The diverse topography of Viterbo Province makes hiking and all outdoors activities ideal, when practiced amidst the beechwoods that populate the elevated areas, or among the oak and chestnut trees that characterize the lower altitudes.
The Bolsena Lakes, with the beautiful Islands of Martana and Bisentina, as well as Vico, are the perfect setting for a relaxing vacation, or even for a weekend of water sports, sailing and canoeing, as well as equestrian riding. And Lake Vico, lying within a nature reserve, is equipped with paths for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding.
One of the main attractions of the area are the terme or spas, known since Antiquity. Frequented by the Etruscans, the baths of Viterbo were expanded by the Romans, so that the remains of their structures occupy an area just under seven miles long. In Medieval times they became a favorite destination of many Popes for the treatment of various conditions, thanks to the properties of the mud and water. The three best known are the springs of Aquae Passeris, Paliano and Bullicame, quoted by Dante in The Divine Comedy and portrayed in a famous painting by Michelangelo. Today the famous Terme dei Papi offer a pleasant stay for cures and relaxation.
Among the festivals and popular fairs, the best-known and most spectacular event celebrated each year in Viterbo is the Festa di Santa Rosa, the city's Patron Saint, the remains of which are kept in the Duomo. For the occasion, 100 people carry on their shoulders a structure lit by torches and lights; the structure, which has to be transported a little over 1/2 mi of narrow, steep streets, rises to a height of 98 feet and weighs five tons. After the procession, the simulacrum of Santa Rosa can be visited for a few days.
Also characteristic are the events that take place in Soriano nel Cimino, including the sagra delle castagne (chestnut festival) and the Palio delle Contrade (tournament of the city wards), during which the town is divided into four zones that compete in archery tournaments and ring jousting. Then, the Festa della Merca is held in Tarquinia, with cowherds branding cattle and contests of dexterity among the traditional Maremma cowboys, the butteri.
The sagra degli gnocchi (potato dumpling festival) is held in Ronciglione, where the delicious dish is accompanied by the full-bodied local wine. Of ancient tradition, the Tiratura del solco dritto ("Ploughing of the straight furrow") in Valentano is a propitiation ritual during which a pair of oxen draws a long furrow in the soil; the festival is a thanksgiving to Our Lady for the crops harvested during the year.
