Casa Ursic

Fantastic

The place itself is gorgeous, thoughtfully furnished, and looks out onto peaceful woods. We chose it for the natural setting, but several things got in the way of relaxing. Because the house is five kilometers from the nearest supermarket, we expected a few basics like bottled water, small samples of shower soap, and garbage bags, which the apartment guide says are required. There was none of that. On arrival, two kitchen bulbs were burned out, the gas stove didn’t work, and the dishes hadn’t been washed properly. We could also hear noise from the floor above at all hours. After we reported the bulbs and stove, the cleaning lady came into our apartment that evening without permission, while we were in our pajamas having dinner. She spoke to us rudely and arrogantly, and behaved the same way the next day. There are two doors in the entrance hall that are locked from the outside. One opens onto the laundry room, so only people with keys, including the owners, can get in. That raised privacy and security concerns. The sauna mentioned in the listing wasn’t working either. The house and its view are beautiful, but the management was poor and made the stay stressful instead of letting the property shine.

The apartment is lovely and very well equipped, in a stone house renovated in an authentic style. The kitchen is a little cramped but has everything, including a gas stove. There’s a sheltered outdoor space with a big table, a bedroom with a view and a really comfortable mattress, two small living rooms, and Wi-Fi that works. The bathroom is spacious and has a bidet. In warmer weather there’s an outdoor shower, and next door there’s a sauna for colder days. Service was friendly, and the owner was happy to offer useful tips. The price feels good to very good for what you get. The view from the balcony is reason enough for five stars. The idyllic scenery and mostly complete quiet make it easy to relax with a glass of Schioppettino. If Casa delle Rondini in the next small village is closed, finding somewhere to eat can be a challenge. It only opens on weekends, and it’s highly recommended when it does. The church bells behind the house ring hourly, quite discreetly, but three times a day they’re louder, first at 6 a.m. The neighbor’s dog sometimes makes noise from its kennel. With the windows shut, though, that isn’t a problem.

The kitchen is well equipped and the bed is comfortable, but privacy was a real issue. The house is split into three parts: the owner has one, and the other two are units A and B. There are three doors into unit A, and we weren’t given keys for them, so anyone with a key, including the owner, could enter. Two doors lock and one is a sliding door. It didn’t feel private at all. The village is small, and during our visit a large dog was roaming around. With the wooden floors, we could hear every movement upstairs.