For those of you who follow my travel stories here on the blog is already well know fact that I get emotionally attached to all the places I visit and than write about. Every one of those places shared on these pages has a very special place in my heart, full of stories and memories that I cherish. Orvieto is definitely one that should go on the list so finally I’m sharing it with all of you my dear readers! So, have you ever been in Orvieto? If yes, I would love to hear from you, I’m so curious how did you like it and for all of you that still didn’t get the chance to visit, I hope my photos will inspire you to put it on your travel list the next time you are going to Italy.
Orvieto is located in Umbria region that is famous for its vineyards which produce excellent wines, olive trees, green hills and valleys, tall and proud cypress trees that tell the stories of the past times and picturesque little historical towns with narrow cobbled streets, charming medieval piazzas and impressive churches…
Orvieto is unbelievably beautiful and charming and there is nothing better than wander its cobbled streets and stop every now and than to eat a delicious little snack, a refreshing gelato, have a glass of wine (any time of the day because you are in Italy and you are on holidays and life is beautiful!) or to enter in one of many adorable little shops that sell local produce or beautiful hand-paintes ceramics. Yes, besides gorgeous architecture, wine & food, Orvieto is also famous for its typical hand-painted ceramics that local artists are very proud of and for a good reason, it’s simply beautiful and a perfect souvenir to bring home with you. The one you will use over and over again and every time you will be daydreaming about those special moments spent in that very special place… I know, I know, I am a hopeless romantic but I told you that I get emotionally attached to places (ok and people and things and…more or less everything!).
One of my absolute favourite things to do not only in Orvieto but pretty much every town I visit in Italy is to go off that typical tourist rout and explore those hidden back-streets where the life is slow, time also seems to be going at the slower pace and there is this slightly mysterious atmosphere, almost as if you stepped back in time…
I mean, attractions are nice to see the first time you visit but than the best is to go and see where the locals live, do what they do, eat where they eat and just slow down without rushing because after-all you should be savouring every moment spent there and not be rushing like a crazy person from one attraction to another. Well, that’s at least how I like to travel! 🙂
That reminds me of one time when I visited Paris with my mum many years ago. We travelled for Easter holidays as a part of a small group and we had something like 5 days to spend there with an itinerary that was filled till the last minute of the day. So the first two days we followed the group and we were running around Paris like our life is depending on seeing every single tourist attraction there is to be seen. At the end of each day we were so tired, our muscles were sore, our feet were killing us and we were collapsing in bed half-dead! That’s why on the third day we decide ok, that’s it, we have another three days in Paris and we are going to spend them on our terms! It was the best decision ever! 😀 I will cherish those moments forever, just me and my mum slowly wandering the street of Paris, stopping whenever we felt like it, having croissants and cafe au lait while chatting or just watching the people and the world going by… We had so much fun, we took it easy but experienced and saw more than the rest of the group who et the end of the trip needed ambulance to help them get back home (Ok, I’m exaggerating now but you get the picture!).
Sorry for the digression, let’s go back to Orvieto… 🙂
Talking about attractions, there are so many but let me name four of them that are a must to see when in Orvieto.
- Duomo di Orvieto, 14th century Roman Catholic cathedral that is one of the most spectacular in Italy.
- Pozzo di San Patrizio, dating back to 1537, this well measures 62-metres-deep and has two spiral staircases, one for descending and one for ascending and it’s pretty cool this to see.
- Underground tunnelling system, Orvieto has long kept the secret of its system of caves and tunnels that lie beneath the surface. Dug deep into volcanic rock, these secret hidden tunnels are now only open to view through guided tours.
- Torre del Moro, The 13th century clock tower has 270 stairs to the top for a bird’s eye view of Orvieto’s beautiful terracotta rooftops and countryside scenery.
To finish this travel story let me just tell you that I’ve visited Orvieto many times already and I keep coming back, it just stole my heart, what can I do?! 😉 I will always remember the first time I visited it with my Italian now-husband-than-boyfriend and he told me he will show me a beautiful little town on the hill. Coming from Croatia where when we say a small town than we really mean a small town, like some houses, shops, a church, school and possibly an attraction or two, that’s was what I expected and than there was this castle like town on the hill with Cathedral the size of the one in our capital Zagreb! Ok, maybe not really but nearly there. Anyway, I was so impressed and that’s how I feel all these years so I couldn’t recommend it more!
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