We’re winding our way up a wild mountain road in Tuscany at dusk when out of nowhere a deer hits our taxi with a resounding thud.
We’re startled, but not as much as the deer, who thankfully shakes itself off and runs away, but the encounter is a surefire reminder that we’re deep in nature.
It’s already been a 45-minute drive from Pistoia train station to the gates of the Oasi Dynamo nature reserve – driving would be easier but since our destination is an eco-resort it seems churlish not to attempt public transport. Now we’re on the second leg, a long, winding drive along the remote road through the nature reserve to the Oasy Hotel, billed as a luxury eco-lodge.
It's a fairly red in tooth and claw welcome, and lends our arrival the portentous atmosphere of a folk horror film. Thankfully this is quickly dispelled by the warmth and charm of our welcome once we finally reach reception.
The hotel is headed up by general manager Federico Galligani, a native of the area who has returned to his home village following a long stint abroad, including at the Savoy in London. Under his discerning eye, service has all the smooth efficiency and behind-the-scenes magic you’d expect at any of Europe’s grand hotels, coupled with local charm, thanks to Galligani’s drive to employ and train up local young people where possible.
Italy’s youth urban exodus is well documented, but a jobs and training drive shows the resort is looking at sustainability through a human and economic lens as much as an environmental one.
Our lodge is a short walk away, along a verdant path through the refreshing spring dusk air to a charred timber cabin with a deck cleverly angled to give the sense that we are alone in nature.
It’s a certain type of luxury that’s available here, the luxury of location, waking up to birdsong without having had to touch anything resembling a tent, attentive, intuitive service and having every whim catered for.
But it is still in the middle of nowhere and determined to live up to its eco credentials as far as possible. There is no swimming pool, no televisions in the rooms (although there is a small cinema on site) and no spa to speak of – a treatment room with excellent massages fulfills the wellness brief.
Design is simple almost to the point of spartan – the focus here is on the outside world rather than opulent interiors – but the rooms are nonetheless comfortable, cocooning and provided with everything necessary for a few days immersed in nature.
And youth hostel, campsite, or, god forbid, Center Parcs, this is not. We’re talking a stylish bare wood treatment for floor, wall and ceiling, well-designed lighting, an abundance of space for two with a bedroom, separate living room, private terrace, and a good bathroom.
There’s no holiday park cringe here, even if we have got a packed schedule of activities to look forward to.
But first, dinner. The great news is that sustainable and delicious are nowadays a very achievable pairing – no punishing worthiness furnishes any plates or glasses the entire trip, just the tastiest, veg-forward local ingredients, skillfully prepared and presented.
Proof of provenance is there for anyone who has a go at cheesemaking, one of the many activities on offer for guests, child friendly but recommended for adults too. This happens down at the farmhouse, where formaggio-pounding nonna, Maria, who makes all the cheeses served at the hotel, leads a no-nonsense class in Italian (with one of the young guides on hand to translate).
She talks us through the process of pasteurisation, separating the curds and whey and then it’s time to get wrist deep with our own wheel of cheese, which is sweetly vacuum packed for travel, alongside clear instructions for ripening our cheeses at home.
Fortified by a multi-course, vegetarian-friendly dinner, plus Tuscan wine (largely organic even if the local vintners are too stubbornly Italian to get them officially designated as such, sighs Galligani) we stumble back to our cabin to sleep like the dead.
This is just as well because we’ve got a pre-breakfast wildlife tour lined up. Paola, our fully trained geo guide warns us that “if we see a wild boar and it has babies, run as fast as you can”.
It’s a valiant attempt to add a frisson to an uneventful but otherwise very scenic sunrise tour through the woods – our early brush with the would-be roadkill deer ends up being our closest encounter with the reserve’s wildlife.
In fact, we hardly see any other guests either except at breakfast – a full Italian buffet affair of homemade cakes, cheeses, jams and more.
We kayak on the lake with only the charming hotel staff for company, who bring us spritzes and a ‘picnic’, a heavily laden wooden chest filled with an assortment of sandwiches, salads, fruit skewers and cake and then leave us to our own devices.
Yoga in the woods is a private affair with the on-site yoga teacher. The post-dinner bonfire is just us, the stars and a couple of glasses of red wine.
The reserve (a former metallurgical society-turned hunting reserve-turned WWF oasis) is a 900-hectare haven of mountain, meadow, and forest offering a true opportunity to switch off and explore nature, be it on foot, e-bike, or, if booked in advance, horseback.
The great news is that it is destined to stay that way. There are plans to expand but the options are limited: the 16 existing cabins sit at the landline with no space for any more, while there are plans afoot to renovate a clutch of villas for rental. Excitingly the concept could be extended to other WWF reserves in Italy. Watch this space.
