Sextantio Albergo Diffuso

A restored collection of medieval houses in the Gran Sasso mountains of central Italy, a stay at Sextantio Albergo Diffuso – at first glance at least – is a step back in time. Right down to the heavy iron keys you’re handed on arrival, the attention to detail is extraordinary, but the rough edges are smoothed by subtly luxurious touches like underfloor heating and modern bathrooms.

As a restored medieval village, the shape and size of each of the rooms varies, but all have been meticulously restored using local materials such as terracotta, wood and limestone, and traditional artisanal building techniques. While rooms are comfortable, the experience here is not about mod-cons, and you won’t find TVs, minibars or phones to call room service here.

Food at the Locanda sotto gli Archi exhibits the same commitment to recreating medieval Italian traditions as the hotel’s rooms, with hearty, old-fashioned cuisine served up in its vaulted, candle-lit dining room. There’s a daily set menu, but it follows the full programme of antipasto, soup, pasta primo, meat secondo and dessert, and the hotel grows 50% of the produce it uses in its dishes. There’s also wine tasting at the Cantinone.

At the Bottega dell’Artigianato, you can purchase the authentic artisanal objects that decorate the hotel, from ceramic glasses to hand woven cloth and other local produce. You can also try your hand at making something yourself, with soap making classes and weaving courses on offer alongside pastry making, bread making and cooking classes. You can also get a real taste of traditional rural life with a local shepherd, Mimi: you’ll meet the flock and help lead them to a natural spring, before a milking and shearing demonstration followed by a traditional pastoral dinner.