Explore some of the most peculiar towns of West Italy!
3 Days in Lake Bolsena: Journey Across Time
This is a detailed guide full of our personal recommendation, perfect for a 3-days trip, but if you have extra time check out our 7-days itinerary, and explore towns like Pitigliano, Sutri, Monterano, and many more!
Italy has always had a special place in our hearts. It really represents the perfect match between beautiful landscapes, ancient history, and incredible food. The volcanic district of Vulsini, in the north of Lazio region, hosted multiple civilizations over the past tens of centuries, which modified the landscape and left an immense amount of archeology to discover.
Here it is the list of some of the most beautiful towns around that you really can’t miss!
P.S. the closest international airports are either Rome or Perugia, both located about 2h far from this area.
Day 1: Orvieto and Civita di Bagnoregio
We said that this area is part of a volcanic district, and the town of Orvieto one of its witnesses.
Drive along the provincial roads, up and down the Italian hills. Once you reach the town, park your car your car in the wide area below the walls and walk through the underground passage. You will find yourself right into the old town!
Orvieto is a beautiful town, and every single street is worth to be walked. You will enjoy the narrow passages between the tall walls of the buildings, the colors, and the picturesque Italian culture.
Among the many attractions that Orvieto has to offer, one that you can’t miss is its Dome!
Ranked as one of the most apprecciated by tourists, it is dated back to the XIII century. In the same square of the Dome you also find the entrance for Underground Orvieto: an incredible tour, deep below town, which will make you explore its ancient caves and tunnels. Absolutely worth the ticket (but rememebr to book it in advance over summer!).
After it, move onto the east tip of the old town.
Here you will find another must-see of Orvieto: Pozzo di San Patrizio
This beautiful well, which can be seen for only few euros, goes down in the ground for 248 steps. They are assembled in a double helix, allowing you to walk down and up again going only in one way. The side windows and the game of lights will create the perfect environment for some cool pictures!
Before to leave Orvieto don’t forget to visit the Albornoz Fortress! It is free to access, and from there you can enjoy the best view over the entire valley!
After having lunch is one of the many Taverne and Osterie around, it’s time to continue the journey.
Pick up the car and drive to Civita di Bagnoregio. Follow the signs and try to park as close as possible to the view point.
This town, renamed as “the dying town”, became so popular in the last decades. Over the years, the natural erosion of the landscape around slowly isolated the town, which nowadays stands alone in the middle of the valley, sorrounded by a deep canyon. The landslides keep occurring, and every few years more houses collapse.
Paying a small fee, you can enter the town. The buildings, with their typical brown-yellowish color given by the tuff, make the town look like a painting. The history behind and the beauty of this town make it look like it got out of a fairytale.
Don’t forget to visit the church, and take a break for a coffee in one of the bars around.
Day 2: Bolsena, Montefiascone, and Capodimonte
If on the first day you saw the witnesses of the volcanic district, on the second day you will drive straight into the remains of the volcano itself!
The first stop is at Bolsena, the town which gives the name to the lake. Walk around and get lost in the network of streets of the old town.
Visit the castle and its acquarium (all in one ticket), and learn about the pre-roman history of the lake. From the top of the tower you can enjoy the view over the entire lake. It represents a caldera: a topographic depression, remnant of the collapse of the volcanic reservoir below. Over time these depressions become impermeable and fill up with water, forming large water bodies.
After a coffee and a cornetto, it’s time to pick up the car again and drive to Pietre Lanciate.
This wall of basalt, made of hexagonal columns, was formed during one of the eruptions of the volcano. While shrinking (and so decreasing in volume), the lava assumes this shape, which is the cheapest in terms of energy (thermodinamically speaking).
Take a nice picture, and then ready to get back on the car again.
Drive to Montefiascone. You can park your car at the free parking below the walls.
From there, start your walk through the town: visit the cathedral, get lost in the streets, and reach the Rocca dei Papi to enjoy the best view on the lake.
When you feel satisfied, come back to the car and drive back to the lake. Go to Capodimonte, and park your car whenever you are close to the old town and you see white stripes (like here for example).
Use this chance to have a nice walk along the lake coast, but don’t leave without visiting the sorroundings of Rocca Farnese and its ancient port!
Day 3: Viterbo and Thermal pools
The trip is coming to an end, but so many beautiful things are still yet to be visited!
Drive 1h southward, and reach the city of Viterbo. This ancient city, evolved through the Middle Age, is very well preserved. The old town, enclosed by the original walls, will make you feel like you are visiting a city from The Lord of the Rings!
You can park your car at Parcheggio Valle Faul. It is free and close to the old town, decorated with a bizarre sculpture of a giant called “The awakening”, made by John Seward Johnson.
Walk through the streets and stop to enjoy the local architecture. Take a picture at the districts of San Pellegrino and Pianoscarano, and move onto the Dome of Viterbo: a beautiful church, built over the ruins of an Etruscan chapel.
Among the beauties of this city, one that you really can’t miss is the Palace of the Popes. Both the dome and the palace can be visited with the same ticket (9€ adult) which you can purchase at the entrance.
Finding a place for lunch won’t be a problem here. The old town is full of Taverne and Trattorie where you can taste some traditional specialities like the Lombrichelli, or the Fieno Canepinese. One place that we suggest is Trattoria L’Archetto: good food for fair prices, we will definitely comeback.
After lunch, get back to the car, just to drive a couple of kilometers more.
There is no better way to digest and relax then bathing inside a natural thermal pool, and lucky you Viterbo has not only one, but 2!
They are Terme del Bullicame and Piscine Carletti. The thermal springs in Viterbo are known since before the Romans. In recent time, they built around them some artifical pools, to contain the water and enjoy the experience at its best.
We personally recommend to go to Terme del Bullicame first, because after the sunset they will be closed. Then, if your desire of relax is not satisfied, you can move onto Piscine Carletti. They are a bit smaller, and usually more crowded (due to the presence of parking space for campers), but they empty out later in the end.
Before ending this trip, and before leaving Viterbo, make sure to grab some food for dinner. You can’t leave Italy without eating at least a pizza, and the perfect place for that is Sapori e Tradizioni
