Delicious day trips
in and near the city.
specific dates by request
Please write to me
for more information.
Dave
Join me for one or more of these one-day walks emphasizing ancient history and the beauty of the Roman countryside. They range from 5 to 8 hours including transportation, lunch and stops for coffee and/or wine. The pace is relaxed. The cost is 80 Euros per person per day, or 210 Euros for 3 days. Excludes meals and train or bus fares, required on some trips (10 Euros max).
A full week in Rome based on these walks can also be arranged, with all lodging and meals included.
The Alban Hills were the cradle of Latin civilization and birthplace of the legendary founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. The town of Albano straddles a Roman army camp with a monumental gate, an amphitheatre carved into the bedrock and a huge underground cistern that’s still in use. After a stop for coffee at a panoramic overlook, we follow a wooded trail above striking crater lakes, passing the eerie remains of a 10th-century hermitage. Paved Roman roads remain, one with a curious good-luck charm carved in the lava stone. Lunch at a rustic trattoria in the forest.
Lake Bracciano is another of Lazio's beautiful volcanic lakes. A Roman aqueduct was fed by springs nearby, and a spectacular piece of it still stands in the forest. We follow forest trails and country roads from Manziana to Bracciano; having arrived there we visit the famous Odescalchi Castle, perched on a high hill with a commanding view of the lake. Lunch at an outdoor trattoria next to the castle.
This walk follows the path of the ancient aqueducts entering Rome. We begin in a heavily urban area and end at the Park of the Aqueducts, in one of the last remaining greenbelts in the city. Between and alongside the ancient arches is a quirky collection of disparate sights: impromptu religious shrines, auto repair shops, artist studios, marble sellers, cottages with kitchen gardens, and the School of Dance of the Rome Opera. One of my very favorite walks.
The 3rd-century walls of Rome incorporated pre-existing structures like the Pyramid of Cestius, where our walk begins. Keats and Shelley are buried in the adjacent Cemetery. Next we view a huge hill made entirely of ancient pottery vessels; a cross-section of these is visible from a restaurant tunneled into the hill, where we'll enjoy lunch. Crossing the Tiber into Trastevere, we ascend the Janiculum hill, following the ancient walls through the lovely gardens of Villa Sciarra. At the top stand imposing villas, two of which house the American Academy – J. P. Morgan died in one of these. Just before dusk we arrive at Piazzale Garibaldi, above a lovely botanical garden, with the best panorama of Rome. On our descent we pass the beautiful Acqua Paola fountain, featured in the opening scene of La Grande Bellezza, and Bramante’s tiny, round gem of a church, San Pietro in Montorio. Optional dinner at a very good restaurant alongside the Tiber.
Frascati is on the eastern side of the Alban Hills near Rome. With cool breezes and a sweeping vista, it’s been a favorite spot for aristocratic villas since Roman times. Our path leads past several of these as we ascend to the Roman town of Tusculum. Here we find a theatre, tombs, a paved road and a 360° panorama extending from the Apennines to the coast. Looping back through orchards and vineyards, we enjoy lunch in one of Frascati’s cozy eateries before having a peek at one or two famous Baroque Villas.