What to do · Civita di Bagnoregio
Bagnoregio Viewpoint and Its Old Town
Information
- Price
- On your own · free
- Duration
- 30 min
- Who it's for
- With a pushchair
What it is
Before crossing to Civita, from the edge of Bagnoregio, you have the postcard view: the footbridge stretched across the valley and, at the end, the village perched on its tuff outcrop, surrounded by the calanchi, almost bare clay gullies opened by erosion over millennia. From here you understand at a glance why Civita is called "the dying city": you see it isolated, held up on a base that is crumbling away.
The viewpoint is in the Belvedere park, in Piazza Alberto Ricci in Bagnoregio, where the descent to the bridge begins. It is free and always open: you do not need the Civita ticket to look out.
Getting there
- By car: park at the car park in Piazzale Battaglini, at the entrance to Bagnoregio, and cross the town on foot, about 15 minutes through the old town. There are car parks closer to the bridge, but they fill up on busy days. Motorhomes must stay at Battaglini.
- By shuttle: the Italviaggi town bus links Piazzale Battaglini with Piazza Alberto Ricci, in the Belvedere park. The ticket is bought on board.
- By bus from Orvieto or Viterbo: COTRAL buses reach Bagnoregio; see bus from Orvieto.
The walk through Bagnoregio
The walk from Battaglini crosses Bagnoregio's old town, which began as Rota, a district of farmers and craftsmen to which the nobles of Civita moved after the earthquakes and collapses. After the earthquake of 1695 the cathedral was also moved here, to the collegiate church of San Nicola. Saint Bonaventure, the Franciscan theologian, was born in Bagnoregio: according to legend, Saint Francis cured him as a child in an Etruscan tomb in Civita.
When to go
At sunset the light falls sideways on the calanchi and the outcrop takes on colour: Civita's own website highlights that hour. First thing in the morning, in autumn and spring, mist sometimes fills the valley and only the village peeks out. At midday in summer the light is harsh and flat, and that is when most people are on the bridge.
What you see and what you do not
You see the whole bridge, the outcrop and the face of the calanchi. You do not see the inside of the village: for that you have to cross, pay the entry and climb up. Allow half an hour if you are just coming to look and take photos, and add about two hours if you then cross to the bridge and village.
With children and pushchairs
The park and the viewpoint are flat and easy with a pushchair. The walk through Bagnoregio from Battaglini has some slope and narrow pavements, but is manageable. What is hard with a pushchair is the bridge, not the viewpoint.
Facilities
The viewpoint has no facilities of its own. To cross, the Mercatello ticket office, next to the bridge, opens on quiet days to buy the Civita ticket.
Tips
- Come twice if you are sleeping nearby Once at sunset and once first thing: with different light and mist, the view changes a lot.
- Use the shuttle if you are with children It drops you at the Belvedere park itself and saves you the uphill walk back.
- Take the photo before going down From the bridge you no longer see the whole scene: the classic framing is up here.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to see Civita from the viewpoint?
No. The Bagnoregio viewpoint is free; you only pay when crossing the bridge and entering Civita.
Where is the viewpoint?
In the Belvedere park, in Piazza Alberto Ricci in Bagnoregio, where the shuttle stops and the descent to the bridge begins.
What is the best time?
Sunset, for the light on the calanchi, or first thing in autumn and spring, when there is sometimes mist in the valley.
As a family
