Local Area Information

The holiday apartment is undoubtedly located in one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. The villa is between Orvieto, Bagnoregio, Bolsena situated on the border of Umbria, Tuscany and Lazio, within the D.O.C. region of the Orvieto and Est!Est!Est! wines. The hill top hamlet of Civita di Bagnoregio (part of the village) has been chosen as the location for so many films because it is so unique and has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site.

Orvieto, Bolsena Tarquinia, Pitigliano, Todi, Tuscania, Viterbo are full of history and all within half an hour travelling and the main railway line and motorway network is fifteen minutes away, putting you in easy reach of Rome, Siena, Assisi, Gubbio and Florence. Lake Bolsena's beaches are only minutes away and offer water sports and fishing within an unforgettable setting. There are daily markets at a different village every day of the week and the local cuisine based on fresh fish and local products must be experienced. Viterbo and Orvieto have fashionable shops and boutiques.

There are festivals every evening in the nearby towns in the summer.

Letter to a family with children:

I wanted to give you an idea of what you could do with the children in our area that they may enjoy so that you can make an informed decision:

Swimming will be something they will want to do most days. The lake is deliciously warm. It has Kms of beaches, some grassy and secluded and other sandy and vast, more like a seaside resort, but less commercial and with views to take your breath away. The children can rent pedalos, canoes and small boats or play volley ball with other young people. We have taken out a motor boat a couple of times and it has been real fun. In Bolsena you can rent bikes and ride around the lake. You can also rent bikes from our village of Bagnoregio.

The ride into our village from the house is about 5 kms with a couple of Kms taken up by our drive. The road is a country lane and is often used by joggers because it is quiet. Generally there is little traffic in the area but you need to be a strong biker for more ambitious rides because of the hills.

We often swim on Montefiascone beach and end up in our favourite tapas bar on the shore of the lake for a couple of chilled glass of wine and a great selection of free tapas. We find eating and drinking out in our area is extremely reasonable and the food/wines are outstanding.

There are many local trips you could have with the children:

* 30 minutes drive - Bagni di San Filippo- Hot natural pools of water fed by a hot river in the woods (free).

* 10 minutes drive - Walk up to Civita di Bagnoregio, wondrous views (see photo) and explore the “valle dei calanchi” which is a reservoir and where you can encounter most species of the local fauna. (free).

* 15 minutes drive - Visit  Ferento an enormous amphitheatre ( pre roman ) in the middle of no-where, set in  a unique position looking down on the valley towards Viterbo ( free).

* 25 minutes drive - Viterbo, walled town with some fantastic architecture such as the Pope Palace and lots of trendy shops for the girls (free).

* 20 minutes drive – Orvieto fantastic hill top town to explore. There are subterranean caves ( Tour) and the deepest well in Europe that can also be explored “Pozzo di San Patrizio”.

* 10 minutes Bolsena Castle and museum/ mediaeval streets/ craft shops/ lovely restaurants.

* 30 minutes drive - Parco dei mostri Bomarzo – Renaissance folly garden with gigantic figures/ structures.

* 30 minutes drive - Tarquinia - Original first settlement that started the civilisation later adopted by Rome/ Many underground Tumbs 400 BC painted with fresco depicting what the dead person wanted to do in the afterlife.

* 40 minutes drive - Vulci. Extensive pre roman town to be explored with miles of park trail/ gorges and lakes

This is just a small proportion of what you can do locally more likely to interest children. Adults may want to choose different itineraries and visit hill towns famous for their historical, architectural or artistic features like Assisi, Perugia, Todi, Spello Montalcino. Montepulciano, Pitigliano ancient Jewish town, Pienza, Sovana, Talamone on the sea, etc. All these places are generally under an hour drive from the house.

On a more commercial note there is a discount outlet for top Italian makes (Prada,Armani etc) and a water park for the children, but they are about an hour drive.