Casa Castagna
Granaglione,
Bologna
Self-catering
+44 (0)7775 754763
Visit owner's website
£90 - £110
per night
£550 - £750
per week
A unique opportunity to switch off and unwind in a simple, historic cottage with a terraced, bucolic garden surrounded by wooded hills
4 beds
3 bedrooms
Sleeps 6
Children welcome
Pets welcome
Babies welcome
Your dates are available!
2 Guests 22 Nov 24 - 22 Nov 24
Direct with the owner
Visit the owner’s chosen website for availability, online booking or contact details.
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What part does Sawday’s play?
£90 - £110 per night
£550 - £750 per week
The Experience
The silence is palpable, the air is pure and the wildlife abundant: you may see deer, wild boar, porcupines, owls, eagles and badgers. You will feel isolated – it’s a very small hamlet and nobody lives here full time but it’s a 15-minute drive to the nearest town. You walk straight into the kitchen, rather simple and basic but all you need is there, as well as a little gift or handmade soap from Daniela, the housekeeper.
The living room is packed with good books in English, cards, table games and puzzles in case the weather turns, but it’s all about the outdoors here. Children will adore the freedom and there’s a special treehouse for them. You can semi-supervise and eat and drink at a table outside by the chestnut, oak, linden, pine and birch trees, feeling very lucky to be here.
Walk endless trails in the woods, cool off in the nearby river, cook supper outdoors and watch the stars appear one by one.
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We think you'll love
- Being immersed in wildlife and nature
- Stargazing, hiking in the woods, swimming in the river
- The utter silence with the occasional rustle of an animal or hoot of an owl
You should know
- It's quite a twisty, steep road up to the hamlet
- There's just one bathroom
Essentials
- EV charger
- Self check-in
- Swimming pool
- Hot tub
- Garden
- Open fire / woodburner
- Breakfast included
- Breakfast available
- Meals available
- Vegetarian meals
- Oven
- Parking on premises
- Free parking nearby
- Accessible by public transport
- WiFi
- Television
- Central heating
- Limited mobility
- Wheelchair access
- Mobile reception
- Hob
- Barbecue
- Paid parking nearby
- Air conditioning
- Relaxation areas
- Washing machine
- Tennis court
- Microwave oven
- No smoking
- Credit cards
- Working farm
- Owner has pets
- Electricity included
- Dishwasher
- Pets welcome
Family friendly
- Baby monitor
- Books and toys
- Children welcome
- Babies welcome
- Stair gates
- High chair
- Fire guard
- Cot available
Nearby
- Pub/bar within 3 miles
- Restaurant within 3 miles
- Shop within 3 miles
Activities
- Bikes available
- Food courses
- Kayaking
- Other courses
- Sailing
- Surfing
- Wild swimming
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Pricing
- Nightly price
- from £90
- Weekly price
- from £550
- Damage deposit
- £100
- 1 House for 6
- From £904 beds3 bedrooms
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Information
Booking information
- Check in
- 4pm
- Check out
- 11am
- Other details
- Minimum stay: 3 nights, 7 nights in high season. 10% discount for couples if booking for 1+ weeks (exc. high season). 2 double sofa beds in lounge.
- Closed
- Never.
- No smoking
- Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.
- Meals
- Restaurants 7km.
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Reviews
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Casa Castagna is a home that feels as if it is giving a hug to whomsoever enters it. We were exceptionally lazy, read lots of books, cooked with the amazing local produce, and went on long walks, all of which was exactly what we needed. We could have gone on day trips - but the house and surrounding forest lulled us into their rhythm, so we were happiest staying put - especially as the amazing neighbours kept bringing us fabulous fresh vegetables and fruit, along with stories about the ‘animali di bosco’ (including wolves!). A little piece of paradise.
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If you are looking for a holiday in the wilderness but prefer a non-fussy stone cottage rather than a tent, Casa Castagna (Chestnut) is the right place. On the Tuscan/Emilia border, you are guaranteed an authentic under tourism stay while immersed in nature - hiking, wild river swimming, star-gazing, spotting deer or boar, visiting the surrounding villages and soaking up the slow lifestyle.
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Location
The neighbourhood
You're on the border of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. Pracchia is the nearest town, a pretty place with shops, a bank, chemist and restaurants, including the family-run Mellini by the river. There’s also Rifugio Orsigna, a mountain refuge serving boar, deer and chestnuts. Porretta (25 min), a Roman spa town has an outdoor pool, weekly market and cafés. Catch the train to Florence through the Reno valley.
Local points of interest from Candida & Andreas Jones
- Partisans hid out here during WW2 – look out for the hammer & sickle carved in piazza. Eric Newby's Love & War in The Appenines was set here. There are lovely marked mountain walks from the front door including to an abandoned village 1km away, and no cars
- The hamlet, 700m up, was built in the early C18th on the site of a medieval convent and little has changed since. Some neighbours still farm and rear animals, forage for porcini mushrooms and meet in piazza at dusk to chat - like stepping back in time
- Explore the gardens, tree house & woods, home to deer, wild boar, porcupine, owls, badgers, and even wolves! The night sky is pitch black and the stars are brilliant. Try watching the Perseid meteor shower (July-Aug) from a sunlounger with a glass of wine
- Try wild swimming, in streams and waterfalls and in the nearby River Reno with beaches along its banks. A lake 30 mins away has sail boats for hire and beaches. The nearby Roman spa town of Porretta has a large open air pool and spa complex
- Within approx 1hr you’re in Pisa, Lucca, Florence, Pistoia or Bologna. Porretta has one of the best weekly food markets in Italy – local farmers and producers come from Emilia Romagna & Tuscany – and it’s home to a yearly Blues Festival
- The area is famous for its food festivals which celebrate local produce from truffles to wild boar. Ideal for those with a spirit of adventure who want an authentic glimpse of one of the last corners of Tuscany/Emilia Romagna still untouched by tourism
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Introducing
Candida & Andreas Jones
Candida (a photographer) and Andreas (an environmental consultant) are true Italophiles. They've been coming here for years with their children and love its simplicity and beauty. Housekeeping (and greeting) is done by retired couple Daniela and Roberto - they come up every day to feed the hens, rabbits and pigeons. They don't speak English but have magnificent arm gestures.
We have just returned from a lovely week at Casa Castagna - we went to walk and walk we did. The house is situated on the edge of a small hamlet and there are footpaths in every direction. The neighbours are lovely and the location is wonderful. Fallow deer came to feed just below the house every morning and it is wonderfully peaceful. Communication with Candida was great and Daniela, the neighbour, is on standby to help with anything to do with the house. We would thoroughly recommend a stay at Casa Castagna.