Hotel Eden, Sarnano, Macerata - Monti Sibillini hotels

Hotel Eden, near Macerata

The Hotel Eden, deep in Italy's lovely Le Marche region, is situated in a small municipality called Sarnano, at the foot of the Monti Sibillini mountains and national park. The park offers plenty of activities from hiking to horse riding, and it is a haven for wildlife such as the rare golden eagle, wolves and brown bears. Sarnano village has become a spa destination thanks to its natural springs which are thought to have restorative properties. While you are here, pay a visit to the 14th-century church of San Francesco, which is decorated with Palestinian plates. At the Pinacoteca you can see a fine Madonna and Child by Crivelli, or head to the Santa Maria Piazza to admire the 15th-century frescoes.

For even more culture the nearest big town, Macerata, has a great deal to offer by way of galleries and monuments, while the Chienti valley has many picturesque medieval villages to explore. The Marche region has some great local dishes and wines, such as Verdicchio, a golden-green white wine, which comes in a bottle the shape of an amphora and is best served with seafood. Much of the local cuisine is rustic country cooking, based around game, nuts, tomato and fennel, but one particular dish worth sampling is pasta ribbons with duck sauce, known as papardelle alla papara.

This Le Marche hotel is set in a seven-acre pine forest and is connected to the spa centre by a heated tunnel. There is an outdoor swimming pool, which is open during the summer months. The bedrooms all have bathrooms, come with balconies overlooking the mountains, and televisions. Internet access and conference facilities are also available at the hotel.

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Double room from €60