Whatever the preferred nomenclature – agritourism, rural tourism, farm stay, guest ranch or farmhouse B&B – life in the country has never been more appealing or luxurious than the likes of a working European farmstead with an empty guest room and a warm meal anticipating your arrival. From vineyards to dairy farms, the rough to the refined, pastoral tranquility awaits in a variety of rural settings.
The idea is simple: Tourists forgo the typical for the atypical in exchange for a more wholesome vacation experience. Rather than waking to the sound of a buzzing alarm clock in the cramped quarters of an unassuming hotel room, farm stay adventurers wake to the crowing of a rooster, a cool country breeze delicately kissed by the sweet scent of olive trees and the sizzle of a country breakfast made from scratch with fresh ingredients harvested in the very backyard where cows and cats and farm animals roam freely. This is European travel with down-home flavor.
Pieve di Caminino – Tuscany, Italycaminino.com
In the southwest part of Italy's Tuscany region, an area known as Maremma, set amid 1,000 acres of olive trees, vineyards, forests and a backdrop of medieval castles that stretches to the Tuscan seacoast, lies an 11th century family-run organic farm called Pieve di Caminino. This secluded farm stay offers tours of the grounds during all seasons, including harvest, tree pruning and cork collection. Whether you're sipping wine on the terrace or breathing in the fragrance of olive wood crackling in the fireplace, Caminino will embrace you with history and romance. When you set out from Caminino toward Sienna, Florence or any of the various middle age historic sites, take the advice of the Marrucchi-Locatelli family; they have owned the farm since 1873 and know the area like no other.
La Camilla – Alessandria, Italy agricamilla.com
Further north in Italy's Piedmont region, in the quiet countryside of Alessandria province, a much smaller farmstead awaits – La Camilla, owned and operated by the Scavia family since 1868. This 90-acre farm, populated by 200 dairy cows and a host of wild pheasants and rabbits, grows corn, wheat and sugar beets. The stone walls of the farm embrace the owner's residence and four roomy guest apartments that open into the interior courtyard. Just steps from each apartment, the farm scene unfolds with the typical stalls and barns, along with a chapel, a verdant garden, beehives and an orchard. The remains of an ancient Roman road passing through the grounds tell of the rich history that complements this quaint farm stay.
Trean House Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast – Donegal, Ireland treanhouse.com
Looking out over the stone-walled fields of north Donegal on Tremone Bay, you'll find Trean House Farmhouse Bed and Breakfast. Trean house is a working cattle and sheep farm that welcomes guests year round. The spring months on the farm greet newborn lambs and fields of daffodils and rows of newly planted vegetables. The harvest of silage and hay passes the summer months while cattle graze in green pastures. Autumn is the time for picking apples, raspberries and gooseberries that will soon become jam. In winter the fields turn white while animals slumber in their stalls, and a roaring open peat fire eases the pace within this 100-year-old farmhouse. A fresh Irish breakfast greets each morning while sightseeing adventures fill the day's agenda.
Castle Farm Bed and Breakfast – Cork, Ireland castlefarmbb.com
When touring the southwest part of Ireland, visit Castle Farm Bed and Breakfast, a traditional Irish farm that offers splendid ocean views and convenient proximity to the area's most popular attractions. Stroll along the beach to nearby Garryvoe, cast a line in a salmon river, stop in at a local pub or visit the Midleton farmers" market. Before you leave, stop over at Blarney Castle and kiss the legendary Blarney Stone.
St. Anne's Farmhouse - Galway, Ireland stannesaccommodation.com
For a far more intimate farm stay, spend a night at St. Anne's Farmhouse as you pass through Galway. Raise the pane of your bedroom window and fall asleep to a cool breeze and the sound of cattle pulling up grass in the field. Then wake the next morning to the characteristic rooster crow proclaiming the sun's ascent.
Mill Close Farm – Yorkshire,
England millclose.co.uk
While Mill Close Farm is a working farm in England, this 15th-century North Yorkshire estate also serves as an award-winning luxury bed and breakfast. Perfectly positioned between two national parks, Mill Close takes advantage of unmatched scenery. An otherwise characteristic collection of stone buildings surrounding the main house stand out against a backdrop of moors and dales that share the horizon with a crowd of dense forest. The breakfast menu consists of fresh, local ingredients including free-range eggs, sausage and bacon produced at Mill Close, as well as homemade preserves, granola, breads and pastries. Such a hardy breakfast will serve you well as you head out from the farm to the historic town of York or tour the ancient castles and abbeys nearby.
La Vieille Abbaye – Normandy, France frenchfarmhouse.fr
Across the English Channel in Normandy, France, south of Caen, stands La Vieille Abbaye, a refurbished 17th-century French farmhouse. La Vieille is a working dairy farm that produces and bottles its own milk and cream for local sale; but with two spacious guest suites and a number of comfortable bedrooms, La Vieille also serves as a bed and breakfast. As a guest here, you are invited to watch or even take part in the various chores around the dairy including milking the cows before sitting down to a breakfast of locally raised farm and garden produce. Kids will fall in love with the farm's livestock including sheep, miniature goats, a Shetland pony and swarms of friendly fowl.
A la Claudy – Lambesc,
France a-la-claudy.com
Tucked away in a landscape of French vineyards is a quaint 19th-century farmhouse called A la Claudy. It boasts 800 olive trees on some 15 acres of secluded property and offers visitors a choice of five guest rooms and three private cottages. A la Claudy is a farm stay built around relaxation; options include a quiet walk around the lake, a swim in the indoor or outdoor pools, a massage with herbs and spices or perhaps a salt and seaweed scrub. When your batteries are recharged, head out to see the country and surrounding villages.
European farm stays are spread far and wide. Tyfta Östergård, on the island of Tjörn, is a Swedish farmstead specializing in strawberries, raspberries and black currants. Planning a ski trip to the Austrian Alps? Four interconnected ski mountains surround Abelhof, an Austrian farmstead with loads of farm animals, fresh farm produce, miles of hiking trails and an evening of homemade schnapps around the campfire.
Wherever your European travels take you this year, east or west, mountainside or seaside, you're sure to find a farm with an available room and a welcoming smile. A few nights at a European farm stay will forever cast new light on your definition of sightseeing.
