Transfer Option:

Day 1 Sun ARRIVAL.
After lunch, if you want, you can have in the afternoon a soft and short independent walk in the Estate I Due Laghi, positioned between the volcanic lakes of  Bracciano and Martignano. You’ll enjoy the view of both lakes, green pastures and cattle grazing, see also the Rome skyline in the far distance. This will be your very first touch with the Roman countryside. ( 4 miles, 200 feet ascent ).

Day 2 Mon BARBARANO.
The first urban culture in the western Mediterranean can be traced to the Etruscans, who shaped civilization in central Italy from about eighth to the second century B.C. Today we visit to the city of Barbarano Romano and the nearby Etruscan burial tombs. The Etruscans built their tombs from the soft volcanic rock known as tufa in a lush forest carpeted with cyclamens. On our hike we’ll see many such tombs, all dating from the eight/fifth century B.C. (7 miles, ascent 400 feet)

Day 3 Tue  MONTERANO, the Abandoned City.
Our hike will take us down an old Etruscan road, past sections of a Roman aqueduct, and up a small hill to the Abandoned City. The city of Monterano was founded in 1677, by the Pope Clemente X, belonging to Altieri family. Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the great baroque architect was asked to build the new town. But because of marshes and the sack of the Napoleon’s French soldiers in 1798 the new town was abandoned and since those times it still stands like a ghost. We will walk along ancient roads deeply excavated in the tufa rock, beside waterfalls, caves, and woods. On the way home we will visit Altieri Palace of Oriolo Romano, which hosts the unique Popes’ Gallery, with all the Popes’ portraits since St. Peter. (6 miles, 500 feet ascent)

Day 4 Wed  A day to relax or sightsee.
You can go to Rome, also by train. The train station is 7 km far from the venue. The train will take to St Peter’s in 52’ or Colosseum area in 56’ . There’s a train each 30’ .
Alternatively, if you want, you can join the Cooking Class, which is held in the medieval village of Mazzano Romano (extra cost to be paid straight to the Chef : including return car transportation to Mazzano Romano village, 30’ far, teaching, lunch preparation and eating, drinks).

Day 5 Thu NORCHIA.
Today we will walk all the way along one of the most magnificent Etruscan necropolis, all excavated on the entire slop of a hill. The great English Etruscologist George Dennis and his companion Ainsley both sketched and painted extensively in Etruria during their travels in the 1840’s. Dennis wrote in his book ‘Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria’, London 1848, with a great romantic feeling, sweetest words about the carved cliff tombs as ‘dadi’ or dice shaped… Our hike will also include a ruined medieval castle, a church and a ancient roman road. (5 miles, 600 feet ascent).

Day 6 Fri CIVITELLA CESI – SAN GIOVENALE.
Beautiful hike along some of the most impressive countryside of the area. The first part we will walk from the medieval dwelling of Civitella Cesi on unpaved roads to the river Vesca, where on the other side stand the prehistoric village of San Giovenale. This Etruscan village was excavated by the King of Sweden Gustav Adolf VI, who was a keen archaeologist, in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s . In the same area we can also visit an interesting Etruscan necropolis and a medieval ruined castle. (7 miles, 300 feet ascent)

Day 7 Sat DEPARTURE after breakfast. 

PS   More alternative hikes can be arranged with your guide locally:
Etruscan Necropolis of Cerveteri, Etruscan port of Pyrgi, Musem of Ancient Maritime Navigation, the Castle Orsini Odescalchi in Bracciano, Palazzo Altieri in Oriolo Romano, and more)

The region is blessed with a warm, temperate climate, with temperatures averaging 28˚C in July and August, cooling only slightly for the winter, when minimum average temperatures are around 13˚C.

The Country Relais I Due Laghi **** is a Charming Hotel with 24 rooms and 7 Suites, located on a 375 acre estate, just North-West of Rome (39 km). The Country Relais is part of the Italian Hotel Chain Charme & Relax.
The rooms have a bathroom & shower, Air-conditioning, TV, Telephone with direct dial, Mini-bar, Internet connection
Available: Room-service, Laundry-service

The biologically cultivated Estate I Due Laghi is surrounded by the Natural Park of Lakes Bracciano and Martignano.
The management controls about four hundred animals : 200 goats, 100 sheep, 30 cows (Maremma and Charolais), 60 horses. The organic meat and home-made goat cheese in the Dairy supply the Restaurant La Posta de’ Cavalieri, located inside the Hotel. The restaurant serves only local food.

Sample Menu
Hors d’oeuvres:
- Goat Cheese tartare served with Goat Cheese mousse, raw Tomatoes and Olive oil
- Marinated Beef “Carpaccio” with black Truffle served with Parmesan Cheese mousse
- Ricotta Cheese pie served with Chestnut pâté and Crispy Leeks
- Raw Sea bass served with Orange Citronette sauce flavoured with wild Fennel
- Cornmeal Porridge with wild Mushrooms and mature Goat Cheese

First Courses:
- Borlotti Beans, Savoy Cabbage and Spelt soup
- “Fettuccine” Pasta with black Norcia Truffle
- Cornish Pastry with Lake ragout served with leeks and Cherry Tomatoes
- Risotto with Clams and Cerveteri Artichokes (at least two people)
- “Pappardelle” Pasta with Lamb ragout flavoured with Bay Leaf and Juniper
- Potato and Ricotta Cheese Dumplings with Chives served with Pumpkin cream soup

Main Courses:
- Pork loin with Apple vinegar and Honey sauce served with sautéed Apples served with Potatoes pudding
- Polenta pudding with Truffle, Salt Code and Olive Oil, served with Chicory in Roman Style
- Fried Pike filet served with Seaweed and Artichokes julienne
- Beef filet with Marsala Wine and wild Mushrooms served with Endive pudding
- Crispy Croquettes of Potatoes and Cabbage served with stringy smoked Scamorza 

Selection of Charcoal grilled meats 
- T-Bone steak
- Sirloin steak
- Filet mignon
- Beef Entrecote
- Goat or Lamb chops
- Mixed meat grill
All the meats are served with grilled vegetables.

Home made Cheeses:
- Fresh Ricotta cheese with Pears and spicy Biscuits
- Selection of Goat cheeses with Honey, Pear and Red Onion Mustard
- Fresh Goat Cheese with toasted wholemeal Bread and green Tomatoes Mustard

Dessert:
- Warm pure Chocolate pudding served with Ice-cream
- Warm Ricotta Soufflé with wild Hazelnut sauce
- Short Pastry Tartlet with Chantilly Cream and Apples served with Calvados sauce and Hazelnut Ice-cream
- Radish and black Cherry Bavarian cream
- Pineapple “Carpaccio” with Star Anice, white Chocolate mousse and Coconut


Wellness Centre
The massages : Traditional, Relaxing, Stressful, Ayurveda, Shiatsu-Namikoshi.
The Beauty Treatments : Total Face, Breast, Manicure, Pedicure, all kinds of depilation for men and women.

Swimming Pool
The swimming pool of the Country Relais is open from June to Septemebr; it is surrounded by the vegetation of the property and is a great place to totally relax.
Together with the bar on the poolside, where it’s possible to have a nice aperitif or a refreshing ice-cream, you will also find comfortable sun beds, deck-chairs and towels; safety is guaranteed by professional bathing attendants. 
Pool size  75' x 37'

Hands-On Cooking Classes, featuring Mediterranean dishes, are organized on request about 30 minutes from the hotel. The class includes 5 hours of preparation and cooking under professional supervision.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.