Luxury bespoke holidays and tours to Castel Monastero, near Castelnuovo Berardenga
Facts in brief
Location The hotel is about 10-minutes' drive to the small town of Castelnuovo Berardenga
Annual opening 21 March to 3 January
Closest airport Florence and Pisa
Distance from airport The hotel is just over 1-hour's drive from Florence Airport, about 1 hour and 50 minutes from Pisa
Hotel facilities and services
2 Restaurants including Contrada (1 May to 1 November) by Gordon Ramsay and Cantina, Bar, Tennis Court, Consecrated Chapel, Fitness Centre, Spa, Hammam, Jacuzzi and Sensory Chowers, Room Service, 2 Courtyards, Gardens, 3 Outdoor Pools, 2 Indoor Pools, Parking, Babysitting (on request), Kids' Club (1 Jul to 31 Aug), Cookery School, Laundry, Cycle Hire, Personal Shopper, Hot Air Balloon Trips, Vineyards, Yoga, Spa treatments.
Complimentary
Use of the Tennis Courts, Outdoor Swimming Pools and Gym.
Land sports
Horse Riding Lessons, Tennis Lessons, Golf Course and Polo Field Access, Hot Air Balloon and Helicopter Rides, Car and Scooter Rental.
Out and about nearby
Wines and villages of the Chianti region, Siena, Florence, Arezzo, Montalcino.
Sports nearby
Walking, Riding, Golf, Cycling.
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 Superior double or twin room for 7 nights
From about
£1,590
Holiday Code EXH689
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 Castel Monastero, near Castelnuovo Berardenga
Having opened in June 2009, Castel Monastero in Tuscany occupies what was a fortified hamlet dating from the Middle Ages. It can be found to the east of Siena and south of the town of Castelnuovo Berardenga amid the vines, cornfields, chestnut forests and rows of cypress trees of the Ombrone valley. The restoration of the village has transformed the main square into the heart of the resort where you can dine and enjoy a drink and the buildings now house the 74 rooms and suites. Immediately around Castel Monastero are lawns and vineyards as well as striking views of the countryside. Three outdoor pools have been set a little way off from the heart of the resort whilst the spa is situated over two floors in a building in the village. It offers a wide range of treatments for relaxation as well as weight loss and detoxifying guided by Dr Mosaraf Ali, a leading expert in integrated medicine. Castel Monastero prides itself on being a centre for sampling and developing Tuscan gourmet culture. As well as offering gastronomic delights in the restaurants, cookery courses and wine tastings are run on a regular basis by our executive chef and sommelier.The style of decoration throughout the hotel pays homage to Tuscan traditions and offers a rustic elegance with modern touches.
Room descriptions
Castel Monastero has 73 rooms and suites with Wifi, television, air-conditioning, telephone, minibar, safe, hairdryer, slippers, iPod docking station on request. Some rooms interconnect, and some have sofa beds.
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 Superior double or twin room for 7 nights
From about
£1,590
Holiday Code EXH689
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 Castel Monastero, near Castelnuovo Berardenga
The journey and how you get there
For a holiday to Castel Monastero 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
Minimum stays: Minimum stay of 1 night.
Children: Babysitting is available. Children under the age of 2 stay free of charge in a cot in their parents' room. Older children will incur a small charge, increasing with age, and are required to sleep in an extra bed, which is provided. There is a maximum of one extra bed or cot per room, and extra beds and cots can only be added to Prestige Rooms and above. Interconnecting bedrooms possible. Children under 16 years are not permitted in the indoor water area of the Spa.
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 Superior double or twin room for 7 nights
From about
£1,590
Holiday Code EXH689
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 Castel Monastero, near Castelnuovo Berardenga
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.
