Rome & Etruscan Tuscia, Cycling Tour around Lake Bracciano, self guided cycling holiday around Rome Italy

Italian culture, nature, outdoor and sustainability

Rome & Etruscan Tuscia

Rome & Etruscan Tuscia - cycling tour
Enjoy our cycling tour around lake Bracciano and the undiscovered Etruscan Tuscia, combining cultural discoveries and great outdoors. Located between Rome and Viterbo, Tuscia is a pocket of woodlands, wild ravines, and volcanic lakes that once were the heartland of the Etruscan culture. Southern Tuscia offers the best of this amazing area. It is a perfect place where to immerse completely and experience the shadows of ancient civilizations, pristine nature and folk traditions. Our journey is a trip through history and traditions, archaeological sites, feudal palaces, castles, villages of interwoven narrow streets and of timeless charm.
It is also the rediscovery of ancient habits, forgotten ways of life, tastes and traditions intertwined with the land and the open kindness of villagers and the sights, sounds and fragrances of medieval village centres.
It is also a memorable experience in communing with the area’s environment which is preserved by its many parks. Along the way you will find volcanic lakes, cultivated hills, deep canyons, broad forests and volcanic craters.

ACTIVITY: self guided cycling tour
GRADE: easy to moderate
TRIP CODE: ICRET
DURATION: 7 days / 6 nights

2013 PRICES:
01/04 - 24/06 & Sept & Oct
€ 830.00

25/06 - 15/07 & 16/04 to 25/04
€ 845.00

Single Suppl.:
on request

Itinerary
Day 1: arrive Bracciano
Less than an hour from the city of Rome, you arrive in one of the most charming towns in the area, known throughout the world for its natural, artistic and historic beauties. Bracciano lies above the lake of the same name, a little gem protected by a Natural Park.
Visit Bracciano’s Castle, one of the most beautiful palaces of feudal Europe, explore the town, wandering its romantic and evocative labyrinth of medieval lanes and spend time relaxing near the placid lake waters.

Day 2: Bracciano to Trevignano Romano – 24km/15miles
Today you will journey along two thirds of Lake Bracciano’s lakeside to visit two charming towns along its shores. Ride amid lush vegetation along the winding road circling the lake and you will soon arrive at Anguillara Sabazia, a medieval town of historical and culinary interest, where you can have a pleasant break. Returning to the track you will have an enjoyable view as you pedal along the lakeside. When you arrive at Trevignano Romano, a small village of Etruscan origin, you can enjoy a drink at the lake , wander the streets of the village and visit the local tourist attractions. Or just relax watching the sun go down over the placid waters of the lake.

Day 3: Trevignano Romano – Sutri
Today you leave the Bracciano Lake ’s area heading north towards Sutri, an Etruscan settlement built on an impressive tufa spur. You will visit a charming little town placed on the famous roman via Cassia, with Medieval and Renaissance evidences. The natural-archaeological Park is a must-see, with its monumental Etruscan-Roman necropolis, a well-preserved amphitheatre and many more.
After this superb visit, prepare for a uphill ride on the slopes of a volcano whose flooded caldera formed Lake Vico. Your destination is a medieval village built on a bedrock spur and inhabited by Etruscan and Romans, with a typical medieval centre, Renaissance palaces and a Castle as a symbol. The charm and spirit of this town will soon capture you.

Day 4: Around the lake of Vico – 24,9km/15,5miles
Today is dedicated to relaxation along the shores of Lake Vico, home of a Nature Reserve hosting three different ecosystems: forest, lake and marsh. A flat route circles it all and you can take a slow-pace ride enjoying the peaceful landscape and placid waters. Explore the beaches and choose where you wish to stop and rest or hire canoes for a different approach to the reserve. Return to your accommodation for a second pleasant evening in the welcoming town: it has so much to offer.

Day 5: Capranica - Oriolo Romano
Leave Vico’s volcano up behind and head south towards Capranica, an ancient village on top of a tuffaceous stronghold. It deserves a visit. On undulating roads amidst beautiful countryside, you get to Oriolo Romano, a unique town planned in the 16th century by an enlightened feudal lord. Tucked away among woods and fields, the little town offers a pleasant stay.

Day 6: Oriolo Romano to Bracciano – 23,4km/14,5miles
On beautiful back roads you will arrive at one of the most famous ghost towns of Italy: ancient Monterano. Located in the middle of a nature reserve, it is a stronghold of notable splendour, abandoned in 1799 following the raids of French soldiers that had occupied the Papal State. In a small area you will find Etruscan tombs, a Roman aqueduct and buildings designed by the famous architect Gian Lorenzo Bernini. The visit becomes a romantic stroll among the ruins that evoke destruction but charm and it will remain indelible in your memory.
The backroad to Canale Monterano has an incredible rural charm and the small town still bears the signs of a 16th century settlement of woodcutters, farmers and cattlemen.
The next destination, Manziana, is a pre-Etruscan settlement with many historic sites and architectures. Just out of the town are the Macchia Grande Wood, the last remains of the vast vegetation that once extended fully over the area, and the National Monument of "Caldara”, a small fascinating and mysterious volcanic crater emitting sulphur fumes and steam jets.
Leave Manziana and take your final back roads into Bracciano, for one last night in the charming town perched high above the shores of the beautiful lake.

Day 7: departure from Bracciano
The tour is over, but Lazio has much more to offer and the Caput Mundi is just an hour away.
Note: you can extend your sojourn choosing a 3 days/2 nights – short break cycling tour in Rome. Please see below.

INCLUSIONS:

6 nights Hotel***/B&B
6 breakfasts
Luggage transfers on day 2 – 3 – 5 - 6
Detailed maps and route notes
Emergency phone number

ITEMS NOT INCLUDED:

Visas, Airfare & airport taxes
Travel Insurance (compulsory)
Drinks
Other meals not mentioned in the itinerary
Bike Rental (from day 2 to day 6: € 110,00 – extra day bike rental € 12.00)
Entrance fees
Anything not mentioned in "inclusions"

Short break cycling tour in Rome

ACTIVITY: guided or self guided cycling tour
GRADE: easy
TRIP CODE: ICROM
DURATION: min 3 days/min 2 nights

2013 PRICES: on request

NOTES:
The route is often winding, but the slopes are never unreasonable, and the difficulties are well distributed along the way. The tour is therefore suitable for just about everyone.
The overall distances are moderate and they are paced by stopovers that will allow you to rest while enjoying the points of interest.
The mild climate of central Italy makes this trip feasible throughout the year. However, you may want to consider the period of mid-December thru mid-March may have cold and possibly rainy days.
For those who do not enjoy the heat, it would not be advised to choose the period July through August because it may be very hot.
A typical day's itinerary : Rising and opening a window on a corner of an ancient and typical Italian village. Breakfast, then leaving your luggage at the hotel, you are back in the saddle with the wind on your face. Following your route notes you are taken through charming back roads to the various stopovers. All the rest is up to you, free as a cyclist should always be. Paces can be adjusted at will, choosing when to pedal and when to stop and how long to dedicate to each of the intermediate visits. Finally you arrive at your destination. You are free to wander aimlessly, visiting the town, sightseeing, shopping, taking photo or just sitting in the piazza enjoying a coffee or glass of wine at a local cafe. You may want to get first at your hotel where your luggage is waiting for you and take a restoring shower. Local restaurants work between 19.30 and 22.00 or later, so manage well your time to get fully into the Italian way of life.