Lake Bolsena - Holidays in the Heart of Italy

It is time for a holiday...... You need to relax.

Lake Bolsena's clear air, crystal waters and sub-tropical climate are just what you need.

The town of Bolsena dates from before Roman times and it is famous for St Cristina and the miracle that followed. Each year the town holds a festival in which it is carpets itself in flowers and the townsfolk enact the trials inflicted on the brave young virgin. It is a town with two faces, an ancient medieval quarter and a beautiful garden lakeside section opening out on to sandy beaches.

So you can browse the shops in the narrow streets of the old town or stroll along the tree lined boulevards next to the lake. Bolsena remains unspoilt yet has a good choice of restaurants to eat and they, of course, serve fresh fish from the lake including the local delicacies eel and coregone, a pure white fish that thrives in the clear waters.

The local area has fascinating places to visit, notably the superb medieval towns and ancient sites left by the Etruscan civilisation that flourished here nearly 2500 years ago.Their tombs and ancient secret routes are all around. D H Lawrence immortalised these in his travelogue "Sketches of Etruscan Places" and they have changed surprisingly little since.

If you like active holidays, there is plenty to do. If you are keen on fishing you can take a boat trip, as well as hire ordinary bicycles or mountain bikes to explore the lake and the local area.

If you prefer to chill out, you can spend time on the beaches around the Lakeside.

Many people choose to visit during the peak holiday season of July and August, but in fact for people living in Northern Europe, the best time to come is outside these times during May through June and September onwards. This is particularly true if you are keen on activities such as walking or cycling, when the cooler weather is more suited to these pastimes.

So come and share the jewel hidden in the bosom of mother Italy, and when they ask you if you went to the Italian Lakes on holiday you will smile and say " Well yes ... and no".

.......In case you are wondering, the volcano has been extinct for hundreds of years and no, Bolsena was not in the 2009 earthquake zone.