Tuscany, Lunigiana, Bagnone, Italy

Lovely stone house in a village with balcony and terrace. Three double bedrooms and good living area, and land just a short walk away.

Full of character, the kitchen is traditional, with a small dining room and a sweet little sitting room. Bathroom with shower. Upstairs are three double bedrooms, one of which opens onto a balcony. Downstairs are 'cantina' storerooms, and there is land included which is just a short walk away. The terrace around the property is perfect for dining 'al fresco' or for relaxing with an aperitivo in the sunshine.

The house sits in a quiet and peaceful location in a little village close to Bagnone. Bagnone is a charming medieval town dominated by a castle and a cobbled piazza is ideal for watching the local town life go by while sipping a cappuccino in one of the many cafès. Cobbled lanes with interlinking archways and restaurants hidden under the stone vaults, shops offering local produce and the backdrop of the mountains make this a particularly pretty town in the area. Licciana Nardi is a town in the Taverone valley with a 13th century pedestrian street flanked with local shops. Central in the town is the Piazza del Municipio which hosts the 16th century Malaspina castle and many festivals such as the Chestnut Festival in the autumn. The castle is linked to the baroque church by a covered bridge so that the nobles had direct access to prayer and dealings with the local priest. There are also a bank, schools, restaurants and medical facilities. The nearby village of Monti has a castle on the hill above and offers a good selection of amenities.

The rolling landscape is liberally sprinkled with castles of Medici or Malaspina vintage and for lovers of the coast the sea is only just a short hop away. The golden sandy beaches around Lerici and the pebble coves of the Cinque Terre (UNESCO World Heritage site) are ideal for swimming and sailing. The area is criss-crossed with marked footpaths for walks to the hills and mountains. The Tuscan towns of Florence, Lucca and Pisa make great day trips to take in the art and architecture treasures, or just to soak in the italian life, and the coastal towns of Pietrasanta, Viareggio and Portofino are perfect for an aperitivo in the sunshine. Importantly, the airports of Pisa, Parma and Genova are each just over an hour away.

Distances: Bagnone 2 km, Licciana Nardi 8 km, Aulla (motorway and trains) 12 km, Lerici (beaches) 30 km, Cinque Terre 40 km, Lucca 80 km, Pisa (airport) 90 km.