Lake Vico

Lake Vico is the smallest and one of the most pristine of Lazio's volcanic lakes, lying in the Cimini hills of the Viterbo province north of Rome and largely overlooked by international visitors. Cradled in an ancient volcanic caldera and ringed by the wooded slopes of the Monti Cimini, including the looming Monte Venere, the lake sits within a protected nature reserve, the Riserva Naturale Lago di Vico, which has kept its shores free of the heavy development found on busier lakes. The water is clean and quiet, and the whole basin is wrapped in dense forests of beech, chestnut and hazel, the hazel groves around Vico being among Italy's most important. The reserve is a haven for birdlife, with herons, grebes, kingfishers and wintering waterfowl, making it a rewarding spot for birdwatching from the lakeside reedbeds and hides. For visitors, the appeal is gentle nature rather than monuments: walking and cycling the trails that circle the lake and climb into the Cimini woods, peaceful picnics on the shore, and in summer swimming and non-motorised paddling such as kayaking and canoeing, with motorboats restricted to protect the water. A scenic path leads up Monte Venere, the small peak rising from the lake's edge, for views over the whole caldera. The lake is especially beautiful in autumn, when the surrounding beech and chestnut forests turn vivid gold and russet, and in spring when the woods are fresh and the birdlife active. A visit can be a couple of hours of walking or a relaxed full day combining a hike, a swim and a picnic. Entry to the reserve is free, with a visitor centre providing information. Lake Vico is reached most easily by car, near the towns of Caprarola and Ronciglione, and pairs naturally with the famous Palazzo Farnese at Caprarola. As a tranquil, scope-specific corner of the Tuscia countryside, it offers a restful nature escape close to Rome.