Casolare Al Dopolavoro

A beautiful place tucked away in a hidden spot. The owners were so kind, and we relaxed with Tuscan food and wine here. My children played in the private garden.

We’d happily return, though the week we spent at this charming property seemed to fly by. It sits in a landscaped park on the hill overlooking Lucca, around 20-30 minutes from the sea and Pisa. The spacious rooms have air conditioning and all the comforts, including a private jacuzzi in the garden. We enjoyed the barbecue with our guests, under the shade of a charming church, and the terrace was lovely for relaxing in the evenings. Cinzia and her husband were delightful hosts, attentive and discreet, and always up for a chat.

We liked it enough to book our next stay before leaving. The owners live downstairs and guests have the upstairs apartment, in what is essentially a house built on top of another house. It has two bedrooms, each with its own bathroom, a large kitchen, a spacious living room, and Wi-Fi that worked perfectly. There’s a big private garden with a jacuzzi, plus a roomy veranda for meals and spending time together. The place used to be a restaurant until the 1950s. It’s in the very quiet Lucca-Gattaiola district, just south of the center, beside an old village church whose bells stop at 9 pm. Lucca’s center is only a few minutes away. The owners are friendly, attentive, and easy to reach, and communicating in English was no problem.

There’s everything you could want for a vacation here, from the garden, barbecue, and jacuzzi to the dreamlike historic Victorian-style house. The owners were very pleasant and friendly, and we’d love to come back. The historic center is perhaps a 10-15 minute drive away, while a fine sandy beach in a national park, with no hotels, is about 30 minutes away.