15 Experiences You Can Only Try in Lazio

Exploring Lazio allows you to discover its many wonders, religious sites, timeless villages, and spectacular protected green areas, offering unique experiences unlike anything else.

Ideal destinations for a day trip among villages and nature, with landscapes ranging from the sea to the mountains and opportunities for adventurous sports or enjoying fine dining are some of the best activities to partake in the region. That's why we have compiled a list of 15 unique experiences to enjoy only in Lazio.

Lazio is one of Italy's regions richest in natural lakes with great scenic and environmental impact, dominated by medieval villages and castles, protected within nature reserves, featuring equipped beaches and opportunities for water sports.

The lakes of Bracciano, Albano, Bolsena, Vico, Duchessa, Turano, Martignano, or Nemi are just some of the freshwater bodies that populate a territory rich in Etruscan remains and Roman villas, castles, and ancient estates, reserves, protected oases, and charming medieval villages that serve as the perfect synthesis between nature and history, where one can indulge in relaxing days or boat trips on tranquil waters in search of a different perspective.

READ ALSO: VILLAGES OF SABINA

Lazio is also a territory of pilgrimages offering a spiritual and physical experience walking towards sacred places along ancient medieval routes such as the Path of St. Francis at the foot of Mount Rainiero, in the Santa Valley that leads to the historic Sanctuary of Fonte Colombo hidden in a forest of ancient oaks, through the Lazio section of the Via Francigena or the Way of St. Benedict that leads all the way to Montecassino, passing by the Monastery of St. Benedict in Subiaco.

Staying on the theme of strong spiritual experiences, Lazio is abundant with sacred places of great religious, historical, and environmental value where one can reconcile with spiritual feelings and breathe in an atmosphere rich in contemplation. Near Subiaco, several hermitages can be visited, such as the ancient Benedictine Monastery perched on a panoramic mountain, regarded as a special place for its history and breathtaking views or the Abbey of Santa Scolastica founded near the cave where Benedict had his first hermitage, which remains one of the most beautiful examples of medieval and monastic architecture in Italy.

Traveling to Ciociaria, we discover the Abbey of Montecassino known for its centuries-old history and sacred art and the Certosa di Trisulti near Piglio, a crossroads of routes through nature leading to places of worship surrounded by nature, such as the Eremo della Madonna delle Cese enclosed by ancient beech trees.

READ ALSO: LESSER-KNOWN PLACES IN LAZIO

A tour of the Castelli Romani is a wonderful opportunity to experience the natural, artistic, and culinary beauties of the small medieval villages just outside of Rome. The flavors of the delicious Lazio cuisine lead to the towns of Albano and Ariccia, where one can taste the local pride, Porchetta, in one of the characteristic fraschette, popular spots for eating and drinking joyfully. Along the 'Road of the Lakes,' one encounters hilly areas dotted with landscapes immersed in nature and ancient villages.

Among these are Castel Gandolfo on the shores of the lake of the same name, where the Pope has his summer residence, Rocca di Papa, and Grottaferrata, long a favorite getaway for Romans fleeing the city, and Frascati, known for the beauty of its noble residences such as Villa Aldobrandini and its ancient winemaking.

The woodlands and forests of Lazio are ideal places to experience foliage, the autumn phenomenon that colors the trees with different shades of red, yellow, and ochre, creating a unique visual feast and impactful photographs. Lazio boasts numerous natural areas where one can walk amidst enchanted settings, including mountains and valleys in the Tuscia Viterbese at the foot of the Cimini Mountains in the Valle del Vezza and in the Treja valley, featuring hills, waterfalls like those of Monte Gelato, and ancient villages.

The heights of Monte Autore and the Simbruini Mountains feature centuries-old beech forests and numerous trekking paths near Bracciano with the San Liberato Park.

The Lepini Mountains in the Lazio Appennine offer captivating landscapes like the peaks of Monte Lupone (1378 m) covered with oaks and maples, and at the foot, the beautiful Faggeta Plain in Carpineto Romano provides a place to relax and engage in sporting activities such as climbing, mountain biking, or hiking in woods adorned with yellow leaves.

In the northern part of Lazio, the region offers the healing experience of long and revitalizing outdoor thermal baths.

Specifically, the area around Viterbo is abundant in natural volcanic hot springs, wellness centers, and resorts in the countryside with free thermal pools that have been used since Etruscan and Roman times, providing the opportunity to relax in their warm waters, such as in the famous sulforic spring of Bullicame. These incredible natural sites continuously attract anyone wishing to spend a day centered on fun and relaxation.

Discovering hidden places and flavors in the heart of Lazio through tastings, olive groves, and ancient villages also means traversing the roads that wind between nature, history, and culture, narrating the tastes and aromas of extra virgin olive oil, which is the true excellence of the region.

Lazio boasts four territories of Dop Olive Oil: Canino, Colline Pontine, Tuscia, and Sabina. The Sabina area in the province of Rieti, the Viterbese Tuscia, or Ciociaria with the Wine, Olive Oil, and Typical Products Road of San Benedetto offers tasting routes featuring renowned extra virgin olive oil and typical products on farms, strolls through ancient olive groves, and visits to charming medieval villages.

The waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Lazio coast offer fantastic boat excursion possibilities to experience unforgettable moments and the thrilling emotions that only the open sea can provide. Regattas or small day trips to the marine paradises of the Pontine archipelago, favored by high-quality nautical facilities and equipped marinas, are an experience not to be missed.

Six magnificent islands easily reachable from the southern Lazio coastline form the paradise of the Pontine archipelago.

Ponza, Ventotene, Santo Stefano, Gavi, Zanone, and Palmarola are the small yet enchanting islands capable of offering beautiful terrestrial landscapes of pristine wilderness, a crystal-clear sea, deserted beaches, sunsets to admire in absolute tranquility, as well as a lively social life during the summer months.

The countryside in the eastern part of Lazio, with its flat stretches crossed by ancient Roman consular roads, is ripe for bicycles and cycle enthusiasts.

Lazio allows you to joyfully cycle through nature and history along the spectacular Appian Way, where you can travel for miles on traffic-free roads amid fields, monuments, and tombs in an open-air museum scenario immersed in the Roman countryside that leads directly to the heart of Rome.

Abandoned in the 1930s, Calcata, a tiny town carved into the rock, has been rediscovered and repopulated by a community of international artists who have chosen it as their residence and workplace, making it an alternative and original stronghold.

Among its winding streets, art shops, and a maze of old stone houses with breathtaking views, a magical and scenic air prevails where life adopts a different rhythm, far from chaos and common social conventions.

One of the most romantic experiences to enjoy as a couple in Lazio is visiting the magnificent Ninfa Garden in the territory of Cisterna di Latina. A magical place suspended in time, built upon the ruins of the Etruscan city of Ninfa and considered one of the most romantic in the world.

This is an evocative botanical park that hosts a large variety of plant species, including enormous oaks and cypress trees, streams, and green meadows, ruins, and ponds, making it a unique location among the most renowned and spectacular botanical parks in the world where promises of love can be exchanged.

Lazio is one of the ideal regions for trekking enthusiasts due to its numerous trails winding through nature reserves, ancient woodlands, and panoramic pathways. Moreover, Lazio offers the rare experience of trekking paths and routes with fantastic sea views.

The Lazio coastline presents various opportunities for nature walks, enjoying the splendid backdrop of the Tyrrhenian Sea and breathing in its breeze. The best-known locations for this are the Circeo Forest, the Riviera di Ulisse, the Circeo National Park, and parts of the Pontine Islands.

A fun and unusual experience to do in Lazio with the whole family is to visit the sacred forest of Bomarzo with its monster park. This unique place is halfway between an artistic garden and a natural park in the heart of Tuscia, not far from Viterbo.

In the park, children can discover giant stone monsters and creatures set in a context immersed in nature among trees, rare plants, and waterfalls as if inside a magical world with an enchanting atmosphere. Once all the park's wonders have been discovered, the charming village of Bomarzo can be easily reached.

Lazio also offers opportunities for adrenaline sports enthusiasts, such as rafting, canyoning, and river walking, activities conducted within gorges, ravines, and streams where, depending on the course, you advance with small jumps, descents on ropes, and slides, making the experience fun and unique while entering environments not accessible in any other way.

Many centers specialize in these activities, offering guided excursions and equipment for a safe experience, such as along the course of the Aniene River, in the Riancoli Gorge, at the border between Lazio and Abruzzo, in the Pietrasecca Cave near Rome, in the Punta degli Stretti Cave at the border between Lazio and Tuscany, or in the Santopadre Gorge in Ciociaria.

Every year in the city of Viterbo, one can experience the unique and breathtaking event of witnessing the transport of the Machine of Santa Rosa, an impressive structure carried on the shoulders of about 100 porters through the historic center of Viterbo on the evening of September 3, for the feast of Santa Rosa, followed by hundreds of people.

The transport begins from Piazza San Sisto, near Porta Romana, where the Machine is illuminated by numerous electric and live flame lights. The height of the structure varies depending on the designs but is around thirty meters tall and weighs about five tons, ensuring a sense of wonder for all who behold it.

Author: Giorgio Calabresi

Photos: ©leoks/Shutterstock