10/10 Excellent
Bill R., Sautee Nacoochee, Gerogia USA
24 Aug 2019
Liked: Cleanliness
Italian Excellence!
My wife and I just returned from a week at Castle Cottage. Forget about the crowded, noisy, over-priced vacation stay. Rather, imagine the village of Rozzonico, Italy. Imagine history going back to before the Roman Empire. Imagine narrow cobblestone streets winding through ancient stone houses with red tile roofs. Imagine staying on the grounds of a 13th century castle. This is the beautifully restored Castle Cottage. Set back from the one-way cobblestone avenue, the cottage is accessed via a narrow path beside the Castle walls. Open the door and find a country kitchen with dishwasher, stove, oven, washing machine and every kind of cooking utensil imaginable. The adjoining living area has a pleasing mixture of books, antiques, art and knick-knacks. Moving upstairs along a spiral staircase is the bathroom and bedroom. Throw open the bedroom windows and take in the wonderful view of the lake. Normally this would be sufficient, but open doors at the end of the bedroom and step into your private, covered patio. These features alone would be enough to make all worthwhile, but the grounds make Cottage unique! The doors off the kitchen and living room open to a covered patio with a dining table, perfect to enjoy a candle-lit dinner. Beyond is enchantment. There is nothing between the patio and the lake other than a wide expanse of lawn sprinkled with flowers, a vegetable garden and little flower beds against stone outcroppings. At the bottom of the hill, there's a key hanging from an olive tree which unlocks the gate to the rocky beach. All of this is within the outer walls of the castle. The tall inner castle walls provide privacy for the owner. Within the shadow of the Castle is a restaurant, a pizzeria and a small, well-stocked grocery store. Stroll this beautiful village and follow the Antica Strada Regina toward Menaggio. Imagine others walking these steps over two thousand years ago.
Bill R.
Stayed 8 nights in Aug 2019