Country House Montali

In order to stand out among the crowd of recently opened bed and breakfasts in Italy, many hosts have begun to specialize according to their own personal interests. This is true for enthusiastic and friendly hosts, Alberto and his Brazilian wife Luzia, who opened a gourmet vegetarian bed and breakfast on their isolated 27-acre farm up on a mountain ridge between Perugia and Lake Trasimeno, the first of its kind in Umbria. A 4-kilometer gravel road ends at the panoramic property with its main house, two stone guesthouses, and cultural center where courses on yoga and meditation and ethnic music concerts are held. An informal ambiance prevails and the total respect for nature and tranquility is evident among guests who take hikes in the surrounding woods or read poolside, enjoying both sunrise and sunset over the opposite valleys. The ten neat rooms with independent outside entrances are comfortably decorated with teakwood beds and armoires and the paintings of a reputed artist. The sun-filled dining room is where guests convene for Luzia’s and Alberto’s famed fare based on strictly organic produce from the farm. So unique is this bed and breakfast that the BBC did a documentary on it, and it has been acclaimed one of the ten best vegetarian destinations in a US magazine.