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Agriturism in Le Marche, Italy
There are plenty of rural places to stay in Italy that offer local, organic produce, but La Locanda near the hilltop town of Urbino in Le Marche goes the extra mile to do its bit for energy conservation. Surrounded by ancient, protected oaks, the 1920s farmhouse has been converted into a well-insulated modern, smart country house with six double rooms as well as a self-catering apartment for two...
There's purified water, solar heating and a wood-fired stove fuelled by coppicing from the 185-acre farm woods where you can gather truffles in autumn. There's a riding school next door and a gentle afternoon circular walk around the farm that will help work up an appetite for the homemade gnocchi and walnut liqueur.
· A room in the farmhouse costs €104, B&B. Apartment costs €680 for a week. Horseriding €20 per hour. 0039 0722 330303, vallenuova.it
This article, by Richard Hammond, was first published in the Guardian.
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Villa San Raffaello Sarnano Le Marche
I visited this wonderful place www.villasanraffaello.com on the strength of their many great trip advisor reviews. The old farm lies in many acres of farmland with stunning views of the lovely medieval town of Sarnano. In addition to the stylishly appointed apartments and the ancient courtyard garden and many alfresc0 eating areas, there is an organic vegetable garden and a vineyard, the nuts fruit and veg are free and are delivered by the obliging owners to your doorstep every day.
The villa itself has been reconstructed using recycled materials, they plant trees to offset carbon used by their guests, most of the heating is via wood burning stoves and the family have strong links with the local community whom they use for hiking guides, food, wine, cycle hire, touring trips etc.
Prices are very reasonable and we felt the location for was spot on as sarnano is lively and has a superb range of food shops and ristorante, also the National Park and amazing hiking is right on your doorstep
Our charming small country
Our charming small country house lies in a 185-acre organically run farm, in sight of the town of Urbino (recently registered in UNESCO’s World Heritage List), nestling in a landscape of gentle, rolling hills, rich in wild flora and fauna, where ancient oaks are still protected as they were in the times of the Dukes of Montefeltro.
Nearby towns are Assisi, Gubbio, Urbania, Arezzo, Citt� di Castello, Pesaro, Mondavio, San Leo. Ten minutes away from the Locanda visit the Furlo Gorge (Natural Park) and just a short stroll away the Monte S. Bartolo Park, the Frasassi Caves and many other beauties of Le Marche (one of the hidden treasures of Italy) and nearby Umbria and Tuscany.
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