Tuscany, Lunigiana, Podenzana, Italy

Bright and charming village house conveniently located at the entrance to a peaceful hilltop village.

Enter from the village lane up steps to a bright entrance hall, with a bedroom and bathroom on this level. A marble staircase leads to the second floor with sitting room and delightful rustic kitchen with stufa and marble sink. Also accessed from this level is a good-sized roof terrace, ideal for dining al fresco or soaking up the sun, with spectacular views over the village and surrounding hills, right down to the coast. The property is full of character and presented in good condition, with double glazing and beautiful tiled floors. All services are connected.

Below is a cantina and wc / laundry, and a second cantina used as a woodstore. There is free parking in the village parking right outside the property.

The area of Podenzana is a series of villages strung along the hills and ridges above the town of Ceparana and stretching down towards the sea. Set ont he border between Liguria and Tuscany with access to the lovely coastline and the hills of Tuscany. Podenzana is famous for the 'panigacci' and there are numerous local restaurants offering this speciality, of crisp pancakes cooked in terracotta dishes over the embers of an open fire and served in baskets with trays of cream cheese and assorted salami, Parma ham and pancetta. Sandwich them together and eat with your fingers, whilst sipping the local red wine. Simply delicious.

The Cinque Terre are five picturesque villages strung along the narrow coastline north of the Gulf of the Poets and La Spezia with pretty coves, beaches. They are accessed on foot, by boat or with the local train which shuttles between the villages. Anyone visiting the Cinque Terre should take a walk along the cliff paths which link one village to the next, stop in one of the bars or restaurants and try the anchovies marinated in olive oil and garlic, served with fresh bread and delicate white wine made from the grapes which grow in spectacular fashion, up the steep terraces above the villages. The Cinque Terre is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Gulf of the Poets is an enclave with a group of three islands at its tip, with fishing villages with exceptional fish restaurants, as well as opportunities for sailing, canoeing, snorkelling or just relaxing on one the beaches hidden in craggy bays around Fiascherino or Tellaro. The easiest way to get around the gulf is by boat and services run from Lerici, La Spezia, Portovenere and on to The Cinque Terre. The name Gulf of the Poets is from the literary connection as some of the world's most famous poets lived here at one time, including Shelley, Byron and D H Lawrence.

Distances: Ceparana 7 km (shops, restaurants and motorway). La Spezia (sailing, shopping, trains) 20km, Beaches at Lerici 20 km, Cinque Terre 35 km, Lucca 80 km, Pisa (airport) 90 km, Florence 150 km.