I'm planning a trip to Europe for my husband and I this fall and we'll be in Italy at the end of August. I've been listening to Rick Steves audio and have really gotten excited about the idea of staying a couple days at an agriturismo. Apparently there's a wide range of the types of establishments you can stay at, from super rustic to basically a hotel. I've started looking online and it's kind of overwhelming the number of options out there, and most seem to brag about their pools. What i'm hoping to find is a place that is not going to feel like a hotel, some place that really is just a farm that opens up a room for guests to come and share life for a few days. Anyone know of a place like this?
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8371 posts
Sorry, Julia. I assume you're talking about staying in Umbria. You first need to decide a city or area where you want to base your travels out of. Italy travel guides, like Rick Steves, can help you decide the location. You can also check your our local library's travel books. I like to read about "Agriturismos In Italy" in Rick's Graffiti Wall. I also like his "Heroic B&B Friendliness" section. You can filter your search by a specific city on Agriturismo.com and Booking.com. In central Italy, the farms are very small. Virtually every farm has apartments or rooms as a secondary form of income.
Good luck with your search!
Posted by
OP
Abbotsford, BC, Canada
4 posts
Yes, i meant Umbria, spelling mistake, sorry. As for a particular city, i'm not totally sure. I do know that i want to visit Assisi, maybe just a day trip there while i'm staying in a nearby Agriturismo. Can anyone recommend a particular agriturismo that is low key, has great food, and maybe even where guests can help out a little on the farm?
Posted by
OP
Abbotsford, BC, Canada
4 posts
And thanks David, I'll be sure to check out "Agriturismos In Italy" and "Heroic B&B Friendliness" on the graffiti wall!
Posted by
Sammamish, Washington, United States
31 posts
We are going to Umbria in June so I have not yet stayed in any of these agriturismos, but I am booked in one and wish I could also stay at the others. Il Fontanaro - this is where we are booked for a week in June. Very nice mother/daughter who own the agriturismo. It is within walking distance to the village of Paciano. It gets great reviews and the owners have been wonderful to worth with in planning our stay. We chose this one over the others I will list because my kids wanted to be on more of a farm setting and have a pool. www.fontanaro.it I originally booked at another place called L'Antica Vetreria right near Piegoro. It is actually an old glass factory that has been converted into apartments. The couple who owns it is originally from Seattle. Colleen the owner is so helpful and gracious. I hope to stay here on another trip and only decided not to because the my kids wanted the farm setting. At least check out this website. Colleen has a lot of great information about Umbria. She has invited us to join her on the weekly olive oil tasting even though I cancelled my reservation. www.anticavetreria.net The other place that gets wonderful reviews and was so nice to work with when I was trying to decide on a place for my family was Cretaiole. Isabella was so helpful and has beautiful properties. I think they are actually in Tuscany (near Pienza) but quite close to the Umbrian border. Isabella has three properties. www.cretaiole.it. Although I have not stayed at any of these properties (yet), I did extensive research both in talking with the owners and sending personal emails to many people who reviewed them. There are tons of great places to stay in the area - if nothing else the websites for all three of these agriturismos are wonderful resources. Good luck.
Posted by
Key West, FL, United States
72 posts
We loved our week stay at Ca'Mazzetto near the town of Valfabbrica. It is about 20km from Assisi and close to Perugia also. It is a real working sheep and olive oil farm. The hosts are wonderful and the food was so good we ate all of our meals there. You will need a car to get there and it is a little off the beaten path, but well worth it. You can hike the nearby part of the Franciscan trail.
Posted by
Key West, FL, United States
72 posts
We loved our week stay at Ca'Mazzetto near the town of Valfabbrica. It is about 20km from Assisi and close to Perugia also. It is a real working sheep and olive oil farm. The hosts are wonderful and the food was so good we ate all of our meals there. You will need a car to get there and it is a little off the beaten path, but well worth it. You can hike the nearby part of the Franciscan trail.
Posted by
Key West, FL, United States
72 posts
We loved our week stay at Ca'Mazzetto near the town of Valfabbrica. It is about 20km from Assisi and close to Perugia also. It is a real working sheep and olive oil farm. The hosts are wonderful and the food was so good we ate all of our meals there. You will need a car to get there and it is a little off the beaten path, but well worth it. You can hike the nearby part of the Franciscan trail.