Although Le Marche has been lauded as the next Tuscany for many years, it still remains an area untouched by mass tourism. It is a well-loved secret of the Italians for their own holidays but less known outside Italy.  It lies in Central Italy with the majestic Sibillini mountains to the west and the miles of sandy beaches of the Adriatic coast to the east.

It has managed to retain a character of authenticity and natural beauty.  The soft rolling hills are a patchwork of small fields of sunflowers, barley, farro, olive groves and vineyards. All along the Val d'Aso valley they cultivate fruit orchards of peach, plum, apple and kiwi. In between there are large fields of vegetables irrigated from the Aso river that flows from the Sibillini mountains.  Le Marche farms are still run as small family businesses using traditional farming methods.  Nearly every home in the countryside has a vegetable garden (orto) and a neatly stacked woodpile.  The locals stop for a couple of hours in the middle of the day and the primary school children come back from school to enjoy a freshly cooked family lunch before returning to the fields or school.  

You will notice the medieval villages perched on top of so many of the hills, each with its own central cafes, often a theatre and at least one church, which, when entered, will reveal the most breathtaking architecture and frescoes . 

The people of Le Marche (marchigiani) are hard working, naturally sustainable and care for the land with good crop rotation. For example on our land, the farmers leave the grass and clovers to grow high between the rows of vines and then mow late spring to give a natural feed of nitrogen.  If the fields are covered in weed, they plough them in with their old Fiat tractors instead of using herbicides and sheep are used in the winter to keep the grass down.

Le Marche has been voted No 2 by Lonely Planet as it has some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world.

The rolling hills between the coast and the mountains are unique and we will never get tired of the views we are lucky to look out on every morning.  You will often reach the top of a road and be rewarded with a view of the coast or the mountains.  Every season is still distinct with the blossom of fruit trees in spring, vibrant wild flowers in summer, wonderful autumn colour and snow-capped mountains in winter.  With enduring sunshine most of the year.

The Sibillini Mountains offer the most spectacular walks and hikes with legends and stories along every trail.  You will experience some of the most breathtaking views to compete with any other mountain range in Italy or elsewhere only here with a lot less people.

Le Marche is still an area of Italy where you can find places which are silent except for the sound of a mountain stream or birdsong.  You can look out on views which are untouched by the modern world and have stayed as wild as they were centuries ago.  The Sibillini Mountains are a place where you can really experience the power of the great outdoors where nature rules not man.  You may see golden eagles, wild boar, chamoix, black squirrels, porcupine and even wolves.

Whilst Le Marche has these remote, natural places, you are never far from small villages and the coast where you will find busy Italian life with shops, markets, cafes and restaurants when you are ready to see people again!

Italy is the home of the Slow Food Movement founded in 1986 and Le Marche is a shining example of this with the opportunity to experience authentic, traditional food.  The region is often known as the larder of Italy with its fields of fruit, vegetables, grains and pulses, still a staple part of the Italian diet.  The large fishing ports  of San Benedetto and Porto San Giorgio on the Adriactic are well-known as providers of the best fish and seafood in Italy.

Wherever you choose to eat, from a rustic chalet serving mussles on the beach like Cozze Nero in Porto San Giorgio to fine dining cuisine at I Piceni in Ortezzano, you will enjoy high quality, freshly prepared food in unique surroundings.  But without the price tag of areas like Tuscany or the Amalfi Coast.

If you choose to cook in your holiday apartment (we have a fully equipped kitchen here), then you can enjoy visiting the local markets to buy like an Italian as well as cook up the produce from our own veg garden.  Food shopping here is like it used to be - you will buy meat from the butcher (we have a great one here in Valmir who is in organic conversion), bread and pastries from the bakers, fresh ravioli and gnocchi from the pasta maker and fish from the fishmonger - you can even buy fish straight off the boats at the harbour markets!

Throughout the year there are food festivals (sagre) where a village will celebrate a specific dish.  It might be the Sagra of Maccheroncini in Campofilone (where they make pasta), black truffles in Amandola (the gateway to the Sibillini) or mussels in Pedaso.  You can marvel at how they can cater for so many people and sit shoulder to shoulder with locals and holidaymakers on long trestle tables set up in the streets or piazzas.  There may be stalls of local craftspeople and there will always be music and dancing!  Entrance is free - you just pay for your food and drinks.

And, of couse, we must mention the wine as Villa in the Vineyard is surrounded by vines as you would expect!  Wines here are high quality but reasonably priced.  There may be varieties that you haven't tried before such as Pecorino, Passerino, Montepulciano, and Sangiovese.  A wine tasting is a must where you can taste the wines but also see how they are produced with a combination of high-tech and traditional methods. You can always visit at harvest time.

Lonely Planet travellers are usually looking for authentic, meaningful experiences which have a positive impact on the place they are visiting.  The people of Le Marche are known in Italy to be hard workers.  They are also extremely welcoming and generous.  When you visit Le Marche, you can experience real Italian life which has been past down through the generations.  Enjoy the simple pleasures which Italians choose every day: a coffee and croissant with a touch of people watching; a hike in the mountains to fill your lungs with fresh air; a visit to a local market with all the sounds of local life; supporting the individual shopkeepers; topping up the tan and swimming at one of the many blue-flag beaches; visiting the elegant and ancient city of Ascoli Piceno steeped in history and culture; dining at the best local restaurants who source meat, fish, pasta, grains, vegetables and wines locally.

You will be supporting the local economy and here you have the chance to experience real Italian life like a local.