Tell us about your visit:
Review submitted by Kate from Victoria, BC, Canada (Submitted: 9 Jun 2011)
Casa Gisella exceeded our expectations and was the highlight of a 3 week visit to Italy that included Rome, Siena and the Puglia region. The views are simply breathtaking, the accommodations gorgeous and the overall attention to detail in the home fantastic. We used it as a rendez-vous spot for a reunio n with friends from Australia. All 3 couples called Casa Gisella magical and it was truly unique and a special experience to stay there. Once the reservation was booked the owners provided excellent information and always responded to emails promptly. They have prepared a binder chock full of local information and any question you might have about the Casa. The welcome basket of food basics from the owners was another added feature we appreciated. We also took advantage of the property managers in house cooking menu and arranged for a multi-course Tuscan meal that was outstanding. We ate for two days from the generous and delicous leftovers. If you are inclined to get off the beaten track you will not be disappointed by a stay at Casa Gisella in Bastia.
Review submitted by Roy from Woodstock Ontario Canada (Submitted: 14 Oct 2008)
This is a very comfortable property.
Recently and very well renovated. Internet access is available in the villa and that is a bonus.
It is high up the side of a mountain in a nice little village. The residents are very friendly.
The drive up the hill takes a little getting used to but once you reach the town and the villa it is all worth while. Wonderfull views and very quiet.
The early monring views are great with the morning clouds filling the valleys below.
It is an easy drive to places to visit in Tuscany an
easy drive to Pisa or Florence. If you choose to take the train there is a train station in Aulla with ample free parking about a 15 minute drive from the villa.
All in all a very nice vacation spot.
Review submitted by Peter from Chatham (Submitted: 23 Sep 2008)
The property and location were both exactly as described and excellent in every way. The only downside was that in such a peaceful location, building works nearby were rather noisy at certain times every day, which did spoil the tranquility, i think we were just unlucky. The only other consructive comment I would make is that the property would benefit from more storage space for clothes, ie additional wardrobes or chests of drawers. Once again however the property and location were both beautiful.
Review submitted by Tim from Watford (Submitted: 6 Sep 2008)
Casa Gisella was perfect for our getaway-from-it-all weekend away (three friends). Its location on the side of a quiet hill village gives stunning views from the terraces and main room. With great weather we spent a lot of time on the main terrace. We were conscious that the cottage is very close to neighbours and felt obliged not to be too noisy. The welcome from the concierge, Antonella, the food and wine were much appreciated and enabled us to settle in straight away. We were more than satisfied by the accommodation itself, the quality of the facilities, decor, furnishings and cleanliness. Our only disappointment was that we couldnt stay longer.
Review submitted by Cathy from Scarsdale, NY (Submitted: 3 Sep 2008)
Casa Gisella is a beautiful home and in a beautiful location and parking is no issue whatso ever. We spent most of our time in Cinque Terre and on the coast even so the drive took no more than 40 - 45 minutes each day and while Cinque Terre is beautiful during the day the hotels are not very nice. We also found a fun adventure park in Fosdinvo for our children (twins aged 11) and they really enjoyed the Marmo cave tour in Carrarra. We used all of the bedrooms. We were a bit surprised to find that the top guest bedroom had to be accessed from an external stairway from the living room, however that ended up being a non-issue once we worked out how to have keys on both sides of the door obviously we wanted the door to the main house to be locked but wanted our children to have access to us and us to them. The master bedroom was in the main home but used by my mother-in-law. Shopping for food was convenient, plenty of restaurants. The kitchen facilitites were very good although since we did cook a few more pans would have been helpful the house had one small fry pan, sauce pan and a large pasta pan. There we plenty of towels (which is great when you go to the beach like we did). The washing machine was a great help and there was a beautiful terrace with a rack for drying. The decoration was very nice. They have a marvelous book put together on places to eat, things to do, etc. The wireless internet worked perfectly. We really enjoyed ourselves very much! You also have a built in alarm clock as the church bells start to ring at 7:00 :) We would highly recommend.
Review submitted by ANNE from BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND (Submitted: 26 May 2008)
Everything about the house, and its location, was wonderful. The countryside was much greener and more heavily wooded than anticipated and the views from the house were incredible. It was well located for visiting places of interest.
The only fly in the ointment was the weather, which was really dreadful. Rain, rain & more rain! Obviously there is nothing anybody can do about the weather, but it would have been nice to have a larger screen in the house on which to watch DVDs. Obviously, if the weather had been good, we would have been out and about in the evenings and wouldn't even have noticed this issue.
Review submitted by Andrew from Newtownards (Submitted: 8 Oct 2007)
Having backpacked twice before in Italy in various hostels, campsites and roadsides I was particularly excited this time round as I had visited Casa Gisella’s website beforehand and viewed the numerous photographs of the accommodation and surrounding scenery. Much to our surprise it exceeded our expectations in that the accommodation was of an extremely high standard in both cleanliness and quality. Everything from the bathrooms and kitchen, to the bedrooms and sun terraces were immaculate. The welcome hamper of Italian foods and wines was a thoughtful touch as we had arrived shortly after tea-time on Sunday. The Fruits of the Forrest Jam Tart didn’t stand a chance, as I had to order another one by Tuesday.
Bastia itself is a small and beautiful remote village high up in the Tuscan hills with stunning views of the Licciana Nardi valley below. With its remote location, great weather and a short 40 minute car journey from Lerici (a beautiful picturesque stretch of coastline with clean sandy beaches and warm clear water) it is a perfect spot for a relaxing and carefree holiday. Its nearest town Aulla (15 minute drive) has a newly built train station with regular access to hotspots such as Pisa and Florence.
If you want to experience authentic Italy, with its nearby golden beaches, historic cities and beautiful mountain scenery staying at Casa Gisella is as close as you’re going to get.
Review submitted by Christine from 11a Druid Rd (Submitted: 31 Aug 2007)
The only comment I would want to make is that families with young children need to be aware of the lack of grass/outside play area, although the balconies are outside. Over the years we have stayed in many villas and we have always chosen a villa with ample room outside for the children to run around in. Obviously this year we were not looking for this so the villa exceeded our expectations and there was nothing we could fault. I think it is also worth mentioning that one of the bedrooms can only be accessed by a flight of steps outside, some children may feel slightly cut off.
For us it was perfect, we had a fabulous week away with what was, probably, our last family holiday ( children are 20 and 22!!) and we wish the owners every success with their beautiful villa.
We were also more than adequately looked after during out stay.
Review submitted by Ross from Chorley (Submitted: 13 Aug 2007)
a thoroughly enjoyable week.
fantastic views and immaculate home.
Review submitted by Kyle from Belfast (Submitted: 1 Aug 2007)
Casa Gisella was the highlight of our holiday in Italy which is saying something considering the quality of the locations in which we stayed.
As a villa for a relaxing holiday it was ideal, with magnificent views, excellent location between the beaches and mountains and superb accomodation.
If you're looking for a wild holiday (like Ibiza/Magaluf) then I wouldn't recommend Casa Gisella as this is more for relaxation (and exploring) rather than 24 hr partying.
So it depends what you're after really.
We wanted somewhere to experience authentic Italy without the crowds of the traditional tourist areas in Tuscany and the rest of Italy.
The town of Bastia itself has no shops and is on a mountainside so a car is a must if you're visiting.
We managed to find a number of excellent restaurants nearby and as soon as you visit Italy you'll understand what I'm about to say next - Sat nav is highly recommended.
The accomodation itself was exceptional. It is finished to the very highst standards and the owners have thought of virtually everything. I would liken it to staying in a showhouse as there is simply everything you could possibly want.
I suspect many visitors will miss how well the house is finished because they'll be too busy looking at the views which are simply breath taking.
Overall a great place to stay (but make sure you have a car for your stay - which is useful anyway for trips into the nearby mountains).