Day trips through the Italian countryside are a must!
Some of the most enjoyable times we have in Italy are when we’re on day trips in the Italian countryside. Over the last few days we’ve visited 4 such places and now we’ll showcase them for you.
Vitorchiano, Lazio
Vitorchiano is a medieval village that hangs on the cliffs it was build upon. It has an easy layout with great views. We are not fans of big crowds so we were lucky, we had the streets to ourselves for the most part. Cool place!
Bomarzo, Lazio
We thought Vitorchiano was quiet until we stopped in Bomarzo. This well preserved village was ours to explore mostly alone… other than a six toed cat, two construction guys and a restaurant owner. I think we would have taken pics of any tourists had we seen one! Nice visit nonetheless.
On a previous visit we went to il Parco dei Mostri di Bomarzo (the Monster Park). It is an interesting and worthwhile stop if you get the chance.
Montefiascone, Lazio
Montefiascone is a located high above the southern end of Lago di Bolsena giving it a fantastic view from it’s highest point in the public garden. This was the biggest of the 4 communities we visited on our day trip from Orvieto. The walk up from the parking area to the public garden (Park) is steep but manageable.
Bolsena, Lazio
Bolsena is located on the north end of Lago di Bolsena, 25 minutes from Orvieto. The lake is the largest volcanic lake in Europe. Of the 4 places we explored over the past couple days, I would confidently say, Bolsena was our favorite. It has a lively old city which has great character and a beautiful, people friendly marina and beach to walk along.
Normally the multi-colored hydrangeas are in full bloom when we visit in June, but not this year. Spring came late and now the hydrangeas are late too! All’s not lost, the roses were great!
Day trips from Orvieto are a fantastic thing to do if you rent a car
Not only are the medieval cities worth the trip, the roads getting to them are ultra scenic. I should mention, all of these trips were under an hour from our home base in Orvieto.
Your pictures are postcard beautiful. Wish I was there! Looks like you are having an amazing and very quiet time. Where are the tourists??
It has been a great trip so far! There are some places that are very busy but when I take photos I like to wait until they move on 🙂 I prefer serene scenes but that is not always possible. T
Such gorgeous old streets — and everything!!
They really are, especially if there are flowers set out to soften things up.
Great photos! Loved the view of the medieval village of Vitorchiano and of Bomarzo. My art class would go crazy over the photo of the dogs! My favorite photos are of the poppies. I miss the poppies that we had at our last place. I took lots of photos of them every year.
Thanks for sharing notes and photos!! AND, bringing back memories of our Italy cruise.
Thank you J&D. It makes us happy that we could stir up happy thoughts of Italy for you. Keep on painting Jack. 🙂
Ciao Tamara e Pietro,
Grazie delle belle foto. Molto intelligenti evitate i turisti. Posti bellissimi.
Buon divertimento, Un bacio,
Francesca
Grazie Francesca, We’re glad you liked them.
Wow! Thanks for share my. Simply spectacular!
Thanks Heather, it’s great to find things things that make us say wow too! 🙂
What picturesque and beautiful villages! As a city person, I find irresistible places that promise tranquility, quietness, nature and peace !!!