italy | civita di bagnoregio

Civita di Bagnoregio is situated in Italy's Viterbo region, around 140km north of Rome.  Perched atop a small plateau of volcanic tufa that rises from the surrounding countryside, this traffic-free town is accessible only by a long pedestrian bridge and is often called il paese che muore (the dying village) due to the fact that in winter, its population of permanent residents dwindles to less than 20.  There isn't an awful lot to do there, but it's so beautiful, peaceful and photogenic that you quite possibly will not care one bit, especially as you wander through its small streets lined with stone houses that are decorated with jasmine and pots of colourful geraniums and realise that all you can hear is the sound of your own footsteps and the wind rushing through the plains below.  Sigh!