We were very impressed with the helpfulness of the owners – they were there to greet us (and able to converse in English!!) and there to say goodbye to us. I was also able to text message/phone the owner at any time and she always gave a prompt reply. The cottage itself was fine for the purpose of our visit – a Christmas get-away! However, bear in mind the following: if going in the winter, buy more wood for the fire (at least 4 more bags if staying for a week). You MUST have a car as this is such a remote The local shops were not open during Christmas week, but Tesco in nearby Melnik never seemed to close!! Great for us! Karlstejn castle was open on Boxing Day and we had a great tour of it. We recommend visiting this place – loads of shops to browse around too! Thank you to the owners for making us feel so welcome. The sauna was a great touch + the DVD player. We thank the owners for such a pleasant welcome.