Trekking in Lazio: in the magical Tuscia Viterbese and the tuff cities

First day

Arrival and guided tour of Viterbo
We are located in Viterbo in the early afternoon, the wonderful City of Popes: a guided tour of the city center with a historical and artistic guide! In over 2500 years of history, the city has gone through different eras and transformations, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy: stone alleys, towers, fountains, palaces, and squares that tell the story of its medieval period, one of the best preserved in Europe. A perfect first taste to get into the spirit of Tuscia, step by step.
This first visit prepares us for what will be days of pure discovery of Tuscia Viterbese, with guided group excursions and cultural visits.

Second day

Lake Vico and Palazzo Farnese in Caprarola
Today we will explore with a guided trek the Lake Vico Nature Reserve, one of the most evocative volcanic lakes in Lazio, nestled in a basin surrounded by woods which, according to legend, was created when Hercules thrust his club into the ground to challenge the local inhabitants. Here we walk on Mount Venere, one of the most recent reliefs in the volcanic area, to immerse ourselves in the magnificence of the cool and silent beech forest.
In the afternoon, we move to Caprarola for a guided tour of Palazzo Farnese, one of the magnificent symbols of the Renaissance: monumental rooms, spectacular views, and frescoed halls that will leave you speechless.

Third day

Civita di Bagnoregio and Celleno: surreal atmospheres!
We’ll organize carpool groups to travel to Civita di Bagnoregio, the famous “dying city,” perched on a tuff plateau with impressive vertical cliffs. We reach it on foot from the village across the way, following a path that recalls how people used to get there, far from the modern bridge. A stroll through narrow alleys, arches, and small squares before heading back, where the atmosphere is still and poetic. On the way back to Viterbo, we simply must stop for a stroll in Celleno: another truly fascinating ghost town! We then return to Viterbo in the afternoon. Those who wish can take advantage of the nearby Bullicame Thermal Baths, ancient Roman baths with free admission that are even mentioned in Dante’s *Inferno*!

Fourth day

Etruria in the countryside: Marturanum and the "ghost town" of Monterano
Today we have a double excursion: in the morning we will drive to the Marturanum Archaeological Park in Barbarano Romano, where we enter a landscape that seems to hold secrets. In the woods, among roots and tuff, tombs, monumental remains, and Etruscan artifacts appear, immersed in vegetation, as if nature had protected them for centuries.
In the afternoon, we change scenery and head into the Monterano Nature Reserve, an unspoiled and fascinating environment, among springs, waterfalls, wild pastures, and sulfuric blowholes. Here lies the famous ghost town of Monteranois hidden: living ruins that allow you to walk among houses, towers, churches, and baronial palaces, imagining the daily life of the past in an almost cinematic silence.

Fifth day

Bomarzo: The Mill Trail, the Etruscan Pyramid, and the Park of Monsters
The area around Bomarzo is a treasure trove of wonders: untamed nature, views of the gorges, and traces of the past everywhere. We walk among large boulders of peperino stone covered in moss and ferns, taking in breathtaking views over the gorges until we catch sight of the pentagonal Torre Castello, Pasolini’s final
residence; then we climb back up through the woods to one of the most enigmatic landmarks in Tuscia: the Etruscan Pyramid.
We then arrive in Bomarzo for the guided tour of the Sacred Grove (Park of the Monsters): a unique, visionary place where, in the 16th century, Vicino Orsini transformed stone and symbols into a narrative that speaks to philosophy, religion, and a worldview.

Sixth day

After breakfast, time for final farewells and return home. This group vacation in Viterbo, where volcanic nature and millennial history coexist at every turn: from the stone alleys of the City of Popes to the tranquil shores of Lake Vico, passing through the Renaissance grandeur of the Palazzo Farnese. The suspended views of Civita di Bagnoregio, the almost secret atmosphere of the Tuscia woods, and the Etruscan traces immersed in the greenery of Marturanum , and the thrill of walking among the ruins of the ghost town of Monterano. And then Bomarzo, with its wild energy: the path between gorges and peperino boulders, the mysterious Etruscan Pyramid and the surprising Sacred Wood of Monsters. You return home with an incredible palette of greens in your eyes and the certainty of having discovered an authentic Tuscia, still little known and capable of leaving its mark.