Casa Anna S. Anna di Stazzema, Camaiore A romantic hideaway in the Tuscan mountains
Casa Anna is a converted cottage above the tiny hamlet of Sant'Anna di Stazzema, high in the Apuan Alps of Tuscany and above the coastline of Viareggio. It has a delightful terraced garden with a Jacuzzi, and a covered pergola with lovely views of the surrounding hills. The small village is a brief walk away and has a tiny cafe/restaurant with a few simple supplies. The owners have carefully converted and modernised their family retreat to make an excellent base for a holiday in these fascinating mountains. Approached up a steep drive, the house is terraced into the hillside: one can enter through the lower door to the sitting room, or more naturally from the covered terrace a floor higher, with its magnificent views. The ground floor has a lovely kitchen/dining room. Upstairs there is a double bedroom with beautiful views over the local valley and a smaller bedroom with bunk beds and a
shower room. Back down the stairs, a further flight leads down to a comfortable sitting room, with sofas surrounding a central coffee table. This room also has a sofa that can easily become a double bed, and a second shower-room. The garden is to the left of the house, terraced cleverly into the hillside. The Jacuzzi is on the highest level, gazing out over the valley from its private position.
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CASA ANNA Sleeps 4
1 double bedroom, 1 bunk bedroom, 2 shower-rooms. Jacuzzi, covered terrace. Small bar/shop Sant'Anna 300 metres away, Camaiore (shops, restaurants) and Pietrasanta (marble sculpture centre) 20 mins, Coast 25 mins, Lucca 50 mins, Pisa (closest airport) 50 mins. Map: page 20, ref A 2
The Apuan alps are a great undiscovered playground of walks, climbs, restaurants, and historical villages. Reaching as high as 1700 metres (over 5500 feet) these are the mountains from which Michelangelo carved the marble for the David, astoundingly white and still highly prized. The quarries may still be visited, and nearby Pietrasanta is a centre for sculptors, with a lively programme of exhibitions throughout the year.
For full details see www.invitationtotuscany.com 29