Lazio, which is a wonderful region in the central part of Italy, has more than Rome to offer! Lazio has a lot of impressive remnants from the entire Roman era but also from the Middle Ages, from small towns to larger cities.  

Lazio is also known for its many minor and idyllic lakes, the soft hills, the beautiful mountainous areas and the good sandy beaches in the southern part of the region or in the area around Anzio.

If you are interested in combining your holidays in Italy with interesting evidence from the large Roman Empire and a wonderful bathing holiday, or just to take in Rome and enjoy the fantastic atmosphere, then Lazio is the ideal place to go for a holiday for the whole family. 

The landscape in Lazio

The landscape in Lazio varies a lot from soft hills to mountains. The many lakes also characterise the region and add a special expression to the region.

You can also ski in Lazio in the winter, but this is not the main reason that people go to the region.

Lazio has a number of beautiful parks spread around the entire region, e.g. Parco Nazionale del Circeo, Riserva Naturale Lago di Vico, Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso and Parco Naturale Regionale Monti Simbruini.

Large cities in Lazio: Rome and Terracina

Rome, the capital of Italy, is of course a must when you are in the Lazio region. Rome is, with its historical wealth from the Roman era, a fantastic city. But it is also an impressive city in many other ways; the atmosphere is unique, and piazzas, cafes, restaurants and exciting shops contribute to making Rome a fantastic place to stay. Rome is also called “the holy city”, because the Catholic Church is headed from Rome.

Terracina, to the south, has beautiful sandy beaches and a lot of atmosphere and is a popular place to go on holiday for the locals.

Tourist attractions in Lazio

Rome offers a whole lot of exciting attractions. To name a few of the most important: Coliseum, the Vatican, St. Peter’s and the fountain Fontana di Trevi, which became world-famous when Anita Ekberg walked around it in the world-famous movie La Dolce Vita. Experience the Panteon too, which does not seem like a lot on the outside, but is fascinating on the inside with almost 2000 years of history.

If you travel with small children, it may be a good idea to save a visit to Rome until the children have grown older as Rome has a lot of traffic, packed busses and trains and narrow pavements. But if you, nevertheless, bring your small children, then you will soon discover that the Italians just love ”bambini”.

Sports activities in Lazio

The region has many wonderful sandy beaches where you can go swimming and diving.  In the winter, you can also ski in the region. 

Gastronomic characteristics of Lazio

The region’s Roman cuisine is known for its rural dishes with bacon and cream, the very generous use of olive oil, stews and the Jewish influence on some of the more popular dishes. Food with artichokes and more heavy pasta dishes are classic repeaters in the Roman food culture. The Romans eat a lot of lamb cooked differently with potatoes and herbs, among others.

When it comes to wines, Lazio may be most famous for the white Frascati wine. The best wines are made from international sorts such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and among the best vineyards are Castel de Paolis, Mauro Paola – Colli Picchioni, Falesco and Christine Vaselli.

The climate of Lazio

Lazio has Mediterranean climate. The hottest months are June to August where temperatures reach 30 degrees, but it is actually pleasant to stay in Lazio from May to October in terms of temperatures.

Some of the photos are kindly lent out from the Italian Tourist Office. Photographers: Vito Arcomano - Fototeca ENIT