Surroundings
Lake Bolsena lies at the northern tip of Lazio, with Tuscany to the west and Umbria to the east. Cities such as Siena, Pienza, Montepulciano, Orvieto, Perugia, Assisi and Rome are great destinations for a day trip from Valentano. And the Mediterranean Sea is only 40 kilometers away.
Distances from Valentano
Fairytale towns and wine
Pitigliano sits spectacularly on a rock of tufa. Especially in the evening you feel like you're in a fairytale here, and it's only 20 minutes from the lake.
The Monte Amiata (1738 m), an extinct volcano, dominates the southern Tuscan landscape; the drive up is worth it for the views alone. Halfway up lies Abbadia San Salvatore, with an impressive crypt from the 8th century. In winter there is plenty of skiing.
Montalcino is famous for its Brunello di Montalcino. Pienza (UNESCO World Heritage, birthplace of Pope Pius II) and Montepulciano (with its Vino Nobile and the Piazza Grande) lie in the rolling landscape with cypresses that many people consider the real Tuscany. Siena is known for its shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, where the Palio is run twice a year.
Cities on rocks and hills
Orvieto sits beautifully on a 300 meter high plateau of tufa. The Gothic Duomo attracts visitors from all over the world, and the underground city and the Pozzo di San Patrizio, a 16th-century 63 meter deep well with two spiral staircases, also make the town special.
Civita di Bagnoregio is also called the 'dying city', because the village crumbles a little every year. You can only reach it via a footbridge. Perugia, the lively university city, has beautifully preserved medieval buildings such as the Palazzo dei Priori. In Assisi, Saint Francis is buried in the Basilica San Francesco. And Todi is a charming medieval town on a hill in the Tiber valley.
A day trip to Rome
A day trip to Rome is easy to do. Take the car, or the train from Montefiascone, Orvieto or Montalto di Castro: a return ticket costs € 14 and after an hour and a half you step out right in the middle of the city.
Rome is one big cultural treasure chest, with Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel with Michelangelo's Creation of Adam, the Colosseum and countless squares with fountains. At the same time, it is THE city for shopping, eating and going out.
A day at the beach
In half an hour you drive to the sea. Montalto Marina is a simple but atmospheric stretch of coast with a beautiful sandy beach and beach bars; Porto Ercole is a somewhat more luxurious seaside resort.
On the Monte Argentario peninsula, you can admire the jet set's boats in the harbours of Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole. From Porto Santo Stefano the ferry sails to the island of Giglio, with snow-white beaches and azure blue water. Orbetello lies on a lagoon, with beautiful sandy beaches and cozy terraces.
Il Bellago
And in the evening back to your rooftop terrace with a view over the lake.
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