Guardiola, ferme dans la verte Ombrie dell '

Me and my partner enjoyed a week at this lovely property sat in the hills near Umbertide. If you want peace and relaxation this is for you. We enjoyed time by the private pool and exploring the local area. Make sure that you eat at the monastery which is walking distance. You really feel that the property and its surroundings are all yours and you don't get bored of the view.

Nothing is too much trouble for the hosts if you do get any issues not that we had any.

I would recommend this to anybody there is nothing not to like!!

The cottage itself offers panoramic views of the wooded hills that it is nestled in, on the outskirts of Umbertide. It could be an hour from the town, it feels so remote and well hidden and yet it is less than 10 minutes away.

La Guardiola is the family/holiday home of sister and brother, Fulvia and Roberto Vannini. Roberto is close to hand if there is ever a problem and has great knowledge of the area and Italy in general. As well as that, he's just a super guy. Fulvia too is a wonderful hostess but is seldom in the vicinity of the cottage.

The cottage at the end of the lawn is one bedroom with a superb living/dining room with an attached kitchenette. There's a great view looking out over the canopies of the wooded valley with only two or three other residences visible in the distance.

The pool, too, is superb and is built from stone from the area. The area around the pool offers a good sunning area with shaded areas close to hand and a lovely viewing deck.

The only other residents are the groundsman, Giancarlo's dogs who live in a caged in area off to one side of the garden (and have free run of the place when the cottage is vacant). They're effective as guard dogs but can be a little yappy at times, mostly from boredom. But they're a lovely pair and I do miss them (Nibia and Cho-Cho).

Umbertide and the cottage itself makes a great hub for visiting the sights of Umbria of which there are many. The beautifully manicured village of Montone is just 'up the road'. The wonderful town of Gubbio, like something from Game of Thrones, is a little further. Perugia, Assisi, Citta di Castello, Lake Trasimeno, Spello, Terni are all a stone's throw away. Siena, 90 minutes.

Umbertide itself is a bit of a sprawl of a town with a fortified castle at its centre and a certain amount of charm. There is a pleasant enough feel to it's core with some nice restaurants although this reviewer found the better restaurants on the edge of town or a little bit further out.

Some of the furniture of the cottage lets it down slightly and looks as if it has come from a flea market but this would not deter me from staying at La Guardiola again. The only real downside to the place is finding it and remembering where it is. It is a tad awkward to locate and the drive up to it is a little rough and ready. But it's the seclusion and rustic feel of the place and it's surroundings that won me over so it was never about out of place furniture or the like.

Enjoy. I did.

My husband and I had an excellent two week stay at La Guardiola. Its a perfect romantic hideaway in Umbria. The house was very clean and well kept. Essentially we had the beautiful domain and lovely pool all to ourselves. Roberto & Fulvia were perfect hosts, very friendly and informative. The access road is a bit bumpy and the driveway a bit steep, but we soon got used to that.

Immersi in una rigogliosa vegetazione e in una pace surreale abbiamo trascorsa una settimana di assoluto relax. Abitazione confortevole . Piscina in pietra suggestiva e romantica.

Siamo appena tornati a Firenze e ci manca la quiete e lo splendore della natura che ci circondava. La notte ci addormentavamo con il canto dei grilli. La piscina in pietra è veramente stupenda. Durante il giorno non ci veniva neanche voglia di girare da come stavamo bene in questo posto. Ci manca la casetta ed anche Nebbia e Cio Cio: due cani semplicemente stupendi.

Un grazie a Fulvia e Roberto per la grande ospitalità e simpatia.