Reviews of Villa Rental in Tuscany, Coreglia Antelminelli
Casa Coreglia
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Customer Reviews
Overall:
Awesome! We felt like the Lord and Lady of our own little castle.
Enjoyed Most:
Floating in the pool gazing over the ramparts at the lush slopes, listening to songbirds and smelling the jasmine.
Unpleasant Surprises:
Our weak US dollar made it a bit dear.
Surrounding Area:
Pisa's leaning tower and Lucca's oak tree tower, The Duomo in Barga, Garzoni Garden in Collodi, Cinque Terre drive through La Spezia to Riomaggiore when you tire of hiking there are ferry boats and trains. And hiking in the national forest that surrounded the town.
Nearby Events or Locales:
Property is in an intriguing, quiet walled village, no traffic, and walking distance to two small grocery stores, a decent restaurant out the front door.
Tips or Restaurants:
Try the pasta at the Alpino in Barga - made fresh daily. Plus they have an extensive wine selection...
Bring lots of cash; some restaurants don't take cards.
Have groceries with - stores don't open until Monday.
Directions:
GPS - used "city center" and once at Coreglia found the written instructions excellent.
I would not consider driving in Italy without GPS.
Check In Out:
The bread, wine, milk, butter kept us alive until the grocery store opened Monday - really appreciated that nice touch.
Paul, June, 2011
Overall:
We were looking for a place to stay where we could immerse ourselves in the food and culture of Italy as well enjoy the peace and quiet of the mountains, and we found all this and more at Casa Coreglia.
Enjoyed Most:
The views were spectacular as well as watching the daily activities of the local residences, as well as having the ability to shut out the outside world and enjoy the beautiful countryside.
Unpleasant Surprises:
Nothing.
Surrounding Area:
The ability to go to other hill top villages as well as take in the vistas of the surrounding mountains.
Tips or Restaurants:
Bring a set of binoculars.
Directions:
A GPS with Europe maps is a must.
Dan, May, 2011
Overall:
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The keyholder was excellent and the cleaning by Donatella was well done.
Enjoyed Most:
The views and location, location, location. Central to a lot of Tuscany and close to Pisa and Lucca for trains. Reasonable travel to Florence, Siena, etc., by train. If you wanted to stay at the villa, everything needed is available at Coreglia Antelminelli's local grocer and butcher. Wonderful!
Unpleasant Surprises:
Switch back drive up and down the mountain to Lucca.
Surrounding Area:
Everything: restaurants, views, Barga, Lucca...
Nearby Events or Locales:
The property was in the town of Coreglia Anteminelli. No other towns in walking distance.
Tips or Restaurants:
Enjoyed L'Arcile across the via from the property. Il Grillo had great pizza and antipasta. Butterfly in Lucca for a more formal meal. Enjoy the bar at the first parking area informal with inexpensive wine and cappuccino, and great people watching.
Carl, May, 2011
Overall:
We had a fabulous time and were pleasantly surprised about how nice the house was, pictures on the Internet do not do it justice. It is so much nicer in person.
Enjoyed Most:
Location, Location, Location.
Unpleasant Surprises:
The drive to the location, while beautiful, is a little winding, although I would do it again in a heartbeat!
Surrounding Area:
The real life quaintness, the people, the view, the food - everything.
Nearby Events or Locales:
Coreglia was within walking distance.
Tips or Restaurants:
The restaurant in front of the house is very good, we ate there twice. Bring a robe for the cool mornings, mine came in very handy. Also, bring good walking shoes to explore the area.
Directions:
I would suggest GPS to anyone traveling as it was invaluable.
Terri, April, 2010
Overall:
We truly enjoyed our stay. We would strongly recommend the villa for anyone looking for a peaceful and beautiful experience in Tuscany.
Enjoyed Most:
The location of the property was wonderful. The views of the valley were gorgeous. The house was quite delightful; it was perfect for our 2 year old. The villa was a good base to explore the northwest region of Tuscany. We ended up driving to the coast several times.
Unpleasant Surprises:
The church bells ringing every half hour did take some getting used to.
Surrounding Area:
Beautiful mountain scenery. We took long wonderful drives through the area. The trees were turning colors, which was an added benefit.
Nearby Events or Locales:
The villa was located in a cute little medieval town. We got to know some of the locals. Everyone was very nice.
Tips or Restaurants:
We took advantage of the kitchen at the villa most evenings. It was a lot of fun shopping at local markets for foods to cook back at the villa.
Douglas, November, 2007
Enjoyed Most:
The stunning views, location, peace and quiet - when bells were not ringing - privacy and the villa itself is just lovely. Nora was very friendly and willing to help with anything we needed. We didn't need anything but it was nice to have had a warm welcome.
Unpleasant Surprises:
Cold swimming pool. The visitors' book confirmed that everyone felt this as well as the noisy church bells every half hour, but we knew about this before going so it wasn't unexpected. No fan in the bedroom.
Surrounding Area:
Trips to Lucca, Barga and other towns, scenery and food!
Nearby Events or Locales:
The villa is located within the village of Coreglia Anteminelli.
Tips or Restaurants:
The campsite restaurant is very good - 500 metres from the villa - lovely setting and good food.
Dan, August, 2007
Overall:
We would return without question. It was our favorite vacation in many years, and we were surprised how kid-friendly the villa and village were. We had a wonderful time, and if they change the mattress and heat the pool, the villa would be PERFECT!
Enjoyed Most:
The pictures on the website do not do justice to the views from the villa. They are breathtaking from every window. Also, the garden is beautiful and much more so than the pictures suggest. We were also surprised by the villa. It seems almost dark on the website, but it is so quaint, but light and airy and well-decorated. It also had everything we needed in the kitchen and bathrooms, so we did not need to bring many things that were listed on the website like hairdryer, extra towels, knife and cutting board, detergent, etc. Nora, the manager, is so charming and helpful. She also offers to cook a meal in the villa for a reasonable price, and it was incredible--the best meal we had!!
Unpleasant Surprises:
The bed in the master bedroom was uncomfortable, but Nora, the manager, said they may switch it out soon. Also, the church bells are a beautiful and terrible thing!!! The first 24 hours were a little rough, but once we adjusted, they were endearing. I had to wear earplugs the first 3 nights. It's hard to explain, but you love them by the end of the week. According to the visitor's book, a few people never adjusted, but most do. Also, the pool is VERY cold, even when it is warm - middle of summer - so, we never got in more than a few minutes, and it was even cold for our son. Again, the manager said they are trying to figure out how to add heating some time soon. Editor's Note: There is now gas-boiler heating for the pool. If the cover is kept on when not in use the heat is retained. May 2008.
Surrounding Area:
The village is absolutely charming, and we stayed put most of the time. We ventured to Lucca for a day trip, and it was lovely.
Nearby Events or Locales:
It was a huge advantage especially with children to be in a village, so we could walk to and from dinner and did not need our car on a daily basis. It's quite a drive to get to the village, up a mountain with switchbacks and narrow roads, so it's not great for those uncomfortable driving!
Tips or Restaurants:
With a baby, we recommend a play pen to use downstairs, since there are tiled stairs from room to room. Also, the high chair has no straps - it's just a high chair, literally, so a booster or attachable seat or portable high chair is helpful. The restaurants in the village were charming and good food. A random find is the campsite in town-there is a restaurant with excellent pizza.
Directions:
As I said before, it is important to prepare people for the drive up to the village. It is quite curvy and narrow, but oh so beautiful!
Check In Out:
Nora was lovely, charming and helpful.
Jane, July, 2007