Ilyastepe Cottages: Garden of Paradise

The cottages are in a vast garden that is unforgettably beautiful. It is set behind the Inn in a hidden valley which is untouched by anything modern or ugly. The view is reminiscent of some fantastic Tuscan landscape in the background of a Leonardo da Vinci painting.

The cottages were built in a fit of inspiration between 2005 and 2009; some experts now swear they are more than a hundred years old. We used only natural stuff in construction - stone, earth and ancient timber. We kept doorways low so people would enter their house with humbleness. We originally installed wood-burning water heaters, which are fun to light and give out a wonderful glowing heat. (Sadly, we ended up having to remove all of them except at Cottage 5, which remains our favorite one.) We tried to achieve total comfort - physical as well as spiritual - without using any modern gadgetry.

The seven cottages cluster around a common kitchen and terrace. Breakfast is served on the terrace. The swimming pool is set in a clearing of the bush nearby. One can drive to the cottages in an emergency, but we encourage guests to walk the 200-meter path from the parking area so that there is never a motor rumble to spoil the peace. (The roosters, the geese, and the resident peacocks supply all the noise you need.)

The garden contains about 500 trees which yield some 50 varieties of fruit. Guests are of course welcome to roam about and taste whatever is ripe in that particular season.

Prophet

Ilyastepe means Mount Elijah. It is the name of the hill, which probably derives from the ruined Greek chapel on top dedicated to the Prophet Elijah.