Italy's central lakes!

Old Oct 26th, 2016, 06:37 AM
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Italy's central lakes!

We are looking to spend a few days in Italy's central lake region between Florence and Rome. We will have been in San Gimignano beforehand for a week. We have two little kids so we are not interested in museums in churches. We want to visit small towns; walk/hike through the countryside and see wineries, olive groves and maybe lake views; maybe rent bikes if there is a place to ride off of main roads; and visit a castle. Does anyone recommend one of these lake regions over the others - Trasimeno, Bolsena, or Bracciano? We may like to rent a boat or go on a boat trip on the lake but it's not our only interest. Can you swim in all of them?

Is Pitigliano or "the dying city" worth a visit with little kids on the way towards Rome? What about the chocolate factory tour in Perugia (I am leaning towards no on this one)? Are the hot springs too hot to visit in the summer? We will be there in June and will have a car. We will have about 2-3 days to explore so not a ton of time, and kids move slowly!

Thanks!
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Old Oct 26th, 2016, 08:20 AM
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May be you will have a look at
http://www.lagotrasimeno.co.uk/pg.ti...&cat=4&lang=en
http://traveltips.usatoday.com/thing...aly-61165.html
http://www.revealedrome.com/2012/10/...bracciano.html
All lakes are different. Difficult to make a choice.
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Old Oct 26th, 2016, 09:32 AM
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The town of Bracciano, on the lake of the same name, has a nice castle. On the same lake, the town of Anguillara has a long lakefront with a beach. It should be possible to rent bikes there, too. On the northeastern side of the lake, there is a nature reserve, but I've never been there. There are also boat rentals on the lake.

I assume you'll have a car. These towns would be a fairly easy drive to some of the seaside towns, such as Santa Marinella, if you want a bigger beach. It would also be an easy drive to Tivoli, where the water garden might be fun for the children. There are lots of interesting little villages in the area. Fara in Sabina is one of them, but there are plenty of others.

I've been to Civita di Bagnoregio twice. I wouldn't have gone the second time, but we were with another couple who wanted to see it. To me, it's a big souvenir stand. The view of it from below is impressive.
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Old Oct 26th, 2016, 10:33 AM
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I've stayed at both Bolsena and Trasimeno. I enjoyed both.

A few random thoughts: I think Bolsena is a prettier lake (a gorgeous blue), but it's deeper and would be colder to swim in. Trasimeno has a golden sand small beach; the Bolsena beaches are smaller and black. The Bolsena area would be better for vineyards IIRC. It's a bit hillier, so may be more challenging walking. And Bolsena has better ice cream.

Will you have a car?
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Old Oct 26th, 2016, 10:40 AM
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Yes, we will have a car! Which do you think has more to do in general - esp for little kids? Any nice walking/hiking trails to enjoy the scenery (of the whole area not just lake)??
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