In spite of having been featured in the New York Times as one of the most romantic gardens in the world, Ninfa remains quite the well-kept secret. It maybe has to do with the fact that it’s in the countryside south of Rome, or that it’s not exactly well connected to the big city. Or maybe it’s because it’s open just for a portion of the year, so as to protect its delicate creatures.

Be as it may, a visit to Ninfa is a unique experience, if anything for the history of the area and how the garden came to be. And needless to say, it’s a very recommended daytrip, if you have a few days to spare while in Rome.

The (sad) story of Ninfa

First things first, the gardens of Ninfa owe their name to a long gone town by the same name. It stood in the Pontine marshes, south of Rome, near the medieval village of Sermoneta. Founded by the ancient Romans, it was a crucial stop, and an important one, for merchants traveling on the Appian Way, to the point were Alexander III was enthroned as a pope here in 1159.

Shortly after it was sacked and burned by Frederick Barbarossa. The rich Caetani family had already planned a garden among the ruins in the 16th century, but their project fell through: the village, which had been slowly repopulated, was abandoned once again, and for the last time, when an epidemic of malaria hit the region.

The heirs of the Caetani family only got to establish a garden in 1921 – conceived in an English style, it now hosts more than 1,000 species of plants and hundreds of species of birds – both thrive on account of the numerous natural springs in the area.

How to get to Ninfa

Because the town has been destroyed way before any railway could be planned, there is no train stop in the immediate vicinity of Ninfa. The closest station is Latina, roughly 1 hour and a half south of Rome. Once there, your trip can be completed by a short taxi ride.

If you don’t feel like using public transportation, you can rely on our trusted partners at Gianni Conti Car Service to take you all the way to the entrance of the gardens.

Other useful information

• The gardens are only open on selected days between April and November: make sure you check the calendar of opening times on the official site.
• The website is also the only place where you can purchase tickets: make your reservation in advance, as Ninfa is a destination for many tourist groups and tickets sell out fast!
• Once inside the gardens, visits are only possible with a guide who will take you and a small group of other visitors along. It’s a wonderful chance to meet like-minded individuals, but alas if you want to take your time exploring at will, it won’t be at all possible – the maximum amount of time anyone can spend in the gardens is 1 hour.