Written by Elise & Kari, August 2022
If you have happened to come across this post, you are in luck. You might just decide to go off the beaten path in Italy and visit a place that most non-Italian tourists do not visit In fact, we have not heard one English speaking tourist here! In this post, you will learn much more about the beautiful and charming town of Anguillara Sabazia vs what you would get with a basic wikipedia search. Did you click? Lol! Not much online but this hidden gem of a place is close enough to Rome that you can get there by car, bus, or train in about one hour! It is the perfect place to go if you need the ultimate (and pretty affordable) lake experience or just need to get out of life in the city for a while. The Traveling Girlzz have visited plenty of lakes over the years and this is one of our new favorites!
Picture: the town from a distance
The most simple places often turn out to be the most enjoyable. Although this wonderful town may seem like just a beach town, it has hidden gems in terms of beautiful architecture, great cuisine, and friendly people. Imagine a beach with warm black volcanic sand and crystal clear deep blue water. Music is playing while people dance or lay in the sun. Confusing narrow cobble stone roads and tiny houses decorate the town. You meander around the back streets and suddenly come on a glamorous boutique or romantic restaurant. This little town on the coast of Lake Bracciano is beautiful, so if that doesn't description doesn't hook you, I don't what will!
Anguillara Sabazia is one of the several medieval cities that decorate Lake Bracciano, a volcanic lake located about 30 kilometers northwest of Rome. It is a small village of winding streets, secret gardens, and dramatic views over the lake. There is an original medieval wall that outlines the city perched on a hill overlooking the water (which means hills and steps for those who like to exercise!). People have been living here since 5700 BC so this is truly an ancient settlement!
Evening time is the golden hour for this area. The setting sun casts warm orange and yellow hues over the lake. People are swimming in the water well into the evening, happy that the intense Italian sun is more bearable that time of day. Music plays by the beach, spun by local DJs, and there are casual bars set up directly on the lake. On a hot day (everyday in summer in Italy), nothing feels as good as diving into the cool, clear water as the sun is setting over the hills.
There are no motorized boats on Lake Bracciano as it serves as one of the main reservoirs of drinking water for Rome. This makes for an incredibly safe and peaceful swimming experience. Today, while we swam, there was a breeze making for a decent current in the lake but sometimes it is smooth without a ripple. As far as lake swimming, this is really best in show. We would compare it to the quality of something like Lake George (renowned for its clear water that the mayor drinks each year!) but without the boat traffic and the beach restrictions.
There are no shortage of amazing places to eat and drink in Anguillara Sabazia. You can eat directly on the lake (prices range from 10-25 Euro/main dish) or at a casual place in town. There are also restaurants higher up in the town offering a more expansive view of the entire area.
Please note that if you have difficulty with stairs or steep walk-ways, you might just want to stay close to the lake as the town is built on an incline.
Here are some of the most important things we think you should know about visiting Anguillara Sabazia.
1. Anguillara Sabazia is accessible by public transportation and you do not need a car to visit. You can walk everywhere in the small town and around the beach area. If you are coming from Rome, take a train that is headed to Bracciano or Viterbo but make sure that the train stops at Anguillara Sabazia. Get off at Anguillara Sabazia and take a bus/van/taxi to the small town. Because it too hot to walk far with all of our luggage, we took a car service from Rome. If you value comfort over saving money, we highly recommend Rome Cab Transfer for super reliable and good quality car service (good prices as well).
2. You might get lost in the alleys and small streets. It is part of the charm, but it never hurts to be prepared. Try bringing around a paper map or a screen shot of the area on google maps. It is a beautiful medieval city. Try to keep track of your turns but if you get lost, the neighbors are very willing to help you find your way and might even walk you directly where you need to go. We wouldn't mind getting lost in the town, but being trapped in the heat is a different thing.
3. If you go in the summer, things shut down in the middle of the day because of the heat and then open back up for the evening. The daytime can get extremely HOT (over 100 degrees Fahrenheit kind of hot). It's best to swim in the morning and in the later part of the afternoon.
4. Be realistic. We all know kids can be challenging to bring around to different places especially when it is hot. Yes, we love our kids but sometimes their complaining isn't very helpful. Don't make a list of 20 things to do over the span of 5 days. Chances are your friends and family won't want to do everything you do. Take turns deciding what to do, where to go and what to eat. Leave days in your trip where there's nothing planned. You could stay inside to rest or just wonder around.
5. There are a couple of supermarkets close to the old city (walkable) where you can get everything to cook at home. The fresh produce in the summer is fantastic. You can buy an entire large basil plant for 2 Euro and make your own pesto or insalate caprese (fresh mozzarella and tomatoes)
6. In Italy people take naps or breaks in the middle of the day. This is a time to catch up on work, read a book, or just hang out. It will be so hot in the summer especially at noon time so take this time to go to back where you are staying or chill at a cafe.
7. This is VERY important. Get an air conditioned room. You might have packed light clothes, a fan, or thought you'd be fine and you would just open the window. If you are staying here in the summer, it is HOT. You don't want to walk around sticky with sweat or fall asleep to your kids complaining about the heat. So trust us on this one.
Picture: View from Anguillara Beach looking towards Trevignano
A little more about the town and the lake around it...
Lake Bracciano experienced some pretty intense volcanic activity over 40,000 years ago. A magma chamber (a large amount of magma under a volcano within the crust of the earth) is where Lake Bracciano is now. The magma chamber collapsed creating the crater for the lake. Lake Bracciano is one of the more popular lakes in Italy and the second largest lake in that area. This town dates back to the middle ages. Although there really aren't any ancient ruins in Anguillara Sabazia, there is a wall surrounding the original village. This wall was used to protect the people of the town and to block invaders. Supposedly the Neolithic people lived along this very lake thousands of years ago.
Although it is a small town, there are no dearth of places to go. Visit the frozen yogurt shop across the pier at the edge of the lake. It is easy to find and has frozen yogurt, smoothies, crepes, waffles, and more tasty treats. Another idea is the lively cafe just inside the gate of the old city as you are walking towards to church on the top of the hill. Great drinks and food (and nice people!). For your groceries, you can go to Carrefour Market, located on Largo Dello Zodiaco. For beach supplies (and basically everything else), go the dollar general store just next to the supermarket. The store has everything you might need. All very easy to find! Stay tuned for more recommendations from the Traveling Girlzz.
