Il Granaio dei Casabella, Paestum

After a fabulous couple of days in Amalfi it was time to hit the road again, or in this case the ferry, to Salerno. From Salerno we picked up our hire car and made our way to Paestum, once a major ancient Greek city on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The ruins of Paestum are famous for their three ancient Greek temples, dating from about 600 to 450BC, which are in a very good state of preservation, and the reason Paestum is on our agenda.

This part of Italy is very different to the other regions we have driven through. It is much flatter, less cared for, and not as pretty as some of the drives we have been on. There seems to be a lot of farming areas and parts of it had a real abandoned feel to it. Other than the prostitutes sat on their plastic chairs in the middle of nowhere, there weren’t a lot of people or cars around. It was an eye-opening drive, one that made me glad we pay taxes at home.

Paestum itself looked like a resort town, and not a cheap one either, which was surprising considering the area we had driven through. It has a lush expensive feel to it. However, we weren’t staying here for the beaches, so we stayed closer to the Archaeological Park. We are staying at Il Granaio dei Casabella, a restored farm turned into a country hotel, only a six-minute walk from the Temple of Athena. The property is beautiful, inside and out with the only downfall being the many, many stairs we have to climb to our room. Being that it is off season and there aren’t many people staying here, we are surprised to be given the furthest room on the top floor. Oh, and the fact their website states there is a restaurant onsite and they completely deny that this is a restaurant or that it states it on their site. Very odd. And once again I had booked a bit further out of town with the belief there would be lunch and dinner options at the hotel. Luckily, we managed to get some lunch near the Archaeological Park, and dinner at a very cute restaurant just up the road from where we are staying.

While the staff weren’t overly friendly and the internet was bad, the place itself was beautiful. The grounds were luscious and green, overflowing with flowers and plants, and there was even a tower room covered in ivy. Inside was just as grand, with well-appointed living-rooms that were very inviting. And the location to the Archaeological Park meant we could park the car and walk. It was a lovely place to stay. Thankfully breakfast was included and it was delicious!! So much variety and there was even a staff member on hand just to make our coffees.

Despite some of our negatives, we would stay here again. It would be lovely to stay in the Springtime to see the gardens in full bloom.Read more