La Bursch
A charming country house born from the restoration of a 17th-century hamlet at the edge of the forest
In Alta Valle Cervo, in Piedmont, nature and culture meet in a charming country house; a small, romantic hamlet born from Barbara Varese’s passion for her ancient family home.
The La Bursch fairytale begins when Milanese entrepreneur Barbara Varese began the conservative restoration of her historic family home, dating back to the seventeenth century. The house is located in Oretto, a hamlet of Campiglia Cervo in the province of Biella, nestled in a forest at an altitude of 800 meters and surrounded by the Cervo and Bele streams, just an hour’s drive from Milan and Turin.
Thus, in Valle Cervo, a solitary, secret, and magical valley reminiscent of times gone by, La Bursch, which in the ancient local dialect means “house,” “refuge,” or “den,” opened in 2018, intending to create a strong cultural connection with the local area and promote sustainable tourism.
La Bursch invites you to slow down, to be surprised, to feel part of a family that for four generations has collected stories, objects, and flavors from around the world to share with guests.
(Varese family)
The ancient construction techniques rooted in the valley’s traditions, the reuse of antique furnishings, and the reinterpretation of time-honored recipes rooted in the local area are, in fact, the key elements of the project.
The Country House is characterized by several small stone buildings connected to each other in a succession of spaces, rooms, and hidden corners, united by the theme of a journey that begins immediately after crossing a small door that opens onto the reception area, conceived as a large ticket office from the early 1900s.
From here, a truly unique experience begins, through the various spaces that evoke, thanks to the objects and memorabilia collected by Barbara’s family, the many travels around the world over four generations: the billiards room, the 1930s Art Deco bar, the antique games room, the music room and the well room, the former barn housing the Butterfly Room and the Pépinière, a flexible space dedicated to hosting special events.
The stunning park also features the Biolago, a swimming lake featuring a completely natural phytodepuration system, with loungers and an outdoor shower for total relaxation.
The La Brusch hamlet comprises 17 rooms, each unique and furnished with original touches from every continent. The Penthouse Suite America is stunning, with views of the valley, a marble-encased bathtub, and two working fireplaces: a regal journey to 1930s America.
Also open to non-guests, La Bursch Restaurant offers local flavors through Piedmontese cuisine revisited by chef Erika Gotta, who emphasizes the flavor of locally sourced produce. The dishes celebrate the use of plant-based ingredients: vegetables, aromatic herbs, flowers, and edible plants harvested by the chef herself in the garden or woods of La Bursch.
La Bursch Restaurant welcomes guests as if they were at home: there is not just one main room, yet several tables that can be reserved throughout the residence’s rooms, such as the historic kitchen, the communal table in one of the living rooms, or the art room.
During the summer, St’Orto, an open-air bistro, is also open for snacks or aperitifs, cocktails, or dinner.
La Bursch is one of the most soulful and evocative country houses in Italy.
The Secret
La Bursch is located near the village of Rosazza, one of the most beautiful medieval towns in Italy and nicknamed the most mysterious, as it was the birthplace of Federico Rosazza Pistolet, a philanthropist, Venerable Grand Master of Freemasonry, and politician. He built the monumental cemetery, the parish church, the current town hall, the neo-Gothic castle, and the “Rosazza Gallery,” with various symbolic references to esotericism.
Useful Info
La Bursch
Frazione Oretto 22
13812 Campiglia Cervo, Biella
Tel. +39 333 8672684
info@labursch.com
Rooms from €180 with breakfast
Tasting menu: from €80
