Flat at Cottage of the Arches

Welcome to Casale degli Archi! The flat for the guests consists of a bedroom, a living room with a queen-sized sofa, a fully equipped kitchen and a bathroom with a shower. All the rooms overlook a large loggia which is a perfect relax area where to appreciate a beautiful landscape of green mountains covered with woods surrounding the house. The magic word for this place is "silence" ( except for the rooster's crow and the whispering sound of a creek). The flat is large, bright and independent. It's on the ground floor of a house with the typical arched loggia in piedmontese style. From the main road you walk down a 100 mt long paved path. Once in, a long corridor leads to the various rooms. First the bedroom, the hardwood furniture, in typical piedmontese style, consists of: a medium-sized wardrobe, a chest of drawers and a sofa. There is a small table built recycling the cast iron structure of an old sewing machine. The bedroom is provided with a modern double bed with wooden slats, latex mattress and pillows. Bedlinen and quilts are provided. The living room has a queen-sized bed sofa, an extendable table with chairs, a cupboard (the shelves below can be used to store your clothes) and a beautiful fireplace. The kitchen is provided with a stove with oven, a microwave oven and a fridge with freezer. It's completely equipped with tableware and household utensils. The bathroom is provided with a cabinet for towels with a large mirror, water-closet, bidet and a shower. The characteristic arched window makes the room very bright. All the rooms overlook the wide loggia equipped with a table, a bench and a wicker sofa. It's possible to have meals outdoor in the mild season. The guests, as well as the flat, have at their disposal the garden equipped, in the mild season, with a gazebo, deckchairs, tables and benches. Flagship of Casale degli Archi are the terrace gardens with a green house, in the process of realization. There is a hammock between a wall of jasmine and a climbing rose. Finally there is a big garden in the sloping area behind with flowering shrubs, aromatic herbs, roses and fruit-trees. In the back there is a small vineyard. Gardens and vineyard are looked after personally by the owners who are very fond of gardening and viticulture. Hi, my name is Marta, I'm 27 years old. I'm the daughter of Brunella and Stefano, the house owners. Together with my mum I manage the Airbnb. I live at Vigliano Biellese, 25 minute drive from Mosso. My parents live in Milan. Most weekends and during the summer holidays they live in the flat above. The area is very attractive, rich in hiking trails and places to visit. On foot walking down the main road towards Veglio: 10 minute walk: PARCO AVVENTURA DI VEGLIO equipped with fitness trail in the trees, suitable for children and adults and for the most reckless ones the bungee jumping from te Bridge of Pistolesa. On foot towards Mosso: 10 minute walk towards Maioli: EDUCATIONAL PATH in the wood. 15 minute walk: the village of MOSSO with shopping facilities: a mini-market, a butcher's shop selling excellent piedmontese meat, a baker's shop, a newagent's shop selling stationary too, a tobacconist's shop, a Post Office, 2 Banks, 2 bars and a Neapolitan Pizzeria which makes an excellent pizza. From the square towards Gianolio there is a romantic English-style park open to the public. At Christmas time you can appreciate a spread Nativity Scene with a representation of old crafts, it's one of the biggest and most famous life-size Nativity Scene in Italy. The tour starts from the large and scenographic Piazza Italia next to the Assunta Parish Church with its beautiful Romanesque bell-tower then the tour moves through the most characteristic alleyways of the Old Village. 20 minute walk SANTUARIO DELLA BRUGHIERA walking down a trail in the woods. THE SURROUNDINGS 10 minute drive: TRIVERO where you find OASI ZEGNA carried out by the textile entrepeneur Ermenegildo Zegna. Oasi Zegna with the support of FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) organizes cultural and sport events throughout the year. PANORAMICA ZEGNA which runs for 44 km, is really impressive. In May/June you can see in CONCA DEI RODODENDRI the spectacular flowering of hundreds of rhododendrons. If you keep along the Panoramica you'll get to the micro-brewery JEB which produces excellent beers using the local water, one of the best in Italy. Then you reach BOCCHETTA MARGOSIO where you can buy goat cheese produced by a farm nearby. From Bocchetta Margosio lots of trails for hikes in the woods start such as SENTIERO DI FRA DOLCINO. You can't speak about Oasi Zegna without mentioning BIELMONTE, ski-resort in winter and startpoint for trecking and horseriding in summer. There is a horse-farm nearby. From Bielmonte you can reach the top of Monte Marca by chair-lift. From here you can enjoy a 360° view stretching from South (Pianura Padana) to North (Alta Valsessera and the Monte Rosa Massif). In the restaurant you can taste the traditional food such as "polenta concia". It's possible to go downhill by roller bobsleigh. It's great fun! Finally you reach BOCCHETTO SESSERA where a beautiful hiking trail starts: IL BOSCO DEL SORRISO where by hugging firs, beeches and birches you get harmony and inner well-being. 25 minute drive: RICETTO DI CANDELO, one of the most beautiful "borgo" in Italy. The Ricetto is a fortified structure dating back to the Middle Ages surrounded by ancient defensive walls and perfectly preserved. Once storage area for food where peole would find shelter in case of danger, today it hosts craft workshops and it's a perfect location for events such as CANDELO IN FIORE in April and VININCONTRO in September. 30 minute drive: BIELLA, I recommend a visit to the "Città Alta" the most ancient part of the town, the so-called PIAZZO. A free funicular will take you to Piazzo. Here you'll find besides the beautiful Piazza Cisterna, various historic buildings which offer to the public temporary painting, sculpture and photography exhibitions. Palazzo Ferrero, Palazzo Lamarmora e Palazzo Gromolosa. From the bridge you can enjoy a wonderful view of Biella. 10 minute drive from Biella: towards Ponzone, there is the Nature Reserve of PARCO DELLA BURCINA. I recommend a visit particularly in Spring on the occasion of the spectacular flowering of azaleas and rhododendrons. 45 minute drive: the famous SANTUARIO DI OROPA, a place of pilgrimage devoted to the Madonna Nera. Oropa is also famous for its BOTANICAL GARDEN. From the sanctuary it's possible to reach the RIFUGIO SAVOIA by cableway and from there, after a few minute walk, the LAGO DEL MUCRONE. It's a perfect itinerary for the mountain lovers. There are lots of hiking trails, plain such as LA PASSEGGIATA DEI PRETI or more demanding ones. Not to be missed LA GALLERIA DI ROSAZZA with a restaurant which serves "Merenda Sinoira" typical piedmontese snach based on local cheese and salumi. Whether you arrive from Turin of from Milan, get off the Highway A4 at Carisio, then follow the road sign for Cossato and Trivero Oasi Zegna. After the galleries, at Vallemosso, keep following the road signs for Trivero then turn following the road sign for Mosso. Once arrived in the square of the village, driving past the ancient portico, drive up the road following the road sign for Veglio. You'll pass under a bridge close to the local cemetery then you'll find, after a bend to the left, a high concrete retaining wall where you'll park your car. If you travel by train, from Biella Railway Station buses leave for Mosso. The flat has no exclusive parking but you can easily park on the side of the main road. The guests have at their disposal 2 bikes to ride to Mosso or for rides in the neighborhood. When you walk down the path, on the left, you see an old well-run wash-tub, source of pride for the inhabitants of Borgata Gianolio, powered by excellent drinkable spring water.