Villa Liburnia is a new structure, but in a pleasant country style, built and is run by a young brother and sister pair. The rooms are large and modern, not luxurious but furnished with everything needed for a pleasant night's stay. One thing that was a big plus was the bed - a fantastic mattress! Upon waking we immediately noticed the absence of aches and pains that we have had for ages.

Our room - and it seems to be the same for the others - opened onto a little patio with garden table and furniture, overlooking the pool and with a commanding view over the city of Livorno (Leghorn). One of the interesting details is the photovoltaic installation directly inside the entrance gate, which we were told produces sufficient energy to power the entire B & B villa during the summer months.

We were met by the very friendly Ramona, who speaks excellent English (for those of us who are language-impaired), and who provided us with a map and directions to the places we needed to visit the following day.

In the winter months, the breakfast is delivered to the individual rooms. In the summer, we were informed that it is served in the main central portion of the building. It was copious, although on the sweet side typical of Italian breakfasts; if you are from northern Europe you may miss a bit of savory choices. However, the sugar rush is compensated for by the fantastic location. One is literally only minutes from central Livorno while being able to sleep in the silence of the countryside - not to mention having an ample place to park a car in secure surroundings.

The land immediately around the villa has been newly planted with herbs and a garden/pool area which with a few years growth should become quite charming. As the villa has over two hectares of land, there is also the possibility for walks on a forested part of the property.

In short, the place is welcoming with a great location and friendly, helpful owners. If we need a place to stay in the area in the future, we know exactly where to go.

We booked all rooms for our family for one week. We spent a lot of time by the pool. Everyone loved the view of both the town and the sea. You need a car to be able to visit Pisa, Firenze or Siena or go to the centre of Livorno. It was relaxing to feel the peace at the place and still be in the close neghbourhood of the town of Livorno. Some of us came by car from Sweden - some flied to Pisa. It was also possible to take the train from Pisa to Livorno and from Livorno to Firenze.