Experience the best of Lake Bolsena

Lake Bolsena fills a volcanic caldera in northern Lazio, close to Tuscany and Umbria, and is one of the largest volcanic lakes in Europe, with clear water and low, wooded shores. Two islands, Bisentina and Martana, lie in it. The town of Bolsena, on the north-east shore, has a medieval castle above the water and the church of Santa Cristina, linked to the Miracle of Bolsena of 1263, which led to the feast of Corpus Christi.

Montefiascone stands on a hill above the south-east shore, crowned by a great domed cathedral, and Capodimonte sits on a promontory with a Farnese fortress. Marta and Gradoli are quieter villages around the lake. Orvieto, Viterbo and Civita di Bagnoregio are all within an hour's drive, and the tufa towns of Pitigliano and Sovana lie to the north-west.

Fish from the lake, whitefish, perch and eel, are grilled, fried or stewed, and Dante mentioned the lake's eels in the Divine Comedy. Est! Est!! Est!!!, a white wine from Montefiascone, has a legend of its own, and the olive groves around the shore supply the oil. The lake is warm enough for swimming from June to September, and the shores are quiet in spring.