Albergo Le Macinaie, Tuscany, Italy

We returned to the Albergo Le Macinaie for the second time, after a five-year absence from Italy. We had fond memories of this little hotel, its wonderful surroundings, and incredibly Tuscan cuisine. Our second visit was long overdue, but our overall experiences the second time around were as good good as our first time!

How to Reach Monte Amiata

Monte Amiata is an extinct volcano located in the Provinces of Grosseto and Siena. The nearest cities are Arcidosso, Abbadia San Salvatore, Santa Fiora, and Piancastagnaio, all rich with ancient history! When traveling by private vehicle (or rental), you will find that the roads in Italy are excellent and well marked.

Le Macinaie's Manager sent clear and concise directions and we did not get lost. The distance from Florence is around 145 kilometers, and it took us about 3.5 hours to reach the Lodge, as we stopped frequently to take pictures. The distance from Rome is about 160 kilometers. From either direction, once you leave the Autostrada, the roads are winding, with gentle hills, and every turn rewards you with some exquisite, pastoral sight.

Albergo Le Macinaie: Location

The Lodge is located near the summit of Monte Amiata, elevation 5,700 ft. The Lodge surroundings are part of the Monte Amiata Wildlife Park where the visitor can find many walking trails, wildlife and lush vegetation endemic to the region. The area is beautiful, peaceful, and the air is clean and crisp. The Lodge is located near many small, ancient Tuscan towns off the beaten path and not overrun with tourists.

About the Lodge

The lodge is reminiscent of an Austrian ski lodge. Our room, the Panoramica, has a wonderful view of volcano's summit, a huge bathroom, and a long balcony. The balconies, during the warmer months are decorated with hanging flower baskets.

There are 17 rooms in the Lodge, and the rooms are a good size and very comfortable. The hotel is rated 3-stars, and the half-board pricing is quite reasonable.

The rooms have cable television, a desk, an armoire to store your garments. The bathrooms are equipped with all the essentials, we were not lacking for anything. And if you forgot something (personal toiletries), you just need ask for it.

We purchased the half board plan and took our breakfasts and dinners at the Lodge. We had such a memorable visit the first time around that we wanted to experience the Lodge's cuisine and hospitality, once again.

Housekeeping does a terrific job at keeping the rooms spotless.

Booking/Reservations

Booking is very easy, as you can go directly online with Le Macinaie at http://www.lemacinaie.com, and you'll be in contact with the Reception via email.

Price per person for Half Board: 85 € (in May 2009), based on double occupancy.

Dining: An Event to Remember

The breakfasts are very nice, with a variety of cold meats, cheese, breads and tea and excellent coffee.

Ah! but the most memorable experience is always at dinner time! Typically, dinner consists of a four-course dinner comprised of Tuscan delicacies. Every night is a night to remember! The chefs, Claudia and Giorgio are E.U. trained chefs, but learned the family recipes from Chef Romano, the founder of the Le Macinaie Ristorante (and family member).

The chefs will only use products found in the region, for example, local chestnuts, wild mushrooms and wild game. Of course, the pasta dishes are incredible, and their pasta is hand-made every day. Here you will eat the best mushroom soup, anywhere in Italy! The Tuscan cuisine is truly delectable, and is quite different from the cuisine of other parts of Italy.

Maurizio, the maitre d' and sommelier explains all the dishes served, and will make an expert wine recommendation. The wines are typically from the immediate area, such as Montepulciano, Montalcino and Montecucco, to name a few.

Activities

The Lodge offers many activities for a fee, and some activities do not cost a cent, such a hiking, for example. During the warm months, activities include fully guided bicycle tours and horseback trail tours, to cooking classes throughout the year. There are many activities to choose from and the hotel will provide you with the information before you arrive, to give you time to think about what you would like participate in once at the Lodge. Some activities requiring equipment rental need advance reservations. Each activity is tailored for the guest, so that way everyone ends up getting what he or she wants.

The area lends itself for relaxing drives in your own car, or a motorbike that you can rent from the Lodge from one day to several days (with prior arrangement). Bicycling one way (downhill) is easy, but riding up the mountain is another story unless you are a professional rider from the Italian Pro-Cycling Team! No worries, you don't have to come up the mountain roads; we did so on our first visit, and we thought we were going to die that day. Guests can arrange with the Lodge for a pick-up!

The first time we visited, we took a bicycle tour to the Saturnia Spa (Terme di Saturnia), a 46 kilometers, easy, mostly a downhill, one-way ride. The bike tours are guided and escorted by a professional bike rider; lunch is fully catered by the Lodge. The lunch location is usually a vineyard or an olive grove, and tables are set up under the shade of trees. After lunch we rode to the Saturnia Spa, spent a couple of relaxing hours in the warm waters, and then the bikes were picked-up and we were taken back to the Lodge by vehicle. Awesome!

We took a tour of Monte Amiata on horseback, we saw areas of the forest that are not accessible on foot, and we would have missed if just driving around.

We also took a cooking class with Chef Claudia, a class that was set up just for my husband and me. We learned how to make two types of pasta from scratch (no pasta machine is used): Pici and Tagliatelle, two Tuscan favorites.

Day Trips

When we had no planned activities, we would get in the car and drive to any of the nearby ancient villages. The Lodge is ideally situated near many southern Tuscany cities, such as Pitigliano, Grosseto, Siena, Pienza, Montalcino, beaches, and many other little towns known for their Etruscan history.

There are two thermal baths half an hour's drive: Bagni San Filippo, Bagno Vignoni, and less than an hour's drive is the beautiful Terme di Saturnia. If you like to relax, these baths are wonderful to visit!

Other Lodge Amenities

During winter, the Ski resort opens for downhill skiing, and the chairlifts are only a few feet from the front door.

Free Wi-Fi connectivity is available throughout the hotel, but the upper floor is too far, and we had to come down to the lounge or breakfast area. There are conference facilities to serve up to 60 guests, and I understand weddings are popular at the Lodge.

Guests with children will find the Lodge very child-friendly. The Lodge offers babysitting services; a nice children's play area, and a play room fully stocked with kid's activities.

There is ample, free parking around the Lodge.

Summary

Le Macinaie is a family-owned and operated establishment. The staff is a well-coordinated team of men and women whose sole objective is to ensure that your holiday is a memorable event.

Normally, we do not revisit an area or hotel, but Le Macinaie is truly the exception; it is like visiting a loving family that just spoils you rotten, and feeds you exquisite meals every day you are there! Our arrival was marked with joy, and our departure filled with sadness for leaving our wonderful Italian family. The memories will forever be happy ones!

If you are planning a visit to this part of Tuscany, then you ought to consider staying at this little treasure of a hotel, surrounded by the beauty of Monte Amiata.

We highly recommend this 3-star hotel with a 5-star attitude!

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Photos of Monte Amiata:

http://travel.webshots.com/album/572742732ocNdMm