Fattoria Barbialla Nuova

Pure city escapism in 3 converted farmhouses on a 500-hectare organic farm - a remarkably tranquil and hospitable retreat

If you've ever dreamt of ditching the city rat-race for a simple rural lifestyle, here's your chance. Set in 500 hectares of private estate, these 3 farmhouses, tastefully converted into 6 rustic-chic apartments and 2 villa, are surrounded by nothing but woodland, hills, pastures and utter tranquillity.

Forests full of wild boar, deer and locally-prized white truffles cover half of the estate, and there's a remote wildness quite unlike postcard-Tuscany, with its uniform lines of cypresses and vines. Guests are welcome to roam the land as they please, and you could explore for days. As well as walking and tracking wildlife, you can go truffle hunting in autumn, pick wild herbs in spring and gorge yourself on figs and cherries in summer - all of it organically grown. Wine-tasting and sightseeing opportunities abound: the towers of San Gimignano and the underrated town of Volterra are on your doorstep, Siena and Florence not much further. But it's the sense of remoteness, nature and space which mark this place out, and may have you pondering a permanent move to the countryside.

Highs

• This is utter tranquillity just 30 minutes from Florence and Siena
• The wonderful hosts believe in Slow Food and the slow life
• There's a huge variety of plantlife on the estate: blackberries, figs, apples, plums, nuts, herbs, elderflower, pears, cherries, peaches... go forage
• The range of activities on offer include guided truffle hunts, pasta-making demos, bread-making lessons and talks on bee keeping
• The apartments combine simple rustic stylishness and spaciousness - a cut above most Tuscan farmhouse conversions
• Each building has its own pool: a large one for Doderi apartments, a small one for Brentina guests and a private one for Trosce villa

Lows

• After entering the estate, you have to drive for 10-15 mins over bumpy tracks to reach your accommodation, so day trips are a bit of an effort
• These are self-catering cottages, so you bring your own food (or raid the garden) and you don't get room service
• The heating (Le Trose/Brentina Ovile) and cleaning costs can add up
• Doderi and Brentina houses are split into 3-4 apartments, so sound can carry between them; but most guests are peaceful, and we weren't bothered by any noise