Me and my friend visited casa Barthel in July 2017 and could not have wished for a lovelier stay than in our little farmer’s house! Everything from our room, the kindness Elena's family and staff showed us as well as the beauty of the entire place was amazing. We originally had high expectations based on the pictures and were still pleasantly surprised! The room was perfect for two; large, light and clean. The place is calm and quiet with beautiful surroundings, including olive trees, nice gardens and a great view over the Tuscany landscape. The pool is amazing with lots of sunbeds around it. This also means that casa Barthel is a nice contrast to the higher pace and city life in Firenze. For us this was a perfect combination – we could enjoy cosy breakfasts in the sun outside our farmer's house, spend the first hours of the day by the pool and later in the evenings we could enjoy the restaurants and night life in Florence. We usually took taxi and/or buses to and from Firenze city center; there are 2-3 number of buses to choose from. The buses depart from Galuzzo, the village which is located down the hill. In total approx. 15-30 minutes to the city center depending on the time of the day and what option you choose. Later at nights taxi is definitely recommended.
I really recommend the casa Barthel if you want enjoy a great and unique holiday in a calm and beautiful place!