Take a break in the lush green valley below the charming medieval town of Castiglione d'Orcia with its imposing castle. You find Podere le Muline to be a very charming place in distinctly peaceful surroundings. You can walk through the woods to the picturesque little town of Bagni Vignoni, which since the Middle Ages has been known for its hot springs. It is only possible to cross the little bridge over the stream when it is not raining.
The only thing disturbing the peace here is the noise of the birdsong and the babbling water from the nearby river. All this invites total relaxation and walks in untouched nature. The last 2000 metres to the house passes a dirt track road of rather poor quality which is passable at a slow speeds.
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The apartments are well furnished in a sober rustic style, and the only complaint is that there is sometimes too much furniture. All apartments are equipped with air conditioning, satellite television, DVD player and kitchen facilities with a four burner hob, an oven and a fridge. Each apartment also has a table, chairs, a beach umbrella and two deck chairs by the pool, and the apartments on the ground floor also have a table and chairs outside the front door.
NB. For the first few years this beautiful place suffered from bad caretakers, but it has thankfully changed completely now and the standard is very good.
Read about the apartments at Podere le Muline
My husband and I got a 1 bedroom apartment 'Bagni San Filippo'. Very nice room, clean and neat and with options for changing the towels during our stay.
Nice pool-area.
Downsides:
- No Wifi and very bad connection (but on the other hand - you're on holiday)
- Very long dirt road (2 km)
- Very basic kitchen facilities
Plus:
- great and friendly hosts
- great location! Close to Pienza, Montepulchiano and Montalcino if you want to taste some wine.
- great pool-area
- beautiful view!
If you want peace and quiet, along with a wonderful nature, this is the place for you. You drive a couple of kilometres on a uneven road and arrive at a pearl in the middle of Gods green nature. There isn't a whole lot to do at the place itself, besides mending your soul and body and taking long hikes. But there is a lot to see in the surrounding area, including enjoyable, authentic Italian towns. If you desire a fresh walk at night, there is a lovely little mountain town a couple of kilometres from the place, where there are more restaurants.
We had a 3-bedroom apartment (Castiglion d'Orcia) in Podere le Muline, which lied on the 1st floor with a lovely view over the beautiful landscape. The apartment was fine and cosily decorated, pretty and clean. The only minus was the beds, which were pretty hard. There is a really good mood at the place, and the couple, who runs the place, are sweet and accommodating and not strict about anything. For example; we were allowed to bathe in the pool in the evening, even though it was closed at 8 pm. The place is well located by itself at the end of a steep gravel road in an incredibly beautiful landscape, with a lovely pool and a small river nearby. There is also good opportunities for hiking to a small town with some cosy places to eat.
The place is pretty close to Castiglion d'Orcia, which is a small, cosy town, with a castle, a supermarket and some really good places to eat.
La Cisterna nel Borgo is also worth a mention, it has delicious food and an incredibly sweet and charming hostess. It is a good idea to order a table beforehand, if you want to sit outside on a small terrace. It is about a 20 min drive to Pienza, which is a little bigger than Castiglion d'Orcia and it has more shops and places to eat, but also quite a lot more tourists. Besides that, you can also reach Siena and a couple of other fine towns within an hour, if you drive.
We can heartily recommend going to Podere le Muline, and I'm even considering coming back myself.
