Lake Bolsena

Halfway from Rome to Tuscany is Lake Bolsena. It arose about 370 thousand years ago in a basin formed as a result of the activity of the volcano Vulsini.

The length is about 13 km.
The maximum width is 11 km.
The area is 113.5 km2.
The maximum depth is 151 m.
The average depth is 81 m.
The volume of water is 9.2 km3.
The height above sea level is 305 m.

The black beaches of Bolsena: a legacy from the volcano

Already after the appearance of the reservoir, the volcano made itself felt at least twice more: the islands of Bizentina and Martana grew above the surface of the lake precisely after its regular eruptions.

On Bizentine, which covers an area of 170 thousand km2, churches, a chapel, a convent and even a prison for priests built in the past centuries have been preserved. The island is also decorated with mighty oaks with beautiful fragrant gardens. Tourists from all over the world come to see this medieval museum in the middle of the lake. But the island of Martan, which could be no less popular with travelers, is currently privately owned, which means it is closed to prying eyes.

Bolsena has an oval shape, which is usually characteristic of lakes that have arisen on the site of a volcano. And the beaches, entirely covered with black volcanic sand, are also direct evidence of the reservoir's origin and have long become its hallmark.

There are so many fish in Bolsena that we even had to establish a special holiday: on July 2, a fish festival takes place in the town of the same name, located on the shore of the lake. It attracts crowds of fishermen who want to compete in the art of catching carp and pike, chub and perch.

Bolsena is also decorated with numerous birds, including rare and endangered species. Every now and then, a small bird with a red tail hovers in the air, like a hummingbird. It is a black–tailed red-tailed bird that loves to settle high above the ground, for example, in the domes of churches. A red–headed diving duck swims in the water - a small duck with a scarlet beak and a bright orange head. Merging with the black sand, a coot walks along the shore – a dark gray "duck" with a white pointed beak and a white forehead. Herons, swans, seagulls and ducks – who is not here!

To find yourself on the beach of Bolsena, you need to choose one of the many towns located on its shore: Marta or Valentano, San Lorenzo Nuovo or Grottos di Castro, Gradoli or Capodimonte, Montefiascone or Bolsena proper. Each of them is beautiful in its own way.