Everything was as described and the owner very straight forward to deal with. He was extremely helpful in all aspects of our stay. Photos can’t do justice to the views from the property

Appartement à l emplacement exceptionnel. Vue magique.

We had a very enjoyable week at this property in August with my husband and 7 year old son. The apartment is beautiful if not modern, big, with all mod cons, also with some toys and balance boards, with stunning views and direct access to the lake and the town. The neighbours downstairs who stayed a few days were friendly, and our children became friends. A garage was available, which is a must in Orta San Giulio. Stefano was an extremely helpful host, with quick responses to any queries and great instructions and a friendly attitude. Definitely recommend.

We had a very enjoyable week at this property in August with my husband and 7 year old son. The apartment is beautiful if not modern, big, with all mod cons, also with some toys and balance boards, with stunning views and direct access to the lake and the town. The neighbours downstairs who stayed a few days were friendly, and our children became friends. A garage was available, which is a must in Orta San Giulio. Stefano was an extremely helpful host, with quick responses to any queries and great instructions and a friendly attitude. Definitely recommend.

Das Ferien-Apartment ist direkt am Orta-See und wenige Gehminuten vom Zentrum entfernt, das einen netten Marktplatz mit Cafes und Restaurants besitzt. Sucht man danach die Ruhe, kann man wunderbar im Garten entspannen.

Very helpful host provided bespoke information on the area for places to go and things to see. Well equipped kitchen and a beautiful lounge room. Gave the whole family a feeling of well being. Lake Orta and Orta San Guillo both very pretty and ideal holiday location.

Wir haben unsere Woche in Orta sehr genossen! Wunderschöne und sehr saubere Wohnung, in der es wirklich alles gibt. Reibungsloser und freundlicher Kontakt zum Vermieter. Super ruhig und direkte Seelage und doch nur wenige Gehminuten vom Marktplatz von Orta entfernt. Eine mittelalterliche Stadt wie aus dem Bilderbuch. Gerne wieder.

This elegant apartment in a stunning villa makes for a wonderful holiday. Tiled and wooden floors, granite staircase, floor to ceiling windows, beautiful furniture and breathtaking views of the lake and Orta. The garden has a terrace, and perfect seating and viewing area on the boathouse, which is also a great diving/jumping off point into the clear deep water. We felt lucky to have the place to ourselves for 2 weeks (nobody stayed in the first floor apartment during our break). The villa is a 2 minute stroll to the town which has restaurants, shops and wine bars, and you can get a water taxi to the island or other lake towns from the main square. Orta SAN Giulio is a charming town with winding streets, quirky shops, and its Sacre Monte is stunning. The three bedrooms comfortably accommodate 6 people, and the apartment is very spacious and clean. A wide range of cooking equipment is provided, including BBQ. There are lots of books, Wi-fi is good, and Stefano kindly let us use his paddle board on the lake. We swam every day - the lake is clear, warm and calm. The apartment provides a perfect base from which to explore the region, Maggiore and Borromean Islands are about 40 minutes drive, Varallo with its picturesque streets and historic Sacre Monte well worth a visit, a little under an hour away. Mottorone’s Alpyland is half an hour away and great fun. The view of the lake from the Madonna Del Sasso opposite the house is not to be missed. And this is also magnificent walking and cycling country. You can also easily reach Milan and Turin however the lure of the lake proved impossible to resist so we didn’t visit those cities. Stefano is an exemplary host, patient with queries before the holiday, and helped us book restaurants when we arrived. Always quick to respond, but not at all intrusive and we felt privileged to be able to make his wonderful house our home for two weeks. This is a magical place to be, can’t recommend it highly enough.

This elegant apartment in a stunning villa makes for a wonderful holiday. Tiled and wooden floors, granite staircase, floor to ceiling windows, beautiful furniture and breathtaking views of the lake and Orta. The garden has a terrace, and perfect seating and viewing area on the boathouse, which is also a great diving/jumping off point into the clear deep water. We felt lucky to have the place to ourselves for 2 weeks (nobody stayed in the first floor apartment during our break). The villa is a 2 minute stroll to the town which has restaurants, shops and wine bars, and you can get a water taxi to the island or other lake towns from the main square. Orta SAN Giulio is a charming town with winding streets, quirky shops, and its Sacre Monte is stunning. The three bedrooms comfortably accommodate 6 people, and the apartment is very spacious and clean. A wide range of cooking equipment is provided, including BBQ. There are lots of books, Wi-fi is good, and Stefano kindly let us use his paddle board on the lake. We swam every day - the lake is clear, warm and calm. The apartment provides a perfect base from which to explore the region, Maggiore and Borromean Islands are about 40 minutes drive, Varallo with its picturesque streets and historic Sacre Monte well worth a visit, a little under an hour away. Mottorone’s Alpyland is half an hour away and great fun. The view of the lake from the Madonna Del Sasso opposite the house is not to be missed. And this is also magnificent walking and cycling country. You can also easily reach Milan and Turin however the lure of the lake proved impossible to resist so we didn’t visit those cities. Stefano is an exemplary host, patient with queries before the holiday, and helped us book restaurants when we arrived. Always quick to respond, but not at all intrusive and we felt privileged to be able to make his wonderful house our home for two weeks. This is a magical place to be, can’t recommend it highly enough.

Zum zweiten Mal verbrachten wir mit unseren kleinen Kindern 3 herrliche, entspannte Wochen im Haus von Stefano. Wir haben es unglaublich genossen, jeden Tag im See baden, auf der wunderschönen Terrasse essen und im grossen Garten spielen. Die Wohnung war perfekt, gross, geräumig und top eingerichtet, auch die Küche. Wir danken Stefano für seine zuvorkommende, hilfsbereite und unkomplizierte Gastfreundschaft! Wir kommen gerne wieder! Doris und Freunde

As a family of five with three adult children we all really enjoyed a great holiday and would love to repeat the visit. The apartment was very spacious, comfortable and spotlessly clean with wonderful lake views from the windows. The property was in an outstanding location right beside Lake Orta. One of the highlights of the holiday was the easy access to the lake from the beautiful garden, via the boathouse which had paved steps and a rope handrail leading directly into the water. The lake was very clean and clear and we swam two or three times a day. Wonderful! It was only a five minute walk to get to several small shops and restaurants in the picturesque old town. The most important being a delicious ice cream shop. Boats at the town square could take you to other locations on Lake Orta. The setting of the apartment was so idyllic and peaceful that we were content to stay in the garden by the lake a lot of time rather than do too much exploring by car. Stefano was a most welcoming host. He went out of his way to be most helpful to us and we really enjoyed hearing about the history of the building and his family connection to it. We would have no hesitation in strongly recommending this property.

This lovely character home was a delight. We were surprised by the space and enjoyed waking to the beautiful lake views from our bedroom windows. It was very hot when we stayed, cooling off in the lake from the boathouse was wonderful. Spending time in the garden over a long lunch and a good bottle of wine was the thing to do! I highly recommend this property, Stefano was a thoughtful host , we appreciated the wine and chocolates and the lift to the station very much.

This was our family's third visit to Orta San Giulio in the past few years and we again had an amazing time. If you have not been to Orta before, it is an incredibly beautiful lake and the village is unforgettable. The best thing about Orta is that it is still relatively unknown compared to the other more famous and larger lakes and hence it is more relaxed with less tourist traffic. It is hard to beat sitting in the Piazza on a warm evening looking over the lake to Isola San Giulio with a glass of spritz, wine or beer and watching the sun set over the hills. There is also a great selection of restaurants and wine bars etc. Our trip was made even more special by Stefano's wonderful apartment. It sits on the third floor and has incredible lake views, It is very spacious and was clean and well presented. The garden was wonderful and sits right on the water. It's a great place to spend an afternoon enjoying the sun or sitting in the shade under the tree. While the garden is shared with the 2nd floor apartment, we never saw the other tenants in the two weeks we were there. The kids also loved it as they were able to jump off the terrace on top of the boat house, directly into the lake. The apartment is within a short walk to the main Piazza but is also very quiet in the evening. Stefano met us at the apartment and was a warm and friendly host and we were very appreciative of the bottle of Prosecco he left as a gift at the start of our visit. Overall, we would highly recommend the apartment due to its proximity to the centre of the village (about 200m), its great overall condition and spaciousness and its position right on the lake (which is rare).

This lovely character home was a delight. We were surprised by the space and enjoyed waking to the beautiful lake views from our bedroom windows. It was very hot when we stayed, cooling off in the lake from the boathouse was wonderful. Spending time in the garden over a long lunch and a good bottle of wine was the thing to do! I highly recommend this property, Stefano was a thoughtful host , we appreciated the wine and chocolates and the lift to the station very much.

The villa is lovely, the lake is beautiful and Stefano is an extraordinary host. He gave us so much information about local restaurants, local shops and things to do in the area, The apartment is very large with lots of natural light and breathtaking views of the lake. We enjoyed the beautiful garden and the terrace above the boat house but especially enjoyed swimming in the lake. We were so sad to leave this lovely apartment and the wonderful people of Orta San Giulio. We will be back next year!

It was a privilege to be staying in such a beautiful and homely apartment, in a historic and picturesque location. We heeded the advice of other reviewers and hired a small car for us and our 3 children which fitted in the garage. The accommodation had everything we needed, and a well equipped kitchen. Stefano kindly showed us around when we arrived and checked we were okay later in the week. Blessed with glorious weather, so spent much of our time in the garden, swimming in the lake and eating lunch al fresco, and the children were very happy. The view was superb. It was a short walk into town for ice cream, and we followed some of Stefano's good suggestions for places to eat and the local cheese shop. We did some gentle sightseeing from the flat, including locally by boat and on foot.

The villa is lovely, the lake is beautiful and Stefano is an extraordinary host. He gave us so much information about local restaurants, local shops and things to do in the area, The apartment is very large with lots of natural light and breathtaking views of the lake. We enjoyed the beautiful garden and the terrace above the boat house but especially enjoyed swimming in the lake. We were so sad to leave this lovely apartment and the wonderful people of Orta San Giulio. We will be back next year!

Wonderful situation and so enjoyed the garden on shore of Lake Orta. Short walk into San Guilio for breakfast, many restaurants and boutique shops. Ideal centre for exploring area and walking. Not too commercialised. We loved it and had a very happy stay 14 May for a week.

We arrived on a wonderful sunny afternoon and almost immediately spent the rest of the day in the beautiful garden overlooking Lake Orta!!! We were welcomed by Stefano (the owner) upon arrival, he had already sent us several messages before we left for Italy to ensure that we arrived in one piece and with minimal hassle! He was a great host and always available on the phone if we had any questions about the house or places to visit. We were slightly unlucky with the weather in the middle of our stay as we visited in April so we ended up doing some shopping also - there are plenty of places within driving distance to do so. When the sun was out, we managed to take our children to a local beach area which was very relaxing and safe, we also simply walked around to take in the fresh air and holiday atmosphere! Food is not a problem in Italy although eating out in the local town can be expensive. We made use of the apartment kitchen which had great facilities as well as visited nearby towns like Stressa which had a larger variety of restaurants and things to do also. We also took the boat ride in Stressa to visit two of the small islands in Lake Maggiore and really enjoyed that. The local town is quaint and nice to walk through. We also found plenty of places to have gelato (!) and we also enjoyed visiting the church at the top of a steep road off the main square as well as a small church which faced the lake and many visitors would sit outside to enjoy the view. On our last day Stefano made some enquiries about the cable car service in Stressa and we ended up driving back to Stressa and visiting the snow-capped mountains and having lunch there before we headed back to the UK. The children really enjoyed the snow and going on the cable cars and chair lifts! So for anyone wanting a quiet place to stay with a wonderful garden and view then this place is perfect as it's also within easy driving distance of other towns and attractions - but be sure to have a car as the local town is nice but a bit small and you may want to visit more places if you're there for more than a weekend I imagine. Stefano and his family have been renting their home for a long time (you can read the guest book with lots of positive messages from families/visitors from many countries!) and it's wonderful to stay in a home where we felt extremely welcome and our young children also felt as if they were free to enjoy their time there. Many thanks Stefano and family...!

Stefano has to be the most attentive and thoughtful host we have ever experienced, answering a range of questions and requests to help us make the most of our stay. The villa is a delight, with a beautiful garden on the edge of the lake and breathtaking views from the flat. The stairs are good for the heart and legs and the village (less than five minutes' walk) a treasure. Facilities are excellent. I would have given five stars had the little quirks not stopped it from being absolutely perfect. There is a tiny garage (for a very small car) and the kitchen is on the stairwell which doesn't really matter but is a bit unusual. Very clean, very quiet and the perfect place to get away from it all and fully absorb the beauty of Lake Orta and the Italian Lakes. Thank you Stefano - we will be back!!

Stefan & Stephanie were waiting for us when we arrived, and they took us through the villa explaining things. I thought the description provided by them was very accurate, as you may be sharing the villa & garden. We were there for a glorious week, alone...so we felt very privileged to be in this large villa on the lake! Were in and out of the lake all day, and brought lunch down to the table by the water, sat under umbrellas, read books, sipped wine and enjoyed the amazing view!!! The apartment we had was a great size, with a wonderful sunny kitchen, and then the living room & bedroom that faced the lake....beautiful view. At the weekend, the downstairs neighbors arrived, and then we shared the garden...and that was OK too, but different. There are 2 sets of tables and chairs, so we all chose a spot to settle on. WE did not have much time to chat with them, as we were leaving, but that is something to be aware of (and it was fine). The village of St. Guilio gave me goosebumps- it is incredibly beautiful...as they say, a hidden jewel. We are right off the main piazza, PERFECT walking location to everything. WE think Orta is the best place to just relax with a book, or rent a kayak or hike. It's small but very lovely. Many thanks! We'll be back! And I am thrilled with all of my Loro Piana outlet bargains and my Alessi coffee pots! Thanks Stefan!!! Beth Craig & Eduardo Gonzalez

I can't say enough good things about this apartment. It is beautiful. The apartment is on the second floor of a wonderful old villa, full of character, on a narrow cobbled street which takes you into the main square of Orta in less than 5 minutes on foot. The apartment is tastefully furnished, with lovely tiled floors and full length shuttered windows overlooking the lake. The photos don't do it justice. My favourite thing about about the apartment however is the garden. It is fairly large, with an old stone boat house via which you can access the lake. On top of the boat house is a terrace with fabulous views over the lake. My 2 young children and I swam every day. The booking process was very quick and easy. Stefano and Stefanie were very welcoming and helpful. The apartment was super clean and very well appointed. It even has a piano. Highly recommended.

Lake Orta is quite simply a dream location. The drama of the alps, the calm warm waters, fine food, wine and Italian style all in one. This particular villa in one of the prime locations in Orta has it all; the charm, the history, generous hosts, and all the «modern-ish» requirements a family needs on a break from it all! Wonderful garden, lakeside ambience, a spacious villa, and still only a stone’s throw from the lively village square with all it’s charm! There is absolutely nothing I would criticize, only the hope that Orta does not become full of tourists, and that this fine villa becomes impossible to book for future holidays! This is the fifth or sixth time me and my family have been to Orta, and this has to be the best place we have stayed! Will no doubt return, and recommend highly for travelers who want something special! Practical plusses: parking, wifi, and best of all, privacy in a superb, much-cared for home from home oasis!

Wow! We still can't believe how lucky we were to spend a week in this most beautiful of apartments in the most stunning location we have ever visited! Everything was even better than we had hoped and the owner went out of his way to make everything perfect for our stay. It was really a home-from-home but in a breath-taking spot, with the most wonderful garden and terrace with views overlooking the beautiful Lake Orta, and just a short stroll into the buzzing centre of San Gulio with wonderful cafes and ice cream parlours everywhere... We even had tourists taking photos of the building we were in because it is so historic and fascinating from the outside (as well as being comfortable and lovely inside too). We couldn't have asked for any more - thank you!