A region of central Italy, Lazio (or Latium) is bordered to the north by Tuscany, east by Umbria and Abruzzo, south by Campania, and to the west by the Mediterranean. Towns in Lazio include Rome (Roma), Viterbo, Tarquinia, Civitavecchia, Rieti, Tivoli, Cassino, Minturno, Formia, Sperlonga, S Felice Circeo, Sabaudia, Anzio, Nettuno and Velletri.
Rome of course has countless attractions, including the Vatican Museums, Colosseum, Pantheon, Foro Romano and more museums, churches, galleries, shops and restaurants than you could exhaust in a hundred visits. But don't overlook Viterbo, with its Etruscan remains and museums, Tivoli (with marvellous Renaissance houses and gardens) and some splendid countryside.
There is Tuscania, used by Franco Zefferelli to film Romeo and Juliet, and nearby Lakes Vico and Bolsena, lying within the craters of extinct volcanoes. There is the fertile coastal plain of the Lazio Maremma, and there are pleasant seaside resorts at Terracina and Sperlonga. Off the coast lie the Pontine islands.
Lazio cuisine is essentially peasant food, with lots of offal, such as trippa alla Romana (cow stomach in tomato sauce) and lingua vitella in salsa piccante (pickled lamb's tongue). Pasta sauces are hearty, with plenty of garlic and pepper, and there are good white wines, including Montefiascone and Frascati.
To the left you'll find a selection of hotels, just to whet your appetite,
as well as links to individual towns in Lazio (top left);
See also Lazio hotels (full listings) and our Lazio hotel map.
