Lazio offers much more than just the showstopping city of Rome. Travelers venture out of Italy’s capital to explore Etruscan ruins in Cerveteri and Tarquinia, the ancient Roman city of Ostia Antica, Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este in Tivoli, the volcanic lakes of Bracciano and Bolsena, and the Castelli Romani’s hill towns and wineries. The Tyrhennian coastline to the west is lined with friendly resort towns for beach breaks while the Apennine peaks to the east is crisscrossed with high-altitude hiking and biking trails.
Lazio is largely rural—with the notable exception of Rome, of course. The area is at its most beautiful in spring and fall, but summer is the busy season, as these wooded hills offer an easy escape from the oppressive heat of the capital city. Some visitors come for the International Festival of the Villas of Tusculum or for the area’s many summer food and wine events, but most are just looking to cool off in the countryside’s parks and volcanic lakes.
Trains and buses run from Rome to many of the most popular destinations in the surrounding countryside. There are direct routes to Castel Gandolfo, Tivoli, Frascati, and Lake Bracciano; you’ll need to rent a car or book a private transfer to reach more remote highlights, including Bagnoregio, Montecassino Abbey, and Tarquinia. For a jaunt to Lazio’s Pontine Islands, take the train to Formia and hop a ferry to Ponza or Ventotene.
Just half an hour south of Rome, the hilltop town of Ariccia is a mecca for knowledgeable gourmands. The city is famous for its porchetta, whole roast pig that is boned and stuffed with an aromatic mix of garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper. There is a celebration dedicated to this pork delicacy, the Sagra della Porchetta, the first weekend of September, which includes music, dancing, markets, and (of course) towering porchetta sandwiches served on traditional rosetta buns.
Local Currency Euro (€) | Time Zone CEST (UTC +1) | Country Code +39 | Language(s) Italian | Attractions 10 | Tours 514 | Reviews 2,907 |
Even if you’ve never heard of Lazio, you’ve almost certainly heard of its most famous city: Rome. By far the biggest draw of this Italian region, Rome is ringed by Lazio’s quieter attractions—the rolling vineyards of Castelli Romani, villas of Tivoli, and volcanic Lake Bracciano.
...MoreRome stands head and shoulders above all other cities in Lazio, though the region is home to midsize towns such as Viterbo, Rieti, and Frosinone. There are also important urban centers along the region’s coastline, including the resort town of Ostia, Civitavecchia seaport, and Fiumicino, home to Rome’s major airport.
...MoreIf you are visiting the city of Rome as part of your stay in Lazio, you will need about seven days. Otherwise, in three days you can cover the Castelli Romani and Tivoli, Lake Bracciano and the Etruscan ruins at Cerveteri and Tarquinia, and Ostia Antica, plus the seaside towns.
...MoreNo, Lazio is the region just south of the region of Tuscany. Lazio shares a border that runs from the Tyrrhenian coastline east to the region of Umbria. The other regions that border Lazio are Le Marche to the north, Abruzzo and Molise to the east, and Campania to the south.`
...MoreYes, the Apennine Mountains run along Lazio’s eastern border with Abruzzo, including the protected Simbruini mountains, the region’s largest natural park. East of the Simbruini, the pre-Apennine peaks of Lepini mountains are about an hour south of Rome and near the Castelli Romani hills.
...MoreItalians from the region of Lazio are known as Laziali (or Laziale singular), though those who hail from the capital city are more commonly called Romani. The name of the region of Lazio comes from the area’s original name of Latium in Latin.
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