Loop around Lake Bolsena and the Tuscia
In inland Lazio, a short distance from Rome yet off the tourist flows, the Lake Bolsena loop crosses the Tuscia of Viterbo: volcanic roads among Etruscan villages and the largest crater lake in Europe, in a corner still quiet and slow.
Foto: Somebody.gr (CC0) — Wikimedia Commons
There is a Lazio that almost no one associates with the word holiday, and it is the inland Tuscia of Viterbo. Yet it is here, barely an hour and a half from Rome, that Lake Bolsena hides, the largest lake of volcanic origin in Europe, born from the collapse of an ancient crater. While tourists rush towards the sea or the capital, its shores stay peaceful, made of medieval villages, cultivated fields and lightly trafficked roads that invite a slow ride.
Around the lake
The loop of the lake is the natural guiding thread of this itinerary. You circle the sheet of water, touching the centres that face its shores: Bolsena, with its fortress and the basilica linked to the Eucharistic miracle, is the most convenient starting point; from here you reach Capodimonte, overlooking the lake from a promontory, Marta with its fishing village, Montefiascone, perched high up and home of the famous wine Est! Est!! Est!!!, and the smaller villages of the eastern shore. From the lake, detours open towards the Etruscan heart of the Tuscia: not far off are the ruins and necropolises that tell of the civilisation that inhabited these volcanic hills, and villages suspended on tuff cliffs like those that characterise the whole area. On the lake float two islands, Bisentina and Martana, visible from the shores and reachable by boat in the warm months: a view that accompanies much of the tour.
The route
The route unfolds on lightly used secondary and provincial roads, with a paved surface. It is not a perfectly flat loop: the lake occupies a crater, so the shores alternate stretches close to the water with climbs towards the villages set on higher ground, like the tough ramp up to Montefiascone. Overall the effort is moderate, made of continuous ups and downs rather than large concentrated elevation gain: nothing Alpine, but no flat stroll either. Those wanting a quieter tour can keep to the lower band near the lake and avoid the climbs to the high villages, while those after panoramas tackle the ramps and are rewarded with the view over the entire crater.
How to get there
Reaching the Tuscia by train requires a change: Viterbo and Orvieto are the most convenient hubs, from which you approach the lake. Many, however, choose to bring the bike by car and leave it in Bolsena or Montefiascone as a base. The loop can comfortably be completed in a day by the fit, or split into two stages by staying overnight in one of the villages, thus also enjoying the lake at dawn and dusk, when the waters turn to a mirror.
When to go
The best time is the shoulder seasons, from spring to mid-autumn. April and May bring flowering countryside and mild days, October brings golden light and the grape harvest. These are the months when the Tuscia is at its best: the summer heat of inland Lazio can be oppressive in July and August, and precisely for this reason many avoid it, leaving the roads even emptier. To cycle here in spring or autumn means having villages, shores and necropolises almost all to yourself.
A practical tip: plan a long stop at Montefiascone not only for the fortress and the view from above over the lake, but also to taste the local wine straight from the cellar. And don't hurry: the Tuscia rewards those who lose themselves among the tuff lanes, stop at a village festival or go down to the shore for a dip in the lake's clean waters, still today among the clearest in central Italy.
What strikes you, in the end, is the nearness to Rome combined with a sense of absolute remoteness: in a little over an hour's drive you pass from the chaos of the capital to shores where the only sound is the wind among the reeds and the fishermen coming back in. It is a contrast that shows how much tourism can coexist with silence, if only one chooses to veer off the most beaten routes. The bicycle, slow and curious, is the perfect tool for taking in this hidden Lazio, made of wine, of tuff and of volcanic water.
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Practical info
When is the best time to visit Loop around Lake Bolsena and the Tuscia?
The recommended time is April and October, when it is less crowded.
Where is Loop around Lake Bolsena and the Tuscia?
Loop around Lake Bolsena and the Tuscia is located in Tuscia of Viterbo, Lazio.
