Tuscany. Now, I’m not afraid to admit I knew very little about this part of the world, other than it was in Italy. Probably.
So, when we were invited by Il Borro to spend a few days at their Relais and Chateaux resort near Arezzo my interest was well and truly piqued. Research revealed that it is a medieval village, nestled in the picturesque Tuscan countryside, with 48 properties converted to luxury suites. Now, the photos on the website look great, and I was excited to see it for myself, but believe me, the true beauty and rustic grandeur of this place cannot be fully appreciated from photographs. It is quite simply breathtaking.
The countryside itself is magnificent, with narrow roads hugging steep hillsides overlooking vineyard after vineyard. (More on the wine later). Our Fiat 500 just managed to stay on the road, as I prised my eyes away from the view to focus on the tarmac! However, as you arrive at Il Borro and enter through the imposing gates and down the long driveway, nothing can prepare you for the impact of entering the village itself. I know it’s a cliche, but you really do feel like you’ve stepped back in time. The service you receive however is very much at the top end of the 21st-century league. Once you’ve booked in at reception, a small car (the streets are very narrow) arrives to run you round to your suite in the village, whilst providing a brief lay of the land and potted history en route!
Once safely deposited in our home for the next three days, we set about planning our stay. Our suite was gorgeous – keeping the character of the original medieval building, but not shirking on modern luxuries. We loved the roll top bath, with a perfectly designed book rest and wine glass holder ensuring the ultimate in luxurious, bubble based relaxation.
You’ll very quickly realise that although Il Borro is tranquil, calm, inspirational and relaxing there are a whole host of activities to keep you busy. We chose to stay pretty chilled and gave the quad bike adventure and the horse riding a miss, but signed up for the tour of the winery which enable us to feel cultured as we learnt some (genuinely fascinating) history, but still enjoying a glass or two of the fine wines produced from the Il Borro vineyards.
We spent a great day at Arezzo – only a 45-minute drive away – just walking the streets, people watching over a prosecco in the square or sniffing out bargains in the antiques market, but really, if you don’t want to leave Il Borro, you don’t have to! The food is fantastic at both the restaurants and with one the best breakfast spreads I’ve ever seen you can easily skip lunch and burn off a few calories with a walk around the acres of beautiful countryside that surround the village. Or if that sounds too strenuous, then book a treatment at the on site spa, or take a swim in the stunning infinity pool.
If you’re getting married in Tuscany, this is THE place to do it! There are so many options from exclusivity of the entire resort to just the medieval village or even just the villa. You could have a real weekend wedding with drinks in the village square on he Friday night, the wedding on the terrace of the villa on the Saturday and then a daytime BBQ and party by the pool on the Sunday! There are plenty of rooms for all your guests so it would be your own village for the weekend.
So. I’ll end where I started. No words or photos can ever prepare you for the experience of staying at Il Borro. It’s not just the countryside, or the village itself or the clarity of the light, or the purity of the air that makes this place special. It’s the combination of all of the above and more. Book a few days there, and I guarantee you will come back refreshed and ready for the rat race again. If you are thinking of getting married in Tuscany, go and view Il Borro or give us a call and we’ll take you there and show you everything it has to offer!
You can find more about Il Borro here. We can’t wait to plan a wedding there!
