Hospitality: a family business
The authentic accommodations in the TEA National Park offer personal and memorable experiences that can't be found in the major tourism destinations. The TEA National Park encompasses a landscape where the culture of hospitality to travellers is thousands of years old. Most hamlets offer a restaurant, a hotel or a bar which has been run by the same family for generations. You will savor truly homemade and custom prepared food and wine, all of which use fresh ingredients and traditional recepies only found in this part of the world.The Park's accommodations offer personal and memorable experiences that can't be found in Italy's cities. Because the park and its communities have not been overtaken by mass tourism, there are no major hotels or chains. Most of accommodations can host a maximum of 20 people, served by staff normally comprised by the owner and his family. Guests are treated like family and personal friendships almost always develop between guests and staff, far beyond merely professional relationships. Hotel and restaurant owners are dedicated to the quality of your stay more importantly, enjoying their homeland. In TEA National Park, hospitality is culture, a value which rises above work, time or money.
Become part of the community
Bar, hotel, and restaurant owners have a special role in local communities, because most of community life takes place on their premises. Proprietors pass along the local news of the day gathered from people who visit. Since all guests, especially those from abroad, are interesting, visitors can quickly become part of small community life. In fact, you might just become the main attraction!
Visitors can choose from many options for lodging and dining:
- Hotel and Pensione: Generally small, atmospheric and run by the owners
- Agriturismo: Agriturismo - a combination of the words for "agriculture" and "tourism" in Italian - is a style of vacationing in farm house resorts codified into Italian law in 1985. An agriturismo vacation is suitable for the whole family and some places even be very romantic or luxurious. An Italian agriturismo will usually serve foods to guests prepared from raw materials produced on the farm or at least locally. Some will allow the guest to actually participate in the activities surrounding the farm. Despite the rural nature of the lodging, one might expect a rustic experience; yet many agriturismi (the plural form of agriturismo) feature luxurious accommodations as well as swimming pools.
- Community Tourism (Turismo di comunità) : this is a particular type of accommodation: you are a guest of the whole village, you will get to know the place and the inhabitants and participate to the daily life of the community. In the park you can try this particular experience in cerreto alpi www.ibrigantidicerreto.com
- Hostels: The Park's surrounding areas offer many hostels, or dormitory-style lodging options, located in or near villages.
- Refuges (Hostels): The Park's Refuges are cabin style hostels for hikers and travelers, normally located along the trails; you only can reach them walking, cycling or horseriding, and you will find food and basic hospitality - normally on bunkbeds in share rooms - for the night. If you stay in a refuge, you can experience sunset, night stars and sunrise and amazing views, and meet other hikers.
