacious kitchen and dining room on the lower ground floor with a cloakroom with toilet and shower. The main floor contains 2 lounge areas with spectacular views and a double bedroom. The top floor is comprised of another 2 double rooms, a bedroom with 3 single beds and a bathroom. The house is flooded with light with spectacular views over the valleys , hill and the village. Due to the thick stone walls the spaces are cool in summer and warm in winter. The breeze from the valley flows through the house in the afternoons. Gas fired hot water ie readily available. The kitchen has a gas fired oven and hob. The SW facing terrace is appointed with table, chairs and umbrella for shade and deck chairs for for soaking up the sun by day. The house is fully self contained and all your linen and towels are provided. At the house you will find a variety of pantry items - coffee, tea, sugar, oil, salt, pepper and laundry powder. There is plenty of hot water - you just need to wait for a couple of minutes for it to reach the bathroom on the top floor. There are table and chairs for outside dining which you just need to take outside to the patio overlooking the valley. There is also a large umbrella for shade. There are 2 bars in the village; the one at the entrance to the village which also has a restaurant (with excellent sea food and pizzas). You may need to book. The second bar is higher up (you will need to walk up to it) with stunning views over the mountains and valleys. The upper bar has a small shop providing only the basics, bread, milk, eggs etc. Better to shop at the Conad Superstore about 3km north along the valley floor. There are several restaurants on the valley floor; Al Barchetto (100m south along valley floor) has plenty of space and is great for families, Il Gafagnino (2km south along valley floor) is great for lunch and relatively cheap if you go for the fixed menu (menu fisso), Ristorante Cappucetto Rosso (3.5km south along valley floor) has amazing Bistecca (steak). We hope you have a wonderful time in Cardoso and enjoy your stay at The House. Paola will be available throughout your stay to answer any queries or make your stay more comfortable. Cardoso is a small medieval village perched on the side of a mountain overlooking the Garfagnana valley to the east and the Serchio valley to the south. The Garfagnana region of northern Tuscany is only a one-hour drive from Pisa, the nearest airport, or thirty minutes from Lucca, the Garfagnana valley and region which is based on a mountain range of the Alpi Apuane. This mountainous region lends itself to great hikes, horseback rides as well as mountain bike riding. The heart of the area is the Serchio River. Garfagnana is noted for it porcini mushrooms and spelt. Spelt, or ‘Farro’ is one of the first grains to be grown by early farmers as long ago as 5,000 BC. Distances from various areas of interest: Fornaci di Barga 6km Gallicano 8km Lucca 34km Viareggio 60km Florence 100km AMENITIES Cardoso has two local bars and a restaurant serving spectacular sea food and pizzas in two of its many piazze. The small bars also have small adjoining shops, offering essentials and basic deli produce. This is a great opportunity to meet the locals and emerse yourself into real Tuscan life, away from the maddening crowds. Outside of the village, the nearest shopping town is Fornaci di Barga, which is situated below Cardoso in the valley, 6km from the village. Here you will find a supermarket, bank, limited cafes, pharmacies and the closest train station to Cardoso, which travels to and from Lucca (Aulla line) with connections to Pisa airport. SUPERMARKETS Esselungho is a huge supermarket on the way to Castelnuovo, on the main road just on the outskirts of Gallicano. Fornaci di Barga also has a smaller supermarket called Conad.