Rome: Side Trips

The city of Viterbo is itself worth a visit, but the nearby Terme di Papi Spa is the real reason to go. Hot springs that once helped Roman pontiffs kick back after a stressful conclave are a great place for a heathen like you to relax. A seven-mile wide fracture in the earth's crust allows hyper-thermal waters (up to 130 degrees F), rich in sulphurous salts and calcium bicarbonate and magnesium, to bubble up and soothe you. The quickest way to arrive is by car: Take Via Cassia bis (SS2bis) to Vetralla, then head east toward Viterbo, exiting at Viterbo Terme. There is also a bus that picks up passengers in Rome at Piazza Mancini and Corso Francia.

• 1. Terme dei Papi Spa
  12 Strada Bagni, Viterbo, Italy 01100; 39-0761-3501 42.41712712.075292 termedeipapi.it