Civita di bagnoregio

I was there 2 years ago and it was magical!

We have been twice. The first time we arrived early in the day and had a wonderful time. This was 12 years ago. Two years ago, not as magical. More touristy and crowded, however that is the case for most places. Go, especially if you can arrive early in the day.

It depends on what you have to give up in order to go there.

Are you traveling by car?

Well, we have no idea worth venturing to Civita but from where. I would put it this way. If you are already in Orvieto, by all means go to Civita. However if you are around Milan, Dolomites, Lake Como I would probably skip it.

dg,

I assume you're thinking of visiting Civita di Bagnoregio during the day trip to Orvieto that you mentioned in another thread? It would help if you could provide more information on what you're considering?

IMO, it would not be possible to visit both Orvieto and Civita on the same day trip from Rome, especially if using public transit. Using the bus from Orvieto to Bagnoregio and then the Shuttle to the base of the Civita bridge and back will take more-or-less a full day. If you have a car available, the trip can be done much faster.

I think I'm one of the few people who thinks Civita di Bagnoregio is overblown. Yikes. A mostly deserted village populated by tourists and cats. It looks cool in pictures but in real life, not so much in my opinion. Kind of sad that the plateau on which it is situated is eroding so badly that some of the outer buildings are in danger.

It's a hike over there from the parking thru the town and across on the causeway! I do have fear of heights and did not "get" from the pictures how high it was so if anyone in your party has any fear, I'd definitely skip.

Not worth it in my opinion but you may enjoy it. I'd certainly not give up something really good to see it and would only work it in if you are nearby.

editing to add: Cross-posting with Ken. On the other hand, I LOVE Orvieto and would spend my time there!! The facade on the cathedral there always makes me want to have a step ladder so I can look more closely at the carvings!

Fond memories of being there in 2006. A unique experience for a few hours if you are in the area. We recall our tour group gathering in a family run restaurant with a unique wine cellar. They made us the best Bruschetta in an open fireplace. Delightful!

I agree with Pam. I enjoy hill towns but like to see life. I think Civita is overblown. Orvieto is wonderful. If you can, stay one night and experience the place after sundown. The day trippers are gone and the locals come out.

First, yes, worth visiting....but we approached this a bit differently that most folks seem to. We visited as a casual morning stop and had a nice lunch and enjoyed the views. We walked the hill and the trails beneath it. It's interesting and there were very few folks there. We stayed in a nearby agritourismo...this one. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/6238461?guests=1&adults=1
Civita was the backdrop view from where we stayed and it was wonderful.
Most folks end up staying in Orvieto and they miss out on the beautiful surrounding area. The whole area and countryside is wonderful. This part of Italy gets overlooked by folks that use the train station as their sole entry and exit point. Rent a car and explore...go to Viturbo, Tarqinia...yes to Civita and the areas to the North, East and West.

Mack,
Thanks for the information. Just looked at the Agritorisimo. Looks very nice. Do they have a shower, none showing in the photo?
Do they offer any meals, breaksfast, etc,? Cleanliness?
When traveling to the nearby towns, do you park you rental car in parking areas outside the town? Thanks.

We stayed in the larger of the two apartments. There was a tub/shower combination. It worked for us..but not dedicated shower.
They offered to provide breakfast...we opted out of that and did our own thing. The kitchen was complete and we brought our own groceries from a nearby shop...so many choices!
The entire place was very clean and cleaned regularly while we were there. We stayed 5 nights.
The owner is a wonderful person. She helped us find our way around the area and gave me directions late one night when we managed to get very lost on our way home. When we return to the area this is where we will stay. With convenient access (Orvietto or the next exit once you learn the roads) to the Autostrada you can easily get anywhere quickly (Montepulciano as an example) or home quickly if you take the more scenic routes as we did.
In each town there are parking places. They are well marked and easy to find. We did not have any problems getting around or parking. I'm always surprised to hear that folks have so many driving challenges...that said, I stay out of places like Firenza, Rome or Milano with the car. Public transportation has it's place. Try a cab ride in Milano...it will rival a Shenzen cab....but with passion and gusto.

Mack-Thanks for the follow up.

We will be in Siennna for 7 nights and have a rental car for that time. We then plan to visit both Perugia and Assisi-maybe 2-3 nights here. Not sure if we should extend the rental and drive to these 2 towns or if we should travel there by train? Is a bus the best way to get go from Assisi to Perugia?

From there we would be visiting both Orvieto and Civita and the surrounding area. Again, do we drive a rental car to this area or travel by train?

Our final destination is Rome. Should we consider driving to Rome or taking a train from here? Driving to Rome may be a bad idea due to traffic?

Obviously looking to make the transportation work well while in these areas.

Anyone who may be familiar with these areas and this route (Siena to Assisi/Perugia, to Orvieto/Civita, and to Rome) please share your experience and advise.

Having a car in Sienna could be interesting. You need to be certain that you have a good place to park it. If you are using Ab&b check the rental for parking and discuss your options with the owner. From Sienna you can cover great deal of ground with a car.
I would plan to return the car in Orvietto (so Hertz rental is required) and take the train to Rome. The Hertz rental is about 200 yards from the train station. There's a gas station there that you can refill at before turning it in.
Be sure to obtain and International Driving permit (Triple A is an easy place to get it) and follow driving and paring rules precisely. If in doubt, park and walk. If in doubt, drive more slowly.....

I loved it when I went many years ago. We stayed the night in the town's B&B, and when the lights go out all you see is the dark sky and the many stars. The only sounds you hear are the cuckoos. I personally like the peace and quiet and doing nothing but enjoying the surroundings.

I went early in the day in March so it was not crowded at all and it was wonderful. Beautiful view OF it and FROM it. I took a bus from Orvieto where I was staying a few days. The bus schedule is not ideal (but doable if you are staying in Orvieto, not really if you are just going to Orvieto as a day trip from Rome) but a car would make it much easier. I would keep the car for all of the Tuscany/Umbria time since you are getting one. There are several huge parking lots below Orvieto (and a funicular that runs from the train station and parking lots up to the top of the town) so parking in Orvieto is not an issue. For Siena there are some large-ish lots on the outskirts. None of these places are ideal if you can't do a bit of walking - like from the parking on the outskirts to the town centers. I would definitely drop off the rental car the last town you visit before Rome. From Orvieto to Rome by train is fast and easy.

Photos of Civita di Bagnoregio - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p768910330

I’m with Pam and Frank on CdB. Talk about touristy. It exists solely for tourists. It’s not a living town. Assuming most people have a fairly restricted amount of time for their trips, I cannot see the point of spending any of it on accessing (that alone will take more time than to see the whole hamlet) and getting out from there. If you are in the area and need to fill out your itinerary, here are just a few of the sights that are far more interesting: Orvieto, Pitigliano, Sorano, Sovana, and Saturnia.

Today it is not really a 'normal' town in any real way. But it certainly WAS originally and thus is a piece of history that is very interesting to see. It it not a place that was built for tourists. Or even built up. There are almost no shops, certainly no cheap postcard touristy places like you get in a lot of towns. I'll admit that my impression might be different if I was there with mobs of people, but if you are able to visit at a relatively quiet time, its not only historically interesting, but very pleasant with lovely views.

@Isabel, thanks for sharing your photos. That's exactly how I remembered it. I even have some of the same photos of the buildings and amazing views. Like you, we were there in the morning and there were no crowds. Nice to relive this unique place after so many years! It was a perfect addition to our tour of Tuscany & Umbria. Grazie!

Isabel- Beautiful photos! I know the reviews are mixed, but I enjoyed visiting and am happy to have had the experience.

5 years ago we were in Northern Lazio, had a car and did 21 hill towns in 21 days. One day we went to Civita di Bagnoregio. It was in early November and quite empty, quiet and a highlight experience. My grandson (6 at the time) still talks about it today. Since there were so few visitors the shop/restaurant owners had the time and inclination to make us feel especially welcome. To us it was indeed magical and I highly recommend. The height thing is something to consider. it made me queasy at first but I got over it and would do it again. It is an adventure for sure. Having a car and the time of year surely played into our experience.

Just a bit of additional info on Civita: Not sure when it went into effect, but there is now a 5€pp entry fee, with a ticket booth at the Bagnoregio end of the elevated walkway to Civita. It's a small price to pay for keeping this special place available, so remember to bring a little cash when you visit.

We did that once ... gr8 too ... took the train from Orvieto as we were In Italy for Easter events .. started in Rome etc. ... St Patrick's Well a must see .. YouTube it ... Doumo had 90 man choir on Easter .. plus we participated in "the stations of the cross" with candles in paper bags etc .. we stay 3 weeks n e more as 2 weeks go by so fast.... enjoy ... oh ... put San Marino into a YouTube search ... what a view!

Add that it's worth a trip, if visiting Orvieto. You might see more hitting a lots of places. However, keep in mind that limited days and lots of miles equals less to enjoy.