1 bedroom semi-detached house, 120 m²

Fivizzano, Massa-Carrara (province)

Lunigiana

Charming character cottage, packed with rustic features and authentic character.

Accommodation is arranged over three floors, comprising ground floor hall, bathroom with shower, stairs up to first floor kitchen with marble sink, living room, snug (with sofa bed) and stairs to second floor bedroom and bathroom with bath. Cantina plumbed for washing machine.

The property is presented in good condition, restored imaginatively to conserve beautiful stone floors, cotto tiles, wooden beams, paired with quirky modern bathrooms, plus pellet stufa, new double-glazed windows and air con to the bedroom.

The property is set in a tiny stone hamlet, clustered around an ancient church in the heart of beautiful countryside. The little towns of Gragnola (2km), Monzone (2.5km) and Equi Terme (5km) are on the doorstep, providing a range of shops and services, restaurants and transport links, including a train station.

Equi Terme is a pretty place, a tiny spa town, with a river running through it and there are excellent local restaurants and shops in the village. Famous for centuries for the natural spring waters, now a spa and wellness retreat with thermal springs, large outdoor swimming pool and a new zip wire, climbing wall and e-bike hire. Excellent mountain trails for walking and biking. There are caves and grottos with stalagtites and stalacmites which welcome visitors and at Christmas time the whole village is alive with a special festival which attracts visitors from all around.

Fivizzano (10km) is a beautiful medieval walled town with a central cobbled piazza. Often referred to as the Florence of Lunigiana, Fivizzano town is both beautiful and practical with supermarkets, restaurants and coffee bars. The bustling town hosts many cultural events over the summer with concerts in the piazza and reenactments of medieval parades and with its musical heritage the town also attracts international musicians during its annual folk music festival. There is a hospital, shops and restaurants in the town.

The Gulf of the Poets and Cinque Terre are within easy reach as are the cultural centres of Tuscany with Lucca and Pisa. Ski resort of Cerreto Laghi can be reached in aproximately 45 mins, with good skiing over the winter months and also open in the summertime to pick up a chair lift up to wonderful summer walking in the hills.

There are many great day trips to explore. Lucca is a beautiful Tuscan town protected by massively thick 16th-century walls, featuring some of Italy's finest medieval and Renaissance architecture, superb dining, antique markets, classical and rock music at the Lucca Summer Festival and with easy access to stunning nearby villas in the surrounding hills. The central Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in the centre is stunning. Pietrasanta is a historic medieval and artistic town in northern Tuscany sometimes called the City of the Artists or Small Athens for its marble studios and monuments. It is an important centre for working marble and was used as a marble source by Michelangelo. And, of course, the art and architectural treasures of Florence are a must.

The Ligurian coastline is within easy reach. The Cinque Terre (UNESCO World Heritage site) is made up of the five fishing villages: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore and the 18km of coastal walks along the old mule-tracks between them, the most famous of which is the Via dell’Amore. Just south of the Cinque Terre is Portovenere where you can catch a ferry to the Cinque Terre or to Lerici, swim at Byron’s Bay or visit one of the islands Palmaria, Tino or Tinetto. The villages of Lerici and San Terenzo, each with impressive castles, face each other across the Gulf of the Poets and Tellaro has been named as one of the top 100 most beautiful hamlets in Italy. Neighbouring Fiascherino is just as beautiful. In addition to being known as a seaside tourist town, Viareggio is famous for its Carnival in February and the Puccini Festival during July and August. So the Ligurian coastline offers endless possibilities for days swimming or sailing, or for catching a boat trip or for simply taking a 'passeggiata al mare' and sipping an aperitivo.

The Ligurian coastline is special and Lunigiana, the northernmost part of Tuscany, is magical. The rolling landscape is liberally sprinkled with castles of Medici or Malaspina vintage and the year round calendar of festivals offer wonderful local specialities to try in each of the ancient towns and villages. The airports of Pisa, Parma and Genova are all just over an hour away.

Distances: Fivizzano 10 km, Aulla (motorway and trains) 15 km, Lerici (beaches) 36 km, Cinque Terre 40 km, Lucca 90 km, Pisa (airport) 100 km.