Latium between cultural heritage, lakes and nature trails

Latium combines UNESCO culture, Etruscan history, lakes, coastline, protected areas and long-distance trails. Villa d’Este was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 and is a masterpiece of Italian garden design, with fountains, nymphaea, grottoes, water features and hydraulic music.

Culture and history

Villa Adriana was built between AD 117 and 138 as Emperor Hadrian’s retreat and as an ideal city incorporating architectural traditions from ancient Greece, Rome and Egypt. The remains of around 30 buildings extend across 120 hectares in the Tiburtine Hills near Tivoli in Latium. The necropolis of Tarquinia depicts aspects of life, death and the religious beliefs of the ancient Etruscans in large-scale wall paintings.

The Banditaccia Necropolis in Cerveteri is a UNESCO World Heritage burial architecture site and was added to the World Heritage List in 2004. In Viterbo, the procession of the Macchina di Santa Rosa takes place every year on the evening of 3 September through the historic centre.

Nature and aquatic landscapes

Latium’s system of regional protected areas combines reserves, parks and natural monuments with state-protected areas, national parks, state reserves and marine protected areas. It comprises 104 protected areas and covers around 14.8 percent of the region. The Lagustelli area in the Monti Lucretili Nature Park is designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The landscape includes volcanic lakes, artificial bodies of water and small basins in surroundings characterised by villages and fertile countryside. Lake Bolsena is Europe’s largest volcanic basin and the largest lake in Latium; it covers 110 square kilometres. Lago del Turano is an artificial lake in the province of Rieti, on the edge of the Monte Navegna e Monte Cervia Nature Reserve.

Hiking, excursions and regional contrasts

The Cammino Naturale dei Parchi is 430 kilometres long, comprises 25 stages and passes through 42 municipalities. It connects Latium, represented by Rome, with L’Aquila in Abruzzo and passes through four regional parks, two regional nature reserves and the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga Park. Individual stages or trekking tours lasting two or more days are possible; many access points can be reached by public transport.

The Via Francigena del Nord passes through 18 municipalities in Latium, including Acquapendente, Bolsena, Sutri and Viterbo. The Cascate di Monte Gelato are a scenic historic and natural site in the Valle del Treja and a destination for excursions. The Tyrrhenian coast stretches for more than 300 kilometres and offers opportunities for swimming, water sports and diving.

The Terminillo ski area offers 40 kilometres of downhill slopes between 1,500 and 2,000 metres above sea level, served by a cable car and three chairlifts. Traditional PAT products can be discovered during visits to farms and workshops as well as at farmers’ markets. When choosing your hotel, you can weigh up cultural sites, nature, trails, lakes, coastline and mountains according to the focus of your trip.

For further regional orientation, you can explore Rieti, Viterbo, Latina, Rome and Frosinone.

More about the destination

Useful information for planning your trip:

Vulci – city of the Etruscans and archaeological site in Latium, a monster park or an enchanted forest in Latium.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Aosta Valley.