Why You Should Visit Civita di Bagnoregio in Italy

Once you learn about the “Dying City” of Italy and see what it looks like, I don’t how you can resist the urge to visit Civita di Bagnoregio. I’m pretty sure I first saw Civita di Bagnoregio while watching The Amazing Race. Then and there I knew I had to visit one day. And it stayed on my list of cool places to visit until I went on a winter trip through central Italy.

In these situations, there’s always the risk that places don’t live up to the hype or how they’re shown on screen. The good news is that Civita di Bagnoregio looks just as good in person and is definitely worth visiting. Even better news is that it’s not that hard to add it to your Italy travel plans. Here’s how.

Where is Civita di Bagnoregio?

Civita di Bagnoregio is located in the region of Lazio, right in the centre of Italy, the same region of Italy as Rome. However, the village sits right at the northern edge of Lazio, so Rome isn’t the nearest city. The closest city to Civita di Bagnoregio is Orvieto, another wonderful destination in central Italy, while Viterbo is also not too far away.

How to visit Bagnoregio

The best way to plan a visit to Civita di Bagnoregio is with a day trip. Remember, this is a small village we are talking about. At most, you’ll want to spend a few hours exploring Civita di Bagnoregio, so a day trip or I suppose an overnight stop is the best use of your time.

You can do a day trip to Civita di Bagnoregio from a lot of Italian cities, including Rome, but Orvieto seems to be the easiest to do independently by car or public transport. Of course, there are tours to Civita di Bagnoregio from Rome if you’d prefer, rather than doing the 1.5-hour drive yourself.

From Orvieto Station, you can take a bus directly to Bagnoregio, the modern town across from Civita di Bagnoregio. The bus ride takes about 30-45 minutes, with buses operating in the early morning and then in the afternoon (Monday to Saturday). Tickets can be bought at the train station bar and in Bagnoregio from a tobacconist.

From the centre of Bagnoregio, it’s just a short, easy walk until you reach the bridge leading to the village. By the bridge is a small parking lot and ticket booth. Tickets to enter Civita di Bagnoregio cost €5, not including parking.

Why is it called the Dying City?

Understanding the history of Civita di Bagnoregio adds to the experience of visiting the village, because what you still see there becomes even more impressive.

Civita di Bagnoregio is ancient – it dates back to the Etruscan period over 2,500 years ago. You can imagine how protected it must have been up on its hill back then. And for two thousand years the town survived.

Civita di Bagnoregio is famous for being called the “Dying City” because it basically became a ghost town and ruin by the 17th century. The town was already suffering decades of decline with erosion continually gnawing at its foundations when an earthquake hit at the end of the 17th century.

Understandably, the town’s people moved after the earthquake, setting up the new town at Bagnoregio. Thankfully, it has seen a small revival in the last 20 or so years with efforts to preserve this historical gem from ruin. That’s what your entrance fee is going towards.

I’ve seen different numbers about for how many people actually live in Civita di Bagnoregio. I had heard it was fewer than 10 residents, but CNN claimed 12 people, also remarking that they’re outnumbered by the local cats.

Where to stay for Civita di Bagnoregio

If you’re not doing a day trip to Civita di Bagnoregio, you’ll need somewhere to stay.

The most exciting option surely is to actually stay in Civita di Bagnoregio. Yes, there are small hotels and guesthouses up in its little village where you can spend the night. Just know, you will have to leave your car on the far side of the pedestrian bridge as the village is pedestrian-only.

Bagnoregio offers more accommodation than the village, most of which is still a very easy walk from Civita di Bagnoregio. Plus, you don’t need to carry your luggage up a bridge.

I do really think that Orvieto makes the most sense for where to stay though. Not only does it have a wider range of accommodation, you also have the benefit of seeing its sights as well.

What to do at Civita di Bagnoregio in Italy

Now that you understand why you should visit and how to do so, let’s look at the things to do in Civita di Bagnoregio.

Visit the Panoramic Point at Cafe Belvedere

The best way to start your visit is to first head to a viewpoint before you cross the bridge to Civita di Bagnoregio.

Up by the Cafe Belvedere, there is a fantastic panoramic point that lets you see how the village just pops up from the landscape. This angle really emphasises how big of a problem is for the village as you see buildings and walls sitting right over the edge of its foundations.

There is a staircase that leads down from the panoramic point to the road where the ticket booth is, so you can easily get between the two. If you have time, go to this viewpoint both before and after visiting the village. Not only will the light be different, I think your perspective will be too.

Cross the Civita di Bagnoregio bridge

Between Bagnoregio and Civita di Bagnoregio there’s a small valley, with just a modern pedestrian bridge leading up to the village. Walking across this long, narrow bridge adds a little ceremony to the start of your visit, because you can see the village waiting for you up ahead.

At the far end, the path gets quite a bit steeper as it takes you up to the town’s main gate. The fortifications around Civita di Bagnoregio are surprisingly deep considering how small a village it is. You have to imagine that the village was incredibly secure back in the day.

When I visited, the gate was draped with several sheets that the wind was whipping about. It just added to the drama of entering this village trapped in time.

Walk through the old village

You’ve made it to Civita di Bagnoregio, so it’s now time to explore this small village. Wandering is the best way to experience this destination, as it’s so small you really can’t get lost or miss out on things. Just wander and admire buildings and homes that have remained unchanged from their medieval style from 500 years ago.

There aren’t many major landmarks in Civita di Bagnoregio. The village’s church on the Piazza San Donato is really the main one, although there are several small museums hosted in local houses. The Museo Geologico e delle Frane is the most popular and focuses on the local geology and problems of erosion that the village faces.

When I was walking through the village, the empty streets and vines creeping over old stone homes and arches made it very easy for me to picture this as the “Dying City”.

Eventually I did come across a few locals gardening and setting up for the day, but the atmosphere remained unchanged. This atmosphere is far from guaranteed – even back in 2015 Civita di Bagnoregio saw around 500,000 annual visitors. Come in summer and it will likely be crowded with people. With crowds you’d lose much of that quiet, haunting charm that gives the village ambiance.

Admire views of the countryside

Because of the size of Civita di Bagnoregio, you’ll keep running into viewpoints as you reach its edges. This includes the Giardino del Poeta, a garden at the far end of the village offering panoramic countryside views. Being there in the morning was great as it was a gentle light washing over the landscape.

One thing that I hadn’t heard about Civita di Bagnoregio beforehand was that it’s surrounded by an incredible landscape, the Valle dei Calanchi. Look to the east of the village and you see fascinating ripples of sandstone ridges. The Valle dei Calanchi reminded me a little of the Sand Pyramids of Melnik in southern Bulgaria. You have to think that it would get much more notice if they weren’t the backdrop to the “Dying City”.

Travel tips for visiting Civita di Bagnoregio

Travellers visiting with wheelchairs will probably need some assistance getting around Civita di Bagnoregio. There are shallow steps on the lead up to the village gate and for some side streets. I believe people with wheelchairs could clear them fine with a little help. Access to much of the accommodation, though, involves climbing a flight of stairs.

If you want to avoid the crowds when visiting Civita di Bagnoregio, there’s two things you can do. The first is to go early in the morning, before 9am, as I did. It was only when I was leaving the village that I first started to see more and more tourists arriving.

But what will have a greater impact is going in winter. I basically had the place to myself visiting in January. The downside is that it was cold, really cold (to me). Wind chill was the real problem during my visit. When crossing the bridge you’re very exposed to the elements and the wind was quite intense. So rug up if you choose to brave the winter and come.

Have you been to, or heard of Civita di Bagnoregio before? Do you think you’ll travel to Civita di Bagnoregio next time you’re in Italy? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.