Luxury Lombardy Retreat at L'Albereta, Franciacorta

Take advantage of complimentary airport lounge access before your flight from the UK to Bergamo, a historic city in the foothills of the Italian Alps, around 50 kilometres northeast of Milan. On arrival, pick up your hire car and drive to L’Albereta, a stunning 19th-century villa immersed among rolling hills and vineyards in Franciacorta, a renowned sparkling wine-producing region near Brescia and Lake Iseo in Lombardy. This is your home for the next four nights – a perfect base from which to experience the region’s idyllic nature, gorgeous villages and culinary delights. 

After a delicious buffet breakfast, the day is yours to spend however you please, enjoying the hotel’s superb facilities. Take a laid-back stroll through the gardens and the surrounding vineyards, rent a bike to explore the Franciacorta region on two wheels, and of course, enjoy the most of the fabulous wellness amenities at the Chenot Espace spa. Here, you’ll find an indoor pool, a sauna, a steam bath, a Turkish bath and 14 treatment rooms where you can indulge in bespoke massages and holistic wellness therapies, customised to your exact needs by expert therapists. It’s a wonderfully calming environment for revitalising both mind and body. There are outdoor pools, too, along with a well-equipped fitness centre and tennis courts, so there’s plenty of scope for keeping active as well as relaxing.

Later on, you might fancy driving to Bergamo or Brescia to explore. The former is one of Lombardy’s most attractive and historically rich cities, with a well-preserved old town encircled by Venetian walls and an ornate, Renaissance-era main square, while the latter is home to UNESCO World Heritage-listed Roman ruins and an impressive medieval castle.

You’ll also enjoy exquisite cuisine at L'Albereta’s gourmet restaurants, of which there are four to choose from. At Ristorante LeoneFelice, locally-inspired dishes are served on a terrace with magnificent views of Lake Iseo, while La Filale prides itself on award-winning pizzas. There’s also the health-focused Ristorante Benessere at the Chenot Espace spa and Stanza 54, whose three terraces provide a delightful setting for breakfast, aperitifs and evening drinks. 

Today is an ideal opportunity to explore Lake Iseo, Lombardy’s fourth-largest lake and home to Europe’s largest lake island, Monte Isola. Dotted around its shore are several picturesque towns and villages worth checking out, such as Iseo, Sulzano, Pisogne and Lovere. There are many scenic hiking and cycling trails around the lake, while a ferry tour allows you to appreciate its beauty from the water itself.

Also consider treating yourself to a vineyard tour and wine tasting at either (or both) of L’Albereta’s esteemed wineries, Contadi Castaldi and Bellavista Winery, to experience the delectable products for which Franciacorta is so revered. 

Enjoy a day at leisure, either making the most of the facilities at L’Albereta or exploring more of the surrounding region, whether it be somewhere you haven’t visited yet or perhaps one of the places you’ve already seen and fancy returning to spend more time in. 

After one last breakfast at L’Albereta, head back to Bergamo to drop off your hire car and catch your flight home.