Castello La Rocca–The Finest Villa in Tuscany?

Castello La Rocca is the name of what might be the finest villa in Firenzuola, maybe in all of Tuscany. They say that a man’s home is his castle, but this vacation home really is. Once an actual castle, the villa has gone under recent renovations with no expense spared to bring it back to, and past, its former glory. Spiral stairs, an antique walled garden and olive grove–staying in Castello La Rocca will have you feeling like royalty.

Further contributing to the medieval feeling are the remains of the medieval fortifications which are impressive even in disrepair. What remains of those fortifications illustrates how Firenzuola was erected to protect Florence back in more contentious times. A bit more of a peaceful reminder are the Saint John the Baptist Parish and the Museum of The Serene Stone, a tribute to the quarry economy of the medieval town.

Firenzuola is known for its well earned resort status and rich history, but there are many lesser known events and celebrations, like the “Show of Craftsmanship” which is held every July in the artistic center of the town to promote the local arts and artisans of Firenzuola. Bringing home some genuine local treasures to your medieval luxury home-for-a-week will give anyone the feeling of truly living in Tuscany.

Staying in Innsbruck

There’s little not to like about the summer in Innsbruck. The days can be alternately very hot to warm, and that’s hard to predict, but the nights are invariably cool and still. Perfect for a historic town with a beautiful pedestrian area. While the nightlife is nothing to scream about, anyone considering coming to Innsbruck probably isn’t all that interested in screaming.

An Innsbruck vacation is well suited for the cultured visitor. Interesting and famous buildings–like the famous Golden Roof and the imperial court–proudly line wide and well visited streets. Seven museums await exploration by the curious and for those with a penchant for ‘attractions’ there are the four very well maintained parks. If you are seeking more excitement, however, the ski jump stadium on the Bergisel might be more to your liking.

Innsbruck has had quite an economic boost since hosting the winter olympics, and has responded by expanding on its festivals and cultural events for its growing tourist base. Very popular are the Christmas fair and Weeks of Classical Music, neither of which you can forgive yourself for missing. Christmas in a winter wonderland will have you feeling as if you transported yourself into a snow globe.

If you’re staying in Innsbruck, don’t cheat yourself out of the experience by staying in a hotel. Live like the Austrians, become part of the community. Book an apartment with Interhome.

Adventure Travel in Croatia

ISTRIA CROATIA

Adventure travel is getting harder and harder to find without abandoning all conceptions of modern conveniences. Adventure is one thing, but not everyone wants to give up having a toilet for weeks on end to be able to say they’ve been to the wild. On the other end of the spectrum is what’s driving modern day Lewis and Clarks to such lengths in search of the real foreign experience.

What is driving modern adventure travelers into jungle and mountain with no hope of comfort to be found? The difficulty in finding genuine, unsterilized experiences. Any popular destination these days is likely to be festooned with American products, English neon signs and T-shirts of popular western bands. Why go to another country to stay home? Croatia is one of the few destinations gaining popularity that is not succumbing to this trend and still offers rustic adventure alongside modern hospitality.

Istria, on its own, gives adventure travel a good name. Unspoiled lakes, thick forest and beautiful vistas that require some foot work to find are the rule and not the exception, and can be reached from vacation rental homes which also are in reach of great restaurants that will not compromise their local customs for tourists. For a genuine experience, try Croatia.

The Exclusive Custom Chianti Experience

Too often a vacation rental is disappointing. The traveler wants to feel part of the country or region they’re visiting, not be bombarded with advertisements and promotions. Who wants to fly to Italy on promises of a genuine rustic experience only to find themselves immersed in a kitschy tourist trap? Not you, and not me. That’s why Interhome makes sure to present European vacationers with many different options in regions as far flung as Chianti, Abruzzo and Sardinia. I’m going to tell you a bit about the extraordinary service available in this particular Chianti rental.

These apartments on a working vineyard and olive oil press are as genuine Chianti as you can get without marrying into a Tuscan family. Less expensive, too. The local owner is very familiar with American visitors’ needs and desires and is eager to make a good impression of his home and his region. He’ll arrange for cooking classes–and Italy is known for nothing if not it’s elevation of cuisine to a familial passion–and other custom experiences to make sure you get the most out of your visit.

The only poor part of a vacation here is when you have to leave. You may not have enough time to pack in all you want to do and see. Take it slow, however, and time your trip well and you can take part in oil pressing, grape harvesting and the most important custom of all: wine sampling.

Luxury Honeymoon Villa in Provence

Provence has been delighting lovers for so long that the name is nearly synonymous with romance. The area is so beautiful as to be spellbinding. To describe all of Provence’s charms is redundant: it’s so famous as to be the proverbial romantic getaway. The place is so amazing that the only variable on your trip is where you decide to stay.

Within Provence there are many nice towns waiting to enchant you. Among these is Vaison La Romaine, named for its founding as a Roman outpost. The town has been occupied since the bronze age, but it was the Romans who made the place what it is today. Glorious Roman architecture remains the visual centerpiece of the town, not least of which is the rather impressive stone bridge over the Ouveze river. The stroll down to the bridge will transport you back in time.

Climbing back up to this rental villa however will transport you back to the present. With an outdoor and an indoor pool as well as a private garden this villa in Vaison might be the ultimate honeymoon retreat. Enjoy all the privacy you could want in a canopy bed overlooking one of the most beautiful vistas in the world and make your love timeless.

Fun in Switzerland? This is Zermatt.

What you can take away from the first thirty seconds of this video is that there are few places in this world where you can wake up, look out your window and see one of the largest and most storied mountains in the world, and impulsively decide it’s time to go rocketing down it. One of those very select resorts is Zermatt.

For me to lecture on the allure of Zermatt is redundant. Everything good you’ve heard about Switzerland comes together in this resort, and most skiers–heck, most people who’ve ever looked at a skiing magazine–already know it. What I’m going to tell you is that if you’re staying in Zermatt, stay in a rented vacation home.

Staying in a vacation home you get much, much more bang for your buck. Or Euro. You get storage space, privacy and enough room to walk around with your skis on without tripping over every other tourist in the country. Most of the better villas, and all the villas offered by Interhome fall into the ‘better’ category, have an amazing view from which to enjoy a beer and a sunset and a door that leads pretty directly to a ski lift or down to the center of the resort. If this video doesn’t convince you just check out some of Zermatt’s press and this villa. See you on the slopes.

Provence–The Perfect Vacation Spot

France is known for its liberal and engaging population, avant-garde arts community, storied history, fine food, aesthetic beauty and superior wines. In Provence, you will find all this and more. When one imagines romantic France, it is usually Provence they picture.

The people of Provence are known for being friendly but reserved, simultaneously warm and elegant. What else could one expect from residents of an area where world-renowned frescoes, universally revered architecture and lush rolling hills soften the spirit and refine the palate? The region is so famously beautiful it would be hard to occupy it with any unsmiling face.

Occupied continuously from at least 27000 BCE, Provence is home to some of the most magnificent and best preserved structures to have survived from the Roman Empire through the reign of Louis XIV and all the periods in between. Standing out is the single best preserved Roman theater in Europe, the Roman Theater In Orange, Vaucluse. Orange is also home to a particularly complex and fine triumphal arch, the Arc de Triomphe D’Orange. The theater would have been the center of the town during Augustus’ reign, but the new center of this lush agricultural community is now the Rue Saint-Martin, a white brick road with picturesque stucco shops and lined with tall conifers.

Vaucluse warrants a few days exploration in and of itself, and the area deserves your undivided attention. To get the total experience one simply must rent a vacation property and take advantage of the local hospitality.