Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Belmond Castello di Casole, Casole d'Elsa
Facts in brief
Official star rating 5
Location The hotel is in the countryside about 13-minutes' drive from the small town of Casole d'Elsa
Annual opening 28 March to 17 November
Closest airport Pisa or Florence
Distance from airport About one hour from Florence and about 90 minutes from Pisa
Hotel facilities and services
Outdoor Pool, Fitness centre, Gardens, Spa, Restaurant, Pool bar, Bar, Water colour classes, Cooking classes, Excursions and experiences such as horse riding, truffle hunting, hiking, cycling, star gazing, living like an Etruscan, foraging, first light walks, woodland safaris, Emporio selling local products
Complimentary
WiFi.
Land sports
Yoga, Fitness Centre, Hiking and Truffle Hunting.
Out and about nearby
Situated in a recognised game reserve, there are plenty of cycling and hiking routes around the hotel. Just 45 minutes from the centre of Siena, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Florence is an hour away by car and Perugia is 2 hrs drive.
Sports nearby
Horse Riding, Bike Trails and Bike Centre, Hiking.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Double deluxe room for 7 nights
From about
£3,920
Holiday Code EXH46141
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Belmond Castello di Casole, Casole d'Elsa
The Belmond Castello di Casole is a luxury rural spa retreat nestled in the Tuscan countryside. The hotel occupies a renovated 10th Century Tuscan castle and is set in an extensive 4,200-acre estate. Approached along a lane lined with cypress trees and surrounded by vineyards and olive trees it affords guests the ultimate feeling of secluded luxury. The hotel has been restored, combining authentic features and modern flourishes, to provide high standards of comfort whilst maintaining the beautiful authentic features of this historic building. The 39 rooms are all decorated in an elegant and stylish fashion, but the warm tones maintain a sense of Tuscan character. Guests may choose to enjoy the tranquillity of the hotel by relaxing by the pool or enjoying one of the many treatments at the Essere Spa. Many of the rejuvenating treatments use ingredients inspired by the natural landscape and local produce, such as olive oil and rosemary. The hotel offers numerous activities including organised excursions, cookery and painting classes. There is also the opportunity for guests to engage in truffle hunts through the estate, enjoy experiences such as living like an Etruscan and to participate in woodland safaris with the gamekeeper. Set in acres of vineyards and olive trees the hotel is very much in touch with its Tuscan heritage and the natural environment. This is evident in Tosca, the restaurant, which serves a mouth-watering array of traditional Italian dishes using fresh local ingredients. These can be combined with some of the best Tuscan wines from the hotel's very own wine cellar. This gourmet Tuscan dining experience can be enjoyed looking out over the vineyards and hills or in the cosy surroundings inside the hotel. The Belmond Castello di Casole offers a beautiful rural retreat, combining authentic Tuscan character and modern influences, all set in a stunning country estate location. It is ideal for those looking for a traditional Tuscan escape and to explore the surrounding area.
Room descriptions
Belmond Castello di Casole has 39 rooms and suites all of which have WiFi, TV and ensuite bathrooms.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Double deluxe room for 7 nights
From about
£3,920
Holiday Code EXH46141
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Belmond Castello di Casole, Casole d'Elsa
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to Belmond Castello di Casole in Tuscany, our clients usually fly to Pisa or Florence airport or arrive by train at Florence Santa Maria Novella railway station. We recommend the use of a hire-car for a stay at this hotel and we would include it in the price of holiday.
Additional information
Children: Children are welcome all year round at the hotel. Children under the age of 12 can stay on a complimentary bed and breakfast basis when sharing with two adults (permitted according to room capacity in Junior Suite Executive, Suite Grandiosa, Suite Oliveto and Suite Limonaia).
Special offers
Call to make your booking and save an extra £50 per adult Call us instead of emailing us when you are thinking of booking a holiday and save an extra £50 per adult (in addition to any special offers that might be available). We want to talk to you to discuss your requirements and a phone call is usually the best way for you to define what you want enabling us to respond more accurately. We want to talk to you and you save an extra £50 per adult.
Thanks for organising what was a wonderful holiday. Apart from a delay because of Gatwick fog coming home, everything ran like clockwork and we had a cracking time. I would be happy to recommend Expressions and hope we will have the opportunity to organise another trip with you in the future.Mrs S, October 2024
Holiday price guide Sample prices are per person based on two people sharing a Double deluxe room for 7 nights
From about
£3,920
Holiday Code EXH46141
The prices displayed here are a guide only. Each holiday price will be tailor-made at the time of booking to reflect all actual costs including up-to-date special offers.
Call us on 01392 441245
Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Belmond Castello di Casole, Casole d'Elsa
About Tuscany
An Expressions tailor-made holiday in Tuscany allows you to appreciate its classical landscape of rolling hills and vineyards dotted with olive and cypress trees, its misty green-grey mountains that are never too far distant, and hill-top towns of rich brown and gold stone houses. This combines with the beauty of the works of art contained in the towns and villages throughout Tuscany to create an inspirational union of the spirit and the senses. There is an intrinsic comfort in the supposed contrast between the delicacy of a Botticelli and the heartiness of Ribollita soup, yet both are typical of this fascinating region. As birthplace of the Renaissance, the impact of Tuscan and particularly Florentine traditions and culture on European heritage is fundamental to our way of life. In addition to the obvious attractions of the scenery of Chianti and the art cities of Florence and Siena, there are the less well-known regions south of Siena with its moon-like landscape of hills, the patchwork vineyards of Montalcino, the coastal marshlands of the Maremma, the spas of Montecatini and Saturnia, the islands of Elba and Giglio, and the Casentino with the source of the Arno and abundant mushroom crops. Wherever you travel on holiday in Tuscany, you will be inspired by the beauty of your surroundings and the way of life, which is quintessentially that of Italy too.
Highlights of Tuscany
Famous vineyards producing wines of Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Alabaster is produced in Volterra. Gold and silver are worked in Florence and the Ponte Vecchio is lined with jewellery shops. Marbled paper and stationery is a speciality of Florence. Ceramics and hand-painted majolica from raw terracotta from Impruneta to the glazed pottery of Siena are to be found throughout Tuscany. Lucca has traditionally produced silk and hand-woven fabrics. Leather goods including shoes, handbags and belts are to be found from market stalls to designer shops such as Gucci and Ferragamo. Interesting markets include the Mercato dell' Antiquariato which sells furniture from antiques to bric-a-brac in Arezzo on the first weekend of every month, in Pisa on the second weekend and in Lucca on the third weekend. The 'wild' Maremma is known for its long-horned white cattle and cowboys (butteri) and natural springs including Saturnia.
Cultural highlights of Tuscany
As birthplace of the Renaissance, Tuscany contains a wealth of treasures: Giotto`s Campanile and Brunelleschi`s Dome in Florence, the Tombs of Galileo and Michelangelo in Florence`s Santa Croce, Botticelli`s `Birth of Venus` and `Primavera` and the portraits of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca in the Uffizi, Michelangelo`s `David` in the Accademia, the architecture of the Piazza della Signoria in Florence, `The Tuscan Maremma` painting by Giovanni Fattori in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, the Piazza del Campo in Siena, `The Legend of the Cross` frescoes by Piero della Francesco in Arezzo, `The Creation` fresco by Bartolo di Fredi in the Collegiata in San Gimignano, Romanesque church of the Collegiata in San Quirico d`Orcia, 14th Century Fortezza of Montalcino, Renaissance masterpiece of the church of Madonna di San Biagio at Montepulciano, the abbey-church of Sant`Antimo, mediaeval Lucignano and the towers of San Gimignano, the Etruscan Museum in Cortona.
Festivals in Tuscany
Many of Tuscany`s festivals resound with the flamboyance of the Renaissance and keep Tuscans and visitors alike in touch with the region`s rich history. Others are linked to Tuscany`s hearty traditions of eating and drinking. The most famous is Siena`s Palio which takes place on 2 July and 16 August each year. Others include the Sagra del Tordo (Festival of the Thrush) in Montalcino on the last Sunday in October when there is an archery contest and charcoal-grilled thrush are a delicacy. In Florence, Calcio in Costume (a football match played in mediaeval costume) takes place in June. Pisa has the Giocco del Ponte (Game of the Bridge), a mock battle in Renaissance dress also held in June. Viareggio celebrates Carnival on Shrove Tuesday with a huge display of flamboyant floats. In May and August Massa Marittima holds the Falcon Contest.
Gastronomy in Tuscany
Simple country food is at the heart of Tuscan cooking. Regional dishes include Bruschetta (bread or ciabatta toasted and rubbed with garlic, olive oil and salt), Ribollita (bean, cabbage and bread soup), Pasta with hare or wild boar sauce, Porcini mushroom and truffle dishes, Bistecca all Fiorentina (thick cut of sirloin and fillet beef), Cantucci (almond and honey biscuits) served dipped in Vin Santo, Panforte (chocolate, nut and spice cake). Pecorino cheese made from sheep's milk. Local wines include the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano and the Bianco di Pitigliano. Famous reds include Chanti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Vin Santo made from semi-crushed grapes left for several months is an excellent dessert wine.
