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Castelli Romani - from Genzano to Frascati

In the Castelli Romani region, the long, warm summer lasts from May to September, with average temperatures of 28°C, making it ideal for relaxation, excursions, and swimming. In spring and autumn, the climate is very mild, ideal for hiking and excursions.

Content

Genzano & two swimming lakes & the nearby sea

Genzano: shops & restaurants

Castel Gandolfo & Ariccia & Lanuvio

Grottaferrata & Frascati & Rocca di Papa

Castelli Romani: Restaurants & Wine Region

Castelli Romani: Designer Outlet Villages

1. Genzano & two bathing lakes & the nearby sea

Genzano is a small town situated on the beautiful Lake Nemi, with a medieval town center. At the highest point in the village center of Genzano is the Palazzo Sforza Cesarini, with its beautiful park, which can be visited on guided tours. Other sights are mainly located in the surrounding towns. Nemi (4 km from Genzano), a small, characteristic town in the Castelli Romani region, stands picturesquely on the hillside above the blue crater lake "Lago di Nemi," surrounded by steep forest slopes. Enjoy the virtually traffic-free town of Nemi and the beautiful view of the lake, Genzano di Roma, and the sea. In the strawberry town of Nemi, you can sample local products such as the famous wild strawberries, honey, wine, and "ciambelline" (sweet pastries). In the bars and restaurants high above the lake, you can also enjoy strawberries (fragole di Nemi) in the form of tarts or with gelato. Below Nemi lies the lake (Lago di Nemi), on whose shores lies the Museum of Roman Ships, where millennia-old legends about the goddess Diana are woven. There are several beautiful hiking trails around Lake Nemi. Near Genzano, just 5 km away, is the beautiful Lago di Albano. Several well-organized beaches, equipped with parasols and loungers, offer the opportunity for swimming. At the Stabilimento balneare Le Lunette beach resort, you can also rent sailboats and pedal boats. Another swimming option is the La Ola restaurant and bar, with its private beach. Here you can also rent loungers and paddle boats. Lago di Albano also offers the opportunity to hike around the entire lake in about 1 to 2 hours on a comfortable, beautiful hiking trail. Also near Genzano (2 km away) is the second lake, called Lake Nemi, on whose shores lies the Museum of Roman Ships and where millennia-old legends about the goddess Diana are woven. This lake is considerably smaller than Lake Albano, but it also offers beautiful hiking trails, along the lake's edge and around the idyllic little village of Nemi. The beautiful sea near Anzio, with dunes and clean, beautiful sandy beaches, is only 23 km from the Alban Hills / Castelli Romani and can be reached by car in about 35 minutes. The most beautiful beaches are located just north of Anzio. Here's a suggestion for swimming in the nearby sea: Coming from Anzio and driving along the sea for a few kilometers towards Rome, you will reach the WWF Park Riserva Naturale di Tor Caldara. Just before the park, turn left onto a small road (Via dei Lilla). It is a dead-end street that leads directly to the sea. Park your car here and at the end of this road, descend the steps to the sea. You'll find beautiful free beaches with sand and rocks, but you can also rent umbrellas and lounge chairs at the beach. There's a nice bar where you can also enjoy a bite to eat. South of Rome lies the Circeo National Park, around the town of Sabaudia. This area offers beautiful hiking trails within the national park and, of course, fantastic beaches. Torre Paola Beach is a long strip of coastal dunes that separates small lakes from the sea. Witch's nails and crinoids grow along the dunes. The sea here is often rough and always greenish in color, due to the reflection of Mount Circeo and the currents that guarantee transparent water year-round. It's one of Sabaudia's most famous beaches. These beaches and the national park can be reached by car in about 1.5 hours. From Genzano, you can also easily reach the Eternal City of Rome with the local, fast trains that run regularly from the nearby town of Campoleone to Rome. Link: https://www.visitcastelliromani.it/de/ - Visit Castelli Romani. Tourist information for visiting the Castelli Romani, also in German. Events in Genzano The Flower Festival - The Infiorata di Genzano di Roma. A large and well-known folk festival that takes place every year in June, usually the weekend after Corpus Christi. The festival begins with the Masters of Infioration, who use chalk to transfer stencils of their designs directly onto the pavement of the ancient Via Livia (now Via I. Belardi). This forms the basis for the flower carpets. The sketches of the "Masters of Infioration" are then covered with flower petals. On the ancient Via Livia there is now a complete carpet of flowers consisting of various images, which can be viewed particularly beautifully from the first floor of the town hall.

2. Genzano: Shops & Restaurants

Supermarkets (Outside the center of Genzano)

Carrefour - Supermarket

Address: Via Giorgio Amendola 2/4, Genzano di Roma

Coop - Supermarket

This supermarket has a good fish section and a good selection of gluten-free products.

Address: Via Emilia Romagna 102, Genzano di Roma

Conad -Supermarket

Address: Via Appia Vecchia, Genzano di Roma

Grocery stores, in the center of Genzano

Macelleria Gnessi

Good butcher shop

Address: Piazza IV Novembre 10, Genzano di Roma

Antico Forno a Legna Fratelli Marcellini Genzano

bread from the wood-fired oven

Address: PCorso Don Giovanni Minzoni 4, Genzano di Roma

Macelleria Toscana Good

butcher shop

Address: Via Giuseppe di Vittorio 6, Genzano di Roma

Norcineria di Azzocchi Danilo

Butcher Shop - For porchetta and ready-made takeaway meals, cold cuts, salami, and cheese

Address: Corso Don Minzoni 47, Genzano di Roma

Norcineria Castelli

Butcher Shop - For porchetta, salami, and buffalo mozzarella.

Address: Corso Don Minzini 15, Genzano di Roma

La Baronia - Cheese Factory

Cheese, mozzarella, buffalo mozzarella, and similar products.

Address: Corso Don Giovanni Minzoni 2, Genzano di Roma

Forno a Legna da Moretto

Good, fresh, homemade bread (pane casareccio), a Genzano specialty. Homemade sweets

Address: Corso Don Giovanni Minzoni 29, Genzano di Roma

Pescheria Stella Marina Di Conti Gianluca

Good fish shop. Be sure to check the opening days and hours.

Address Via Stati Uniti d’America 9/11, Genzano di Roma

Telephone +39 06 939 03 66

Farmers Market

fruits and vegetables

Address Via Giorgio Amendola 5/7, Genzano di Roma

Farma + Erbe - Erboristerie Dott. Biaggi - Parapharmacy -

Herbal Health Food Store Organic Products and Muesli

Address: Via Amendola 9/11, Genzano di Roma

Bottega del Celiaco

Gluten-Free Products

Address: Via Generale Roberto Lordi 119, Genzano di Roma

Phone +39 06 87 88 90 56

Pharmacy

Farmacia Carafa

Well-organized pharmacy, in the center of Genzano

Address: Via Italo Belardi 19, Genzano di Roma

Phone +39 06 939 60 03

Restaurants Taberna Livia Il Ristorantino

This small restaurant is a little surprise in Genzano. The taste and quality of the food are accompanied by great hospitality and courtesy. Excellent value for money. - Location: in the center of Genzano

Address: Via Italo Belardi 93, Genzano di Roma

Phone: +39 06 89 01 18 67

Trattoria dei Cacciatori This excellent Italian restaurant serving game specialties is located in the center of Genzano, where the annual international flower festival "L'Infiorata" takes place.

Address: Via Italo Belardi 86, Genzano di Roma.

Phone: +39 06 939 60 60

Hosteria delle Scalette Nice restaurant in the center. Good value for money.

Address: Piazza, Via Don Nazario Galieti 18, Genzano di Roma.

Phone +39 06 93 95 50 95

Agriturismo Monte Due Torri - Restaurant/Pizzeria

Beautiful location with a restaurant on the agriturismo. Delicious, tasty "pinsa" (a special, light-flavored pizza), as well as other delicious dishes. Friendly and welcoming staff. Location: In the countryside, approximately 2 km south of Genzano di Roma.

Address: Via Monte Giove Nuovo 77, Genzano di Roma

Phone +39 06 936 32 76

Al Vecchio Mulino Club - Pub

Good, interesting Irish pub/restaurant, just outside the center of Genzano.

Address: Via Pietro Conti, Genzano di Roma.

Phone +39 34 78 69 97 52

Osteria Pelliccione

Interesting osteria in the center of Genzano, which also offers gluten-free food.

Address: Piazza Giuseppe Mazzini 13, Genzano di Roma

Phone +06 936 44 80

3. Castel Gandolfo & Ariccia & Lanuvio

Lanuvio (2 km from Genzano) is one of the oldest towns in the Castelli Romani region, an ancient pre-Roman town and a crossroads between the Appian Way and the sea. It boasts a charming old town with medieval city walls and unique views. Here you'll find wine and gastronomy specialties. The Lanuvio area is home to the "Colli Lanuvini DOC" wine, as well as a wide variety of other typical products. The town also has typical bakeries where you can enjoy cakes and pizza with a glass of Castelli Romani wine.

4. Grottaferrata & Frascati & Rocca di Papa

Grottaferrata lies in the Alban Hills, north of Lake Albano and Castel Gandolfo. The Abbey of Grottaferrata is worth seeing. The monastery was built by Saint Nilus and his successor, Saint Bartholomew. Brothers of the Basilian Order still live there today. The monastery, surrounded by defensive walls, houses the abbey church of Santa Maria, with its beautiful 12th-century Roman tower. This church is worth seeing, especially the Chapel of Saint Nilus and Saint Bartholomew, which is decorated with large-scale frescoes depicting the life of the monastery's founder. The monastery can be visited on certain days and at certain times. Frascati is famous for its white wine and its patrician villas (Ville Tuscolane), elegant 18th-century palaces that were once home to ancient Roman noble families. Some of the parks of these villas can be visited. In the immediate vicinity of Frascati, you can drive up to the Tuscolo hill and visit the archaeological excavations, following the traces of the ancient Roman past, with beautiful hiking trails. Outside Frascati, you can visit the "Sacro Eremo Tuscolano degli Eremiti Camaldolesi di Montecorona" convent. It is located in the middle of the forest, in the area of the Tusculum hill. The convent can only be visited by men, but if you ring the bell at the entrance and wait a while, a monk will come and offer excellent liqueurs made by the monks, mainly based on herbs, for sale. Note: Opening hours are usually from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Coming from Frascati, you can reach the convent on the SP73b road. Drive up this road almost to the "Parco Archeologico Culturale di Tuscolo" park. A little further ahead, a road turns left toward the village of Monte Porzio Catone. Continue down this road for about 500 meters and then, on the right, you'll find a small, uphill road that leads to the entrance of the convent after a few meters. The Tusculum is a beautiful hiking area above Frascati and offers beautiful views of the surrounding hills, the Alban Hills, and Rome. The small town of Rocca di Papa, situated high in the Alban Hills, has a winding medieval quarter, with steep, stairway streets that wind up the mountainside to the ruins of Rocca Castle. Above Rocca di Papa lies Monte Cavo (approximately 900 meters high), a sacred mountain in ancient times. Here, you can hike from Rocca di Papa up to Monte Cavo, along an old Roman road, the Via Sacra. You'll reach a viewpoint from where you have a beautiful view of the two lakes, Lago di Albano and Lago di Nemi.

5. Castelli Romani: Restaurants & Wine Region

Restaurants in the Castelli Romani area

Da Spartaco al Grottino

Here you'll find Nemi's strawberry specialties - Ice cream parlor

Address: Piazza Umberto I, Nemi

Trattoria Pietrino e Renata - Nemi

Family-run trattoria. Friendly staff. Here you can enjoy delicious local dishes. Location: Right at the entrance to the car-free town of Nemi.

Address: Piazza Roma 18, Nemi

Phone +39 06 936 81 09

Trattoria dei Cacciatori da Tiberio - Restaurant

Typical, small restaurant in the village center of Nemi, near Lake Nemi

Address: Piazza Umberto I no. 6, Nemi

Phone +39 06 936 80 96

Il Ramo d'Oro Typical,

small restaurant by Lake Nemi

Address: Via Nemorense 4, Nemi

Phone +39 06 936 80 48

Lo Spuntino

Good regional Italian cuisine, friendly service. A dreamy ambiance overlooking Lake Albano.

Address: Via Oratorio 1, Castel Gandolfo (RM). Closed Wednesdays

Phone +39 06 936 02 26

Il Grottino - Restaurant and Pizzeria

Specializing in fish dishes. The restaurant is located in the historic center, with a lake view.

Address: Via Saponara 2, Castel Gandolfo. Closed Mondays

Phone +39 06 936 14 14

Antico Ristorante Pagnanelli

Beautiful location on the lake, with a beautiful view from the terrace.

Address: Via Antonio Gramsci 4, Lake Castel Gandolfo

Phone +39 06 936 00 04

Hostaria - Antica Pasta all'Uovo Innocenzio

Here you can enjoy or purchase fresh pasta. You can also sit outside on the traffic-free street and enjoy the lovely atmosphere of Castel Gandolfo. Rich, tasty appetizers and good first courses of excellent quality. The desserts are also delicious. Location: In the village center of Castel Gandolfo.

Address: Corso della Repubblica 40, Castel Gandolfo

Phone +39 06 83 90 64 82

Ristorante Bucci

The terrace with a great view is beautifully covered. The food is delicious and plentiful. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and also open and airy.

Address: Via dei Zecchini 31, Castel Gandolfo

Phone: +39 06 932 33 34

Ristorante La Quintessa

Good food and good value for money. You have to take your time here; sometimes you have to wait a bit for your food. Location: Down by the lake, in a beautiful location with a bit of a lake view.

Address: Via Spiaggia del Lago 20/B, Castel Gandolfo

Phone: +39 06 93 80 20 29

Ristorante La Galleria di Sopra

Fish restaurant. Friendly staff. Good food, with attention to detail.

Address: Via Leonardo Murialdo 9, Albano Laziale

Phone: +39 06 932 27 91

La Pizzetta - di Varesi Stefano - Pizzeria / Trattoria

Good restaurant, also for fish dishes. You can also dine outside on the terrace. It is located in Lanuvio's central square.

Address: Via Cardinal Trombetta 4, Lanuvio

Phone: +39 06 93 78 10 66 Phone: +39 339 53 64 394 Closed Tuesdays

Antico Borgo - Pizzeria / Trattoria

Good restaurant in the historic center of Lanuvio

Address: Via Stampiglia 10, Lanuvio

Phone: +39 06 937 63 35 Phone: +39 328 271 79 27

Taverna dello Spuntino

The Taverna dello Spuntino is located in a hotel and is somewhat secluded in the old town of Grottaferrata. It serves good, local food. It's a small restaurant, so reservations are recommended.

Address: Via Cicerone 20/22, Grottaferrata

Phone +39 06 94 31 59 85

L'Oste della Bon'Ora

One of the best restaurants in the area. Excellent slow food cuisine. Family-run.

Address: Viale Vittorio Veneto 133, Grottaferrata

Phone +39 06 941 37 78

Il Monticello - Restaurant

Cozy, good restaurant with a rustic atmosphere near the city center. Typical homemade dishes.

Address: Via Romoli 27, Monte Porzio Catone

Phone +39 06 944 93 53

Cacciani - Restaurant

One of the most famous restaurants in the Castelli Romani. Excellent Italian cuisine and fantastic panoramic views from the terrace.

Address: Via Armando Diaz 13/15, Frascati

Phone: +39 06 942 03 78

Hostaria Santa Maria

Friendly, family-run restaurant. Excellent Roman cuisine. Location: In the center of Frascati.

Address: Via Regina Margherita 9, Frascati

Phone: +39 06 941 73 79

Colli Albani / Alban Hills wine-growing region - South of Rome

Azienda agricola biologica di Donato Giangirolami -

Wine producer This winery is located a few kilometers from the Castelli Romani, between the towns of Aprilia and Latina. Produces several excellent white wines, including Grechetto.

Address: Strada del Cavaliere 1414, Borgo Montello (Lt)

Phone: +39 0773 45 86 26

Casale San Paolo Snc Di Tranquilli Luigi - Wine Producer

6. Castelli Romani: Designer Outlet Villages

Designer Outlet Castel Romano The most elegant of Rome's outlets is located about 20 km from the capital, on the Pontina highway, specifically in Castel Romano di San Pietro, about 20 minutes from Genzano di Roma. It is part of the McArthurGlen Designer Outlets group. It is a center with elegant architecture, complete with bars and restaurants. You will find all the most famous Italian and foreign brands here. Address: Via Ponte di Piscina Cupa 64, Castel Romano, Rome. Link: https://www.mcarthurglen.com/en/outlets/it/designer-outlet-castel-romano/ - Designer Outlet Castel Romano. Information also available in English. Outlet Village Valmontone This outlet is about 30 minutes from Genzano di Roma. For lovers of quality shopping, the Valmontone Outlet Village is the perfect opportunity to shop in over 170 stores and save on items from the best clothing brands and more. For those who enjoy shopping with the family, Rainbow Magicland Park is located near the outlet, a large amusement park with 35 attractions, 3 theaters, an ice rink, and 28 restaurants. Address: Via della Pace, località Pascolaro, Valmontone Link: https://www.valmontoneoutlet.com/en - Outlet Valmontone. Information also available in English.