Casa Grande is situated in an old olive grove on a gentle slope, with views of the surrounding hills, the town of Cecina, the sea an the Tuscan islands. It is an old farmhouse with the traditional layout of two floors linked by an interior staircase. The ground floor comprises the large kitchen (with stove, refrigerator, oven, dining table and chairs, kitchen cupboard) with a large open fireplace. Opposite the kitchen is a living room with sofa, chest of drawers, bookshelves, an upright piano and a bed, with access to the bathroom with shower. And an additional room with double bad. The upper floor has two bedrooms (one twith douple bed, small table etc. and one with three single beds) and a large bathroom with Tub, shower and WC). Altogether the house has 8 beds and one children’s bed (without security bars) that the owner build and brought back from Tanzania, and a living area of approximately 100 sq.m.
Built onto the house is an old wood oven, still fully functional and ideal for baking pizza. In front of the house, in the shade of acacia and pine trees, is a spacious area for sitting, eating and daydreaming, with views over the whole valley and across the sea as far as the islands of Elba, Capraia and Corsica.
The House lies amongst gentle hills below the village of Riparbella, some 8 km from the Mediterranean coast and is part of Podere Vallari, a small olive-growing estate which has been run organically as a family business by Sigismund and Ursula Hadelich since 1981.
Guests enjoy its idyllic position set amongst olive groves, with distant views over valleys and hills and westwards towards the sea. In good visibility the view ranges across the countryside and over the sea to the island of Elba and even the craggy silhouette of Corsica! The coastal scenery is varied, with steep cliffs to the north (Castiglioncello-Quercianella) and sandy beaches to the west and south (Cecina, Bibbona, Gulf of Baratti), offering something to appeal to every taste.
A guest recently remarked that staying at Podere Vallari felt like walking 'in a postcard', because the vineyards, olive groves and view of the sea were so beautiful. If you want a holiday away from tourist traps and commercial pricey holiday retreats, and instead get a real taste of the Tuscan countryside, you've come to the right place!