The Ride
We were picked up at Orvieto's train station by Paolo from Bike Orvieto in a comfortable Mercedes van, driven just outside the city walls, and set off with the quiet hum of e-bikes beneath us. The route wound uphill through vineyards and olive orchards, past rolling hills and honey-colored villas, the kind of scenery that made us forget we were technically exercising.
That was the beauty of e-bikes with teenagers: nobody fell behind, nobody complained, and everyone actually talked. Laughter carried easily across the open road, and I found myself genuinely present in a way that was harder to come by in ordinary life.
Arriving in Civita
Approaching Civita di Bagnoregio for the first time was one of those travel moments you could not quite prepare for. The ancient town rose from its volcanic tuff perch like something out of a dream, or a fairy tale, which was exactly what my teens said when they saw it. We crossed the long pedestrian footbridge on foot, cobblestones underfoot and centuries of history pressing in from all sides.
We wandered narrow alleyways, peeked into stone doorways, and stood at the edges of breathtaking panoramic drops into the valley below. Time moved differently in Civita, slowly and on purpose.
We stopped for a cornetto and espresso at a café just across from the town's entrance, overlooking the valley with Paolo, swapping favorite memories from our time in Italy so far. It was one of those unplanned, unhurried moments that ended up being the one everyone remembered.
Back to Orvieto and a Feast
The ride back was effortless, and we arrived in Orvieto tired in the best possible way. We had a reservation waiting at Cantina Foresi, right beside the Duomo, four courses, local wine, and a table full of people who had just spent a day genuinely together.
Orvieto Itself Was Worth the Trip
Perched on a dramatic volcanic cliff, Orvieto's history reached back well before Rome. The Etruscans settled there first, and their presence was still palpable, in the underground labyrinth of tunnels and tombs carved beneath the city, and in the artifacts on display at the city's Archaeological Museum.
The Pozzo di San Patrizio (St. Patrick's Well), built in the 16th century with a clever double helix staircase, echoed the ingenuity of those ancient builders. The cathedral, a stunning example of Italian Gothic architecture, stopped us in our tracks with its mosaic façade and the frescoes of Luca Signorelli inside. The smaller churches, San Giovenale and San Domenico, were quieter treasures well worth seeking out.
Orvieto rewarded slow travel. We gave it the full day, and it gave us plenty back.
Trip Notes
9:03 am train from Roma Termini to Orvieto 10:28 arrival in Orvieto Tickets purchased on Trainline
Bike Tour with Orvieto Bike Tour This includes the Civita City Tour
4 Course Lunch at Cantina Foresi