Tuscany, Lunigiana, Licciana Nardi, Italy

Full of character, with three bedrooms, in a lovely village in the Lunigiana hills of Tuscany, with pretty garden and views.

There is access to the house from the village piazza, into the vine covered pergola and garden. The accommodation comprises: an entrance hall, kitchen, living room, bathroom, and three further cantina rooms on the ground floor; upstairs there are three bedrooms, of which one with an ante-room. Two of the bedrooms have direct access to a balcony with wonderful views. The courtyard has a vine pergola offering shade in the hot summer months and the lawned garden is planted with olive trees. The house has beautiful views and it is set just above the pretty town of Tavernelle where there is a restaurant and shop.

Just a short walk away is an excellent, family run restaurant and local coffee bar which is very popular with great local specialities (Montagna Verde, Apella). In fact ,the area is dotted with excellent farm restaurants with fresh produce in very pretty settings. The village is set on the Taverone valley between Licciana Nardi and Tavernelle and there are plenty of opportunities for swimming and paddling in the nearby river and streams. The area offers many walking trails through the hills and to the mountains.

Licciana Nardi is a town in the Taverone valley with a lovely, cobbled 13th century pedestrian village lane flanked with local shops. Central in the town is the Piazza del Municipio which hosts the 16th century Malaspina castle and the many festivals such as the Chestnut Festival in the autumn and the sports 'Olympics' in the summer. The castle is linked to the baroque church by a covered bridge and overlooks the pretty piazza. There are also a bank, schools, restaurants and medical facilities. The nearby village of Monti has a castle on the hill above and also offers a good selection of amenities. Comano is at the head of the Taverone valley with a backdrop of the breathtaking Apennine Mountains. There are many walking trails leading from Comano and the surrounding villages to the hills. The town hosts an annual festival of horses in the summer and it offers a good selection of shops, restaurants and sports facilities.

Lunigiana is a magical part of Tuscany. The rolling landscape is liberally sprinkled with castles of Medici or Malaspina vintage and for lovers of the coast the spectacular Ligurian coastline is close by. The golden sandy beaches around Lerici and the pebble coves of the Cinque Terre are ideal for swimming and sailing in the summer. The area is criss-crossed with marked footpaths for walks to the hills and mountains. The airports of Pisa, Parma and Genova are all just over an hour away.

Distances: Tavernelle is a short walk, Licciana Nardi 5 km, Comano 5 km, Aulla (train station and supermarkets) 15 km, Lerici (beaches) 40 km, Cinque Terre 45 km, Lucca 90 km, Pisa (airport) 95 km.