Are you tired of the repetitive and boring chain hotels? Have you ever thought about spending a night in a castle for pretty much the same price of a Best Western?
A few years ago I was having dinner with three of my best friends – Mike, Monica and John. During the dinner I mentioned that I was booking my next business trip to Italy. I’m not sure exactly how it happened, but after a few minutes of chat – or maybe after a few glasses of wine – were decided the four of us would go together on this trip. The plan was pretty simple: during the day Mike and I would meet with our suppliers and clients, and during the evening we would get together.
As that would be Monica’s and John’s first time in Italy – and Mike and I were on our usual tight schedule of meetings – I decided to book a few B&B instead of the usual hotel chains. B&B in Europe, actually, can be an excellent option. Depending on the time of the year, the prices are pretty much the same as hotels or maybe even cheaper. The main advantage is that you can stay in wonderful places that only locals would know about. When I found this place on internet I booked right away. The location was perfect, not so far from Parma (city where my meetings would take place), region of wineries, easy access to Salso Maggiore, on the top of a hill and, for their big surprise, the B&b was actually the borgo of an old castle!
Centuries ago castles were usually built where there was a natural feature of the land that would help in the defense of it such as building on top of a hill or where they were surrounded by water. That was a way to defend their land and fight off attackers. The servants wouldn’t live in the castle but in small houses outside the walls. These little towns built by the castles were called “borgo” in Italian.
Antico Borgo di Tabiano Castello is located in the borgo of Tabiano Castle. It dates back form the XI century and was built on the ruins of an old Roman settlement. The rooms offer all modern comforts and are decorated with antique furniture, tapestries, hand-painted ceramics, terracotta floors or antique tiles. They have a large swimming pool and two wellness centers; one located in a natural cave and the other in a house in the woods in the secret garden under the walls. The restaurant is located in the old dairy and cheese factory, and the ingredients are sourced by local farmers.
Antico Borgo di Tabiano Castello, Salsomaggiore Terme (Parma), Italy https://www.tabianocastello.com/ Tel.: +39 0524 88 11 68
