How to get around Bomarzo

Bomarzo is a road destination, and a small one.

The town lies 14.5 kilometres east-north-east of Viterbo and 68 kilometres north-north-west of Rome, in the lower Tiber valley, which places it within comfortable reach of both by car.

The village itself is densely built, with the Orsini castle at its edge, and is walked in a few minutes.

The Sacro Bosco is outside the village and is the one place almost everyone goes. Inside it, the visit is a walk over uneven, rocky ground between sculptures carved into the bedrock, with steps and slopes throughout — it is a wooded hillside, not a level park.

The Etruscan sites in the wider territory — the pyramid, the tagliate, the necropoleis, the Roman aqueduct ruins — are scattered and need a car and some local direction.

Two Italian rules apply here as everywhere in the country. A ticket bought from a kiosk or machine must be validated on board before the journey starts, or an inspector will issue an on-the-spot fine. And driving into a historic centre usually needs a ZTL pass, with the boundary marked in black on a yellow sign.

From Viterbo. 14.5 kilometres east-north-east — the nearest substantial town and the natural base for the province's garden circuit.

From Rome. 68 kilometres north-north-west, in the lower Tiber valley.

In the village. Densely built and compact, with the Orsini castle at its edge.

To the Sacro Bosco. Just outside the village, signposted, with its own parking.

Inside the garden. Uneven, rocky and sloping, with steps. Sculptures are carved into the bedrock, so the route follows the terrain rather than the other way round.

The Etruscan landscape. The pyramid, the tagliate and the necropoleis are dispersed across the territory and are not a signposted circuit; a car and local information are needed.

Mobility note. The Sacro Bosco is the hard part — a wooded, rocky slope with no level alternative route past most of the major sculptures.

Validate your ticket. If you buy a ticket from a kiosk or machine, you must validate it on public transport before you start your journey. Officials patrol and issue an on-the-spot fine if your ticket is not validated.

ZTL. You need a pass to drive into the historic centre of many Italian towns in a private or hire car. The boundaries are marked with the letters ZTL in black on a yellow sign, and a camera reads your plate.

Strikes. Transport strikes in Italy are often called at short notice, which matters most if your visit depends on a single connection.

Taxis. Use only officially licensed taxis, which carry a taxi sign on the roof and a company name and number on the side.