We had a very peaceful two week stay at Casa Soprana in late September 2015. Our weather was near perfect with only occasional nighttime storms but comfortable temps in the daytime and lots of sun on most days. Casa Soprana's location in Rezzo was a perfect base from which we could travel to the coast (Alassio was our favorite beach town) on those days when we wanted to take in the hustle and bustle of a more urban area. On those days when we wanted to get our nature on, we were a very short drive from the Alta Via (think Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail for those of you from the U.S.) to hike the peaks and valleys of this beautiful place.

Our hosts were easy to reach with questions and our local contact (Mark) was an excellent resource for directions, restaurant suggestions and reservations, and we appreciated his gifts of fresh produce from the garden.

Rezzo is a charming village and gave us just the respite we needed from our hectic lives. We recommend it to anyone wishing to visit Liguria.

Rezzo is a scenic sun trap set in the mountainside, and as Italian as it gets. Only 25 minutes from the sophisticated Italian Riviera coast, it's a step back in time, with simple bars serving wonderful home-cooked food, where they speak little English but are very welcoming. Casa Soprana looks like a traditional Italian house from the outside, with sturdy stone walls, wooden shutters and vine covered patios, but inside its three stories have been so imaginatively and creatively converted it feels much bigger than it seems. It is cool inside when it's blazing sun outside, and there's plenty of room to relax on the sofas and different floors. There are large dining tables inside and out that overlook the village and mountainside below, a well equipped kitchen and bathrooms and wonderfully comfortable beds, one on a mezzanine at the top of the house. There's plenty to do nearby, swimming in fresh water pools, walks to the Retreat at the top of the mountain and a seven minute drive to the neighbouring village of Pieve de Teco, which has two great Pizza restaurants. Prices are far cheaper here than the coast or in neighbouring France: 16 Euros for two giant pizzas piled high with local ham and mushrooms, and the amazing value 15 course lunch in Rezzo on Sundays, that costs a mere 25 euros per person and includes wine and coffee. Rezzo is easy to get to, we flew into Nice and drove to Rezzo in one and half hours. This is not a holiday for those who need a lot of laid-on entrainment or hectic nightlife, it is however, for anyone wanting peace and quiet and genuine Italian hospitality and culture. We would heartily recommend it and we will be back.

We loved Italy, the house, the local restaurants, the owners - but most of all we loved the mountain views!
Less then 2 hours from Nice, Genova or Turin where the budget airlines all have a good service.
The trip to the coast only takes around 25 minutes where you can find some lovely beaches.
There are a couple of bars, restaurants and a small shops in the village that could sustain you for your whole holiday but if you want provisions for self catering there is a big supermarket just 20 minutes away.
The house has been restored to an exceptional high standard and has all the gadgets and kitchen utensils you could possibly need.
Owners Emma, David, Tilly and Zepher the whippet made us very welcome and gave us some excellent advice about the local area.
One of the best holidays we have had as a family and highly recommended.

Having trawled many other holiday rentals we were glad to find this little gem which suited our requirements.The views are breath taking and the air is clean and fresh and the setting is idyllic, the perfect getaway.
David and Emma have done a fantastic job of giving this house a new lease of life and bringing it bang up to date without loosing any of its rustic charm. The house has everything you need and the kitchen has every possible utensil. All I'd suggest is to bring some DVD's for the kids as the TV is not connected to an aerial. The weather was a bit hit and miss for us so the 3 DVD's we brought were well used first thing in the morning and late in the day when the children were stuck indoors. Our Children (7 and 3.5) loved the place, especially the chickens. But be aware the town is built on a hillside so little legs may get tired quickly.

We mainly frequented Ivana's for bread, milk and eggs and she sells local cheese which is great, just like my Nonna use to make. The rest of the shopping was done down at Bennet supermarket on the way to Imperia. It also a great place to stock up on your beach picnic food stuffs, just make sure you swing buy the deli and bakery, its so cheap and the food is good quality.
Also next to Ivana's is a path down to the river but be aware that part of the way down a rock slide blocks the path. I personally didn't fancy crossing the loose stones with a 3 year old in tow so make your own choice but I was told there is another way down near the football pitch but we never tried it.

We only went down to Pieve di Teco to eat pizza and our personal favourite was "Dal Maniscalco" which we just though tasted better than "la Forchetta" but the latter does have menus in English where the former doesn't.

If you want to hit the beach, Imperia is only 30 minutes drive but we went on the St Bartolomeo al Mare as this has calmer waters because of the sea walls. We did try Alassio which won the train spotters prize as the coast line runs right next to the road but the sea is rough and our youngest didn't like it.

Great Place, Great food, Great Beaches, Great Gelato, Bella Italia. Italy is my ancestral home so I'm bias. But if you want slice of Italian life you wont go far wrong if you book Casa Soprana. Dave and Emma and Tilly are lovely people warm and friendly and Emma can handle multiple quick-fire questions by small boys with ease( ish ), I'm glad we met them and wish them all the best for the future.