Terme dei Papi: Viterbo's thermal baths, 25 minutes from the villa

Twenty-five minutes from Villa Vacanze Valentina lies a luxury that ancient Romans, medieval popes and even Dante knew well: the thermal water of Viterbo. The Terme dei Papi — the Popes' Baths — are the most comfortable way to enjoy it, with a monumental two-thousand-square-metre pool fed by a spring that gushes out at 58 °C. But they are not the only way: around the city there are still free, open-air pools where you bathe under the sky. This guide has 2026 prices and opening times, the famous Saturday night bath and everything you need for a day of genuine rest.

The monumental pool

The heart of the Terme dei Papi is a pool of over 2,000 square metres — among the largest of its kind in Europe — filled by the Bullicame spring, the very one Dante mentions. The water leaves the ground at 58 °C and arrives in the pool still steaming, through stone fountains at its centre: you are literally swimming inside the spring. It is a sulphurous, sulphate-bicarbonate-alkaline water, recommended for skin, airways, joints and circulation — recognised by the Italian health service in the top category.

Next to the pool, for those who want more: the Natural Cave, a steam bath carved into the rock at around 48 °C and saturated with thermal vapours (adults only, with a complimentary medical check before entry), the SPA with treatments and mud therapy, a bistrot and a restaurant.

Why "of the Popes": two thousand years of history

The Etruscans knew these waters; the Romans built three spa complexes along the Via Cassia whose remains stretch for eleven kilometres. Dante placed the Bulicame in his Inferno (canto XIV), and Michelangelo sketched the baths of Viterbo. But the name comes from the pontiffs: Gregory IX bathed here as early as 1235, Boniface IX treated his aching bones here in 1404, and in 1450 Nicholas V had a palace built on the site so he could stay. When you bathe here, you are in the company of six centuries of popes.

The free hot springs

Viterbo is the last city in Lazio where thermal water still flows free, a stone's throw from the Via Francigena:

• Piscine Carletti — free and always accessible, ~2.5 km from the centre: pools of decreasing temperature starting from 58 °C, with free parking. The favourite spot for an evening soak.
• Bullicame — Dante's spring, a free municipal area open during the day.
• Il Bagnaccio — the historic pools on the Francigena reopened in August 2025 under private management: entry is now paid (roughly €8 weekdays, €10 holidays) with five pools at different temperatures. Check current times and prices before going.

When to go: the secret is winter (and Saturday night)

The most scenic experience is in the cold months: the 58-degree water meets the freezing air and the pool disappears into a cloud of steam — bathing in January wearing a woolly hat is a little Viterbo ritual. The other date to mark is Saturday evening: the night bath under the stars, perhaps after a day among the hill towns, is the perfect finale. In summer, go early morning or late afternoon, when the sun is gentler.

Getting there and where to stay

The baths are on Strada Bagni, 3 km from the centre of Viterbo. From Villa Vacanze Valentina it takes about 25 minutes: Orte–Viterbo expressway, Viterbo Terme exit, and you are there. From Rome: the Cassia bis, or the train from Ostiense to Viterbo Porta Fiorentina.

The beauty of staying with us is the combination: morning among the sculptures of Bomarzo or in Civita di Bagnoregio, afternoon soaking at the baths, evening in the garden with a glass of Tuscia wine. Villa Vacanze Valentina is the ideal base: independent apartments for families, and the Lovers' Cottage for couples seeking a little intimacy, and the pool set in the greenery. And if the thermal baths are only the beginning, here is our idea of a romantic getaway in Tuscia.

And if the idea tempts you for the cold season, here is our guide to winter in Tuscia: fireplace, hot springs and crowd-free villages.

Opening times, prices and the pool under the stars

The Monumental Pool closes on Tuesdays for maintenance (if it's a holiday, closure moves to the next weekday). On other days: Monday 9am-7pm, Wednesday to Friday 9am-8pm, Sunday 9am-8pm; on Saturdays it carries on until 1am, with the «Bagno sotto le stelle» night swim from 9pm. Weekday entry costs €12 for three hours or €18 for the day; €18 and €25 on holidays; the Saturday night swim €20; children aged 2 to 12 pay €8. Prices and times can change: the official site termedeipapi.it is always up to date.

And for those who love hot water without a ticket: the Carletti pools, a few minutes from Viterbo, remain free and open — no facilities, which is exactly their charm — while at Bagnaccio the thermal park is looked after by an association and you enter leaving a contribution. In winter, with the steam rising into the cold air, it's an experience you don't forget.