Rieti

Day Trips

You arrive in Rieti and settle into a charming B&B overlooking the Piazza San Rufo. A steaming cappuccino accompanies a freshly baked cornetto at a nearby café. Your local guide leads you on an orientation stroll through winding medieval lanes.

After checking into your hotel, enjoy a leisurely lunch of local salumi and crostini al tartufo. Explore the Duomo di Rieti and its art-filled cloister at your own pace. Pause for gelato in the shady arcade before visiting the San Francesco Church.

Sip a Spritz aperitivo in Piazza Mazzini as the sun casts warm light on ancient facades. Sample Rieti’s signature pecorino cheese paired with a glass of local red wine. Cap the night with a moonlit walk along the banks of the Velino River.

Begin at the Caritas Springs, inhaling the fresh scent of mountain water bubbling from ancient stone. A short hike along the spring-fed canal reveals medieval mill ruins framed by verdant vegetation. Your guide shares legends of pilgrims who once sought healing here.

Enjoy a rustic lunch in the hamlet of Santuario, feasting on handmade tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms. Wander the medieval walls of Rieti’s Old Town, stopping at hidden chapels and frescoed arches. Photograph the sunlit mosaics in the Church of Sant’Agostino.

Dine at a cozy trattoria tucked inside a 14th-century building, sampling truffles from nearby Monti Sabini. Watch local musicians perform folk ballads in an intimate courtyard. Return to your accommodation under a canopy of stars.

Set out for the Velino River’s archaeological park, where Roman remains peek through the grassy banks. Discover the ruins of ancient bridges and watch fishermen casting lines at dawn. A picnic by the water includes freshly baked focaccia and local fruit.

Head to the Museo Archeologico in Rieti for an immersive tour of artifacts from the Sabine people. Participate in an interactive mosaic workshop led by a skilled restorer. Savor a light lunch of bruschetta drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil.

Attend an evening lecture on Roman aqueduct engineering in a candlelit cloister. Enjoy a tasting of artisanal olive oils paired with sourdough bread. Wander back along lantern-lit streets echoing with distant bells.

Visit a family-run farm in the Velino Valley to watch goat herding and cheese-making first-hand. Sample warm ricotta and fresh ricotta-filled ravioli along with herbal teas. Learn about centuries-old cheesemaking techniques in a sunlit barn.

Join a hands-on cooking class preparing pinci—a traditional Sabine pasta—alongside a local nonna. Savor your creations upstairs by a crackling fireplace. Stroll through olive groves, inhaling the resinous scent of leaves and earth.

Return to Rieti for a guided supper at a Michelin-listed osteria, highlighting local meats and wild herbs. Pair each course with regional wines from Sabina’s rolling hills. Conclude with a panna cotta infused with mountain honey.

Embark on a panoramic drive to the hilltop village of Cottanello, famous for ancient castle ruins. Wander narrow alleys lined with stone houses draped in wisteria. A local guide shares stories of medieval sieges and legends of hidden treasures.

Descend into sprawling olive groves to meet olive growers during harvest season. Taste freshly pressed olive oil and learn to identify peppery, grassy and buttery notes. Picnic under centuries-old trees with local breads, cheeses and cured meats.

Return at dusk to Rieti for an al fresco dinner on a rooftop terrace. Share platters of seasonal antipasti as city lights sparkle below. Conclude the night with Limoncello and gelato in the central piazza.

Drive into the Monti della Laga massif for a guided nature hike through chestnut forests and wildflower meadows. Listen to the distant sound of waterfalls hidden in limestone gorges. Your guide points out rare orchids and native deer tracks.

Stop at a mountain rifugio for a hearty lunch of polenta topped with melting local cheese and wild mushrooms. In clear weather, gaze across to the Gran Sasso peaks shimmering on the horizon. Enjoy afternoon tea brewed with fresh mountain herbs.

Return to Rieti and ease into a thermal spa session fed by natural springs. Unwind with aromatic massages and steam rooms infused with essential oils. Sip chamomile tea in the relaxation lounge before retiring.

Explore the grand arches of the ancient Hadrianic Aqueduct, tracing its route through verdant countryside. Learn how this engineering marvel supplied Rome with pristine mountain water. Walk beneath towering travertine pillars cloaked in ivy.

Lunch at a nearby relais with panoramic views of the aqueduct ruin. Sample degustation plates featuring local game and seasonal vegetables. Visit the adjacent thermal baths for a restorative soak.

Back in Rieti, enjoy gourmet comfort food in a repurposed monastic refectory. Engage in an olive oil tasting seminar led by a passionate sommelier. End the night with a jazz quartet playing softly in the courtyard.

Ascend to Monte Terminillo aboard a scenic mountain road, passing rustic alpine huts. Stop at a high-altitude café for espresso and brioche. Take a cable car ride for sweeping views of the Sabine landscape.

Hike easy alpine trails through larch forests, spotting marmots and birds of prey. Enjoy a packed lunch of cured meats, local cheeses and fresh bread at a mountain meadow. Photograph crystal-clear streams tumbling over smooth stones.

Descend and head to a family-run agriturismo at the mountain base for dinner. Relish slow-cooked lamb seasoned with mountain herbs and accompanied by crisp salads. Gather around a bonfire under a sky filled with stars.

Meet local artisans in their studios to learn traditional pottery or weaving techniques. Shape clay or weave colorful wool threads under expert guidance. Admire handcrafted souvenirs created in the heart of the Sabine region.

Travel to a boutique winery nestled among rolling vineyards for a private tasting. Sample verdicchio, passerina and robust reds, accompanied by homemade focacce. Learn about biodynamic and organic practices that nurture the slopes.

Return to Rieti for a harvest-themed dinner featuring farm-to-table produce. Participate in grape crushing and press the first drops of new wine. Toast with fellow travelers as lanterns illuminate the rustic dining hall.

Enjoy a final breakfast of sweet pastries and ricotta honey tart in a panoramic rooftop café. Gaze one last time at the Sabine Hills stretching toward the horizon. Capture memories in photographs of terracotta rooftops and church spires.

Spend your last hours browsing the Corso Italia boutiques for local olive oil, truffles and handmade ceramics. Sit outdoors for a leisurely lunch of seasonal vegetables, artisanal salumi and focaccia. Soak in the gentle hum of daily life in this timeless town.

As dusk falls, enjoy a farewell aperitivo in Piazza San Francesco, savoring the flavors of limoncello and almond biscuits. Share stories of the past ten days as streetlights cast a golden glow on centuries-old stones. Bid Ciao to Rieti under the velvet sky, promising to return soon.