Russians Discover Bracciano

Fulvio, Tanya  and Sergei at Bracciano

During the  torrid days of August  the perfect  day trip from  Rome  should include  a lake, a lunch  and  and a bit of cultural tourism .  

fish platter at La Tramontana, Bracciano

  With this in mind, I organized  to meet our Russian friends Sergei and Tanya  at the half way mark- the Bracciano train station- to enjoy their last day in Italy before  they headed back to the  rigors of Moscow life.

Our first stop  was  a vintage   trattoria  on the lakeside, La Tramontana, where  we enjoyed  an early lunch with  platters of lake fish  and fed  left over  bread to a family of  swans  and ducks. 

The unpretentious  wooden structure with its 1970s  chairs and tables  had  changed very little   since  I had last been there, over  20 years ago.

the lakeside Tramontana , Bracciano

walking up to  Castello Odescalchi 

entrance  to  Castello Odescalchi 

Our Russian friends  were duly impressed with  Castello Odescalchi which we visited after lunch, set high enough above the lake and town to be blessed  with a cool breeze. 

walking the  castle ramparts 

a happy Russian enjoying the lake view

courtyard with visitors 

the Orsini bear  greets  visitors  from Russia

inside the castle kitchens 

While most of  Bracciano’s inhabitants   enjoyed   a well deserved  siesta, our tour guide walked us through the castle and its history. 

Our guide with other Russian visitors

Strangely most of the other members in the  3 o’clock tour   were also vacationing   Russians.   

Tanya on the ramparts 

The frescoed halls,  antique furniture and  historic costumes on display were the perfect  foil for learning a bit about  the Orsini and Odescalchi families and the area’s history.

And never once  was the wedding of Tom Cruise mentioned... 

Coming next week..Sergei's photos of  the castle  and other delights. 

Please leave a comment. Have you visited this castle, or others in central Italy?