This review was submitted before 2018 and has not been verified.
10/10 Excellent
Nina M.
14 Jun 2016
The most wonderful, relaxing vacation ever!
I recommend this property in the strongest possible terms.
My husband and I stayed here for two weeks last month and never wanted to leave. Lanzo itself is a wonderful small town with very good amenities and a spectacular setting. Casa Maria is simply heaven on earth -- the property is up a very winding road above Lanzo. The flat is at the end of a long row of picturesque flats and apartments which have been converted from some other use. A number of interesting people live here, besides the truly wonderful Johannes and his wife. And there were friendly cats all over -- I'm sure they would leave you alone if you didn't like them, but for us they were a big plus.
Johannes is a great host as well as a brilliant and busy artist. In spite of our staying at a very busy time for him, he was always helpful and friendly. He and his wife made sure we were happy and took great care of us, even leaving us pasta and wine for our first night! We had one small problem with the internet and he fixed it quickly.
The location was perfect for us. We explored the Lanzo valleys, went down to Turin for opera and museums, drove up to the Aosta valley and across to Lake Como. We also really enjoyed spending time in Lanzo itself: had breakfast every morning at the Caffe Stazione, visited shops and restaurants, saw the Ponte del Diavolo and the Silmax Tool Museum and just generally enjoyed entering into daily life.
The flat is spotless, well-maintained and adorable.It's small and doesn't have a living area. It's a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom.That didn't bother us: we just lived at the dining table in the kitchen but if you like to lounge around it might not be perfect. The bed was very firm. There's a nice big closet in the bedroom but no dresser so clothing storage for a longer stay was a bit awkward, but, again, it wasnt't a big deal for us. The shower was wonderful! Lots of hot water :) Loved the little wood stove in the kitchen -- it got quite pleasantly chilly in the evenings and one of our delights was to light up the fire and sit and read :) The gas stove was wonderful -- it was good to cook up a meal and then eat it outdoors overlooking the valley and the town. The air is so fresh!
I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful property or about Johannes and Maria or about the Town of Lanzo. The whole vacation, from start to finish, was the best we've ever had and now we're plotting to return. We wouldn't consider staying anywhere else :)