Probably best to say that our stay at Villa Castelleto vastly exceeded already high expectations. The pictures of the villa give an idea of how the place looks, but only when you are actually there does the full beauty of the place and the surroundings really come to life.
So peaceful and relaxing. Villa - Feels much bigger inside than the pictures show. And everything is so clean and modern and new, but still comfortable and done in a traditional style. Three bedrooms, three immaculate bathrooms (and one toilet room on the groundfloor with a urinal!), huge modern kitchen with everything you'd ever need to cook, fireplace, webber bbq grill, wine cellar, laundry room, deck with beautiful hot tub with amazing views of the lake, outdoor tables, natural swimming pool just up the hill, brand new sauna right next to the pool. Only thing to note is that the upstairs (which has one bedroom/bathroom/and kitchen area) is almost like a separate apartment...there are no internal stairs to get from one to the other, so you have to walk outside. No big deal as long as its not raining!
Other thing to note is the driveway; as the hosts will tell you, it is a steep gravel road that can be difficult to drive up when wet. We did NOT have a four wheel drive vehicle and managed to handle the drive, but if you are not an adventurous driver then a 4x4 would be preferred. Fiat makes the small Panda model in a 4x4 version, so you don't need to break the bank in Italy to get a 4x4 car.
Hospitality - couldn't have asked for anything more from the Hofer family. They were the ideal hosts; so friendly and helpful both in arranging our holiday before we arrived, as well as making sure we had everything we needed when we were there. Hildegard delivered homemade fresh bread and pastries to us every morning, Norbert arrived with some fresh eggs from the chickens one day, and they were always keen to check to make sure that everything about our stay was going well without being intrusive. And Maibrit was so helpful in arranging our visit ahead of time.
Surrounding Area - so many things to see and do in the Lake Garda region, from sailing/boating on the lake (can rent boats right from the marina in Castelletto di Brenzone), hiking the Roman Road right from the property, visiting Valpolicello or Verona, and enjoying the various towns along the lake. So much to do...we will be back. Many thanks to the Hofer family!
- Amanda