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Day Tripping: Orvieto
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There are quite a few day trips you can take if you're based in Rome on vacation. You can head south to Naples, Pompeii (Mt. Vesuvius) or the Amalfi coast. You'll want to spend more than a day around the mountainside/seaside towns along the Amalfi coast though. Save a few days to explore this stunningly beautiful part of Italy. If you head east, you can visit Tivoli where you'll see two famous villas. Villa Adriana is the former emperor Hadrian's huge estate during the 2nd Century and Villa d'este, the Renaissance era estate with lavish gardens. Head north and you can check out the city of Florence or Pisa which also falls into the basket of 'you should stay a few days here.' But a gem halfway to Florence and a perfect day trip in Tuscany lies the quaint town of Orvieto.
Orvieto funicular via Orvietoviva.com
A popular destination only about 75 miles north of Rome lies this beautiful, serene hilltop town (It actually sits on a large, flat butte of volcanic tuff). A short hour and a half train ride is all you need to take to get here. Depending on the day of week and hour of day, the prices are very affordable. one ways start at around $8! When you step out of the small train station, you'll see the funicular on the other side of the street, which is the cable car that takes you on the five minute journey up the mountainside to town. It only costs about $3 bucks round trip. An alternative option is to hike up, which would most likely take you 15-20 minutes. I'd opt for the funicular though, as you'll be walking plenty around town. Once at the top, you can bank a left and walk around the Rocca Albornoziana, which used to be the fortress of this Medieval city. You can gaze out at the cliff/wall surrounding the city as well as the valley, vineyards and rolling hills surrounding.
Rooftops overlooking the valley
The main attraction here is the Duomo di Orvieto (church) which towers over all the other buildings. This church was built around 1290. The facade has mosaics covering it and it is a site to see as you can see from the picture below. The Piazza was the most crowded area in town, but even so, it was by no means anything like Rome. The city is so small that it is basically impossible to get lost wandering the cobblestone streets, so take those alleyways and see where they lead. You never know what gems you may stumble upon.
Duomo di Orvieto
We were only able to eat at one restaurant during our visit and it was pretty good. It was called Bistrotters, located just down the street from the Duomo. If the weather is nice, be sure to sit outside to enjoy the weather and people watching while eating throughout Italy and Europe for that matter. It is a great atmosphere.
I can still smell the aroma of a pastry shop filling the street down one alleyway and wish we would have stopped in for some dessert. Although we weren't able to eat anywhere else, I'm sure all of the other restaurants are great as well. If you arrive early and stay all day, depending on when your train departs, you can have breakfast, lunch and dinner in Orvieto!
Whether you're planning your trip to Italy or just looking to do something different while in Rome, don't miss out on this easy to get to day trip destination to pass a wonderful time in. If you have any questions concerning Orvieto or anything else travel related don't hesitate to ask!
***Check out my photography from this trip and others on my website. All photos are available for purchase as well.***
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