In the imagination of many passionate travelers, Italy is a paradise that offers opportunities to relax in the middle of the countryside while tasting delicious local food and wines. And in fact, it is just like that. The countryside of Italy is scattered with lovely places: noble villas with beautiful gardens, farmstays (agriturismo) where to stuff yourself up with genuine and self-produced food, perched villages dominating hilly landscapes, and forests where to hike.
The Tuscan countryside is the most world-famous part of the Italian countryside, but it is certainly not the only region where you can satisfy your desire for wellness!
To discover Italy off the beaten track, you need to explore other regions as well. The most comfortable way to do this is by traveling slowly, perhaps in a private car, and spending a few days right in the middle of the countryside.
Here are a few hidden gems in the Italian countryside and some local tips on where to stay and eat to enjoy it to the fullest.
THE EUGANEAN HILLS
A group of hills stands out in the plain of the Veneto Region about 30 km from Padua and 60 from Venice. The soil of volcanic origin has made it possible for a luxuriant nature to grow here, where it is a pleasure to walk, ride a bicycle and ride a horse. In 1989, to safeguard and promote the territory of the Euganean Hills, which includes 15 municipalities, the Regional Park of Veneto was established.
There are several nature trails in the park, the N.2 Nature Trail of the Central Euganean Hills winds for about 15 km and starts not far from the village of Teolo. The cycling path “Ring of the Euganean Hills” of about 60 km is also suitable for beginners, it starts from Bassanello, on the outskirts of Padua.
Another attraction of the area are the many noble villas with their sumptuous gardens. Villa Barbarigo in Valsanzibio was built in the 17th Century by a Venetian nobleman. Its sumptuous boarding house was designed to accommodate the boats of other noble guests, while in the luxurious Baroque garden there is an enigmatic purification path that includes a labyrinth.
Those who love good food and wine will be happy to know that there is the Strada del Vino dei Colli Euganei (Euganean Hills Wine Road), an association that brings together wineries, restaurants, wine shops and farmstays/agriturismo along a tasting route in this little-known Italian countryside.
Perhaps the most popular part of the Euganean Hills is Abano Terme, a town surrounded by spa hotels with thermal pools and wellness treatments. Thermal waters with countless therapeutic properties flow at the northeastern edge of the Euganean Hills. You can stay in a hotel with a thermal SPA or “just” treat yourself to a day of relaxation and swimming in the pool.
FARMSTAY AND CAMPING IN THE EUGANEAN HILLS The farm La Buona Terra offers two possibilities to stay on its land: -overnight stay in one of the rooms located in the farm's stone farmhouses -Camping with your own tent or camper in the grounds of the company, which is equipped with a swimming pool. The farm is engaged in organic and sustainable agriculture and breeding, you can taste the products of the house at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Address: Via repoise 73 Cervarese Santa Croce
ORGANIC WINE TASTING IN A FARM The organic farm Le Volpi is committed to the production of natural vegan wines, schnapps, EVO oil, and to the maintenance of the rooms and apartments where you can spend your relaxing stay. The farmhouse, located in a panoramic position with a swimming pool with a breathtaking view, is furnished in a classic country style with hints of art. Address: Via Gemola 14, Baone
LAKE BRACCANO – HIDDEN GEM OF THE ROMAN COUNTRYSIDE
One of the most enchanting and quiet places in the countryside of Italy off the beaten track lies about 40 km north of Rome and extends around Lake Bracciano. Here is one of the most beautiful and clean lakes of Lazio, of volcanic origin, certainly less known than the lakes of northern Italy but definitely worth a visit.
Lake Bracciano is surrounded by rolling green hills and woods that form the Nature Reserve of Lakes Bracciano and Martignano. Many Romans decide to spend the weekend here on a nice sunny day, especially in summer, when the crystal clear and calm water of the lake invites you to take long baths. Schedule yourself to spend a few days in one of the towns overlooking the lake, from where you can then explore the area.
Trevignano Romano is the smallest of these towns, with just 5000 inhabitants, its historic center is a short walk from the lake and the beaches. The charming lakeside promenade of about 2 km will show you all the beauty of living so close to the water. Stop for a coffee and a pastry at Bar Pasticceria Ermete, the most popular in town, or at Caffé la Vela, the most elegant one. To eat by the lake choose the Acquarella restaurant or the Caratello if you prefer having a perfect pizza.
READ ALSO: The Best Restaurants Near Lake Bracciano
After strolling through the tiny historic center and going up to the ruins of the Rocca Orsini, the panoramic point, go around the lake by car (31 km) to reach the quaint historic centers of the towns of Anguillara Sabazia and Bracciano. The main historical point of interest in the area is the Bracciano Castle dating back to 1400, with its frescoes and original furnishings displayed in the 20 rooms open to the public.
WINE TASTING NEAR LAKE BRACCIANO If you love visiting wineries and tasting local wines, try Cantine Capitani cellar and winery. Address: Via di Monterosi 113, Trevignano Romano
To discover places even further off the beaten track, travel about 10 km to reach the village of Castel Giuliano, which has only 200 inhabitants. On the way, pay a visit to Azienda Agricola Gentili, which produces award-winning sheep’s milk cheeses (primosale, ricotta, stracchino…). After seeing the tiny village of Castel Giuliano, if you have your hiking shoes with you, descend through the gorge to discover two of the most beautiful waterfalls near Rome.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR LAKE BRACCIANO Hotel Mali is located a few steps from the lake and the historic center of the charming Trevignano Romano. It is a very quiet place to stay even if it is close to the lakeside promenade. Address: Via Francia 17, Trevignano Romano
THE COUNTRYSIDE AROUND VITERBO – ITALY OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
Another area to discover in the Italian countryside is the one that surrounds the city of Viterbo, in northern Lazio. This region has the merit of hosting a good number of paying and public thermal pools, which are filled by the Bullicame Spring, which gushes 2.5 km from Viterbo’s historic center.
READ ALSO: A Guide to the Best Thermal Baths and Hotsprings near Rome
The city is certainly worth a visit, with its intact defensive walls and the medieval San Pellegrino Neighborhood, built with pepper stone, the dark stone that characterizes this area. Viterbo is also the city of fountains, which arise in all the tiny piazzas of the historic center, and of good food: try the excellent pizza of the Labirinto or the cheap and tasty lunch menu proposed by the “Giardino del Papero“. For a coffee, stop by Caffeina, the two-story café-bookstore that also houses a theater.
READ ALSO: The Best Food to Try in Lazio
Once refreshed, you’ll be ready to enjoy the thermal water that has been used for thousands of years for healing and relaxation purposes. The “Terme dei Papi” spa has a 2 square kilometer thermal pool and admission costs €18 for the entire day. For €45 you can swim in the half indoor, half outdoor pool at the SPA Hotel Salus Terme. The most picturesque pools are instead those cheaper, completely free as the Piscine Carletti or managed by an association (entrance €7) as the Bagnaccio Terma e Natura, which offers basic services and open-air changing rooms.
In the surroundings of Viterbo, there are many postcard villages you have never heard of, such as Vitorchiano, which is located just 9 km away. The village is a real panoramic terrace on the surrounding marvellous valleys and stands on a pepper stone cliff composed of many massive blocks, from which the houses rise as if they were fused together with stone.
If you like walking in the woods, make a stop to visit the Rupestrian Necropolis of San Giuliano, an example of Etruscan funerary architecture, dating back to the 7th century BC. The burial chambers with their square monumental doors are dug into the high wall of tufa stone at the level of the path and can be visited freely, better with the help of a flashlight.
WHERE TO STAY NEAR VITERBO The best way to enjoy the countryside around Viterbo is to stay at a SPA hotel with thermal pool like Salus Terme. Address: Strada Tuscanese 26.
SANT ANDREA IN PERCUSSINA – CHIANTI
The most famous region of the Italian countryside in the world is undoubtedly the Chianti, which stretches between the Tuscan cities of Siena, Florence, and Arezzo.
The most beloved product of this countryside is wine, as you can see by driving through the region, but if you stay here at least a couple of days you can also taste other excellent Tuscan foods such as olive oil, meat, cheese, salami, vegetables and the “pappa al pomodoro“. If you can, choose to stay in a farmhouse that offers the products of its own fields and even better if it uses organic farming methods. Here you’ll find the postcard-perfect landscapes of the countryside of Italy: hills, vineyards and olive groves, cottages surrounded by greenery, small silent villages.
CHIANTI WINE TASTING TOURS FROM FLORENCE
If you're short on time, book a half-day tour with wine tasting that will bring you to 2 wineries in the heart of the countryside of Chianti. The tour lasts about 5 hours and departs from Florence.
One of the most incredible places to visit around here is the village of only 38 souls of Sant’Andrea in Percussina, 20 km south of Florence. The village developed around the ancient property of Niccolò Machiavelli, considered one of the greatest political thinkers of all times and who lived in the 16th century. Today Villa Machiavelli is managed by the Saraceni family, which takes care of the vineyards, the inn-restaurant Albergaccio, the Italian garden, and the house museum.
Arriving here mid-morning you can take the guided tour of Machiavelli’s villa, learning many interesting facts about the habits of the philosopher including what he liked to order for lunch. After going down to the cellars, which still house barrels dating back to 1700, you can move on to a tasting of the house wines and enjoy a meal in this peaceful place of Italy off the beaten track.
WHAT IS THE BEST PERIOD TO VISIT THE CHIANTI COUNTRYSIDE?
The best periods to visit Chianti are spring and autumn, when there are less travelers and prices go down.
TASTE AND BUY ORGANIC CHIANTI WINES The Farm Casa di Bricciano has been producing organic wine in the Chianti Classico area since 2009. All the steps of wine creation are handmade, from the work in the vineyards to the cellar. The company offers a limited quantity of products of excellent quality, their wines that have received over the years awards and medals in the international arena. If you visit them, you'll be able to taste 4 organic red wines and 1 white wine. Address: Località La Casa di Bricciano 43, Gaiole in Chianti, Siena | Email: [email protected]
THE REGION OF THE CASTLES IN EMILIA ROMAGNA
True lovers of Italian cuisine should visit the Romagna Region at least once in their lifetime, the region that is home to tortellini, lasagna, ragu, eggplant parmigiana…
READ ALSO: 5 Special Foods From Emilia Romagna
The countryside that stretches between the cities of Parma and Piacenza is renowned for the production of Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma ham, respectively the most famous Italian cheese and salami in the world. But there is more. This countryside, with its hills and plains, is dotted with castles and historical fortresses. There are at least 20 castles to visit, dating back to periods from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century and in some of them you can even stay, as in the Castello di Gambaro or in the Torre del Barbagianni.
The touristic offer of this region is really very wide, from hot air balloon flights to tours with the Shuttle Bus or vintage cars to horseback riding and mysterious itineraries that trace the tarot cards.
WHERE TO STAY IN THE EMILIAN COUNTRYSIDE If you don't know where to start, book your stay in the Emilian countryside at an agritourism such as the Antica Torre, halfway between Parma and Piacenza. The Antica Torre offers elegant, country-style rooms in the medieval tower and other adjoining structures, sleeping up to 20 people, guaranteeing peace and quiet and making sure guests aren't noisy. The farm produces organic food from its own chickens, sheep, fruit trees and vegetables, purchasing other products from nearby farms. Among the dishes you can taste are cappelletti in broth, tortelli with herbs, tagliatelle with mushrooms. Even the desserts are strictly homemade. The farmhouse also offers "taste-tours": those of parmigiano reggiano, prosciutto, balsamic vinegar and visits to the food museums of the region. Address: Case Bussandri 197 Cangelasio Salsomaggiore Terme, Parma | Email: [email protected]
THE FALISCAN COUNTRYSIDE
Here is a truly secret part of the countryside near Rome and therefore also one of the most off-the-beaten-track areas in Italy. The Agro Falisco, or “Faliscan countryside” was so called by the ancient Romans because here lived the population of the Faliscans, allies of the Etruscans, at whose side they fought to stop the Roman advance towards the north. This countryside from the soil of tufa (volcanic stone) and clay is crossed by many streams that have carved the rock and created myriad mysterious canyons where the vegetation grows thick. The Faliscan countryside is a favorite destination for those who habitually hike near Rome.
The territory has as natural boundaries the right bank of the Tiber, the Sabatini Mountains and the Cimini Mountains. In the Faliscan countryside stands Mount Soratte (691 m), a mountain sacred to the ancient populations and surrounded by the plain, which offers itself as a reference point for many other places, from which it can always be seen.
The countryside is crossed by the Amerina Road, a Roman consular and military road that connected the Etruscan city of Veio to Amelia and that testified the conquest and the Roman military power. The Amerina Road in fact passed through complexes of necropolises and Etruscan and Faliscan temples.
Exploring this mysterious part of the Italian countryside means above all to visit the small villages perched on plateaus of tufa that dominate the surrounding landscape of forests and ravines: Calcata Vecchia, Mazzano Romano, Nepi, Civita Castellana, Sant’Oreste, and Corchiano.
READ ALSO: 16 Quaint Towns to Visit in the Tuscia Region
To realize the biodiversity offered by the nature of this region, take an easy walk of about an hour through the open-air museum of contemporary art Opera Bosco. Another must-see is the village that has been a destination for artists and alternative people from all over the world since the 70’s, Calcata Vecchia, which offers breathtaking views and sunsets over the green Valley of the River Treja.
To immerse yourself in the history and archaeology of the Faliscan civilization, visit the Museum “MAVNA” in Mazzano Romano (open only on weekends, entrance €2) and the Museum of the Agro Falisco in the monumental Sangallo Fort in Civita Castellana.
TRY THE LOCAL DISHES IN A PICTURESQUE PERCHED VILLAGE To taste the typical products, you can stop and eat at the restaurant "Piazzetta", in the historic center of Calcata, which cooks food labeled "Slow Food" with local products. Address: Via San Giovanni 47, Calcata Vecchia
STAY IN THE FALISCAN COUNTRYSIDE For a longer stay in the countryside of Agro Falisco, choose to stay at the Agriturismo and Organic Farm Fattoria Lucciano. In this way you, will have the opportunity to taste the Tenuis, one of the best organic red wines of Italy, and many other products of organic farming and breeding, pride of the region: cheese, milk, yogurt, hazelnuts and hazelnut cream (which will make you forget about Nutella, whose production has become unsustainable and is causing serious environmental damage to this wonderful land). Address: Ss. Flaminia km 60, Ciita Castellana
Let me know about your favorite place in the countryside of Italy and if this post has inspired you to travel Italy off the beaten track!
