Lazio is once again hosting the Wakeboard World Championships from 3 to 8 August.
Lazio's largest artificial lake
The competition will take place at Lago del Salto, which previously hosted the 2022 World Championships. Lazio’s largest artificial lake and Borgo San Pietro will be the nerve centre of the event, welcoming athletes from over 30 nations and enthusiasts from all over the world.
Sport as a powerful driver for tourism
The region thus becomes an international sporting hub and a promotional opportunity for the whole of the Rieti area to showcase the natural heritage of the lake and its surroundings. This ia “an example of how to promote sport through a major event which can also serve as a powerful driver for tourism as well as environmental and cultural promotion across the entire region,” said the minister for Sport and Youth, Andrea Abodi.
The World Gliding Championships in 2027
The event is also part of a vision for sport that is increasingly focused on environmental sustainability and the protection of lake ecosystems, encouraging the mindful use of natural spaces and highlighting the value of Lake Salto as an environmental resource for the region. In addition to the Wakeboard World Championships, the Rieti area will host the U18 European Athletics Championships, scheduled for July, and the World Gliding Championships in 2027.
Iconic sites and charming villages
The natural landscape is enhanced by lakes such as Salto, Turano, Lungo and Ripasottile, rivers such as the Velino and mountains such as Terminillo, as well as the plain surrounded by the iconic sites associated with St Francis and the surrounding villages. Just over an hour from Rome, Rieti, the capital of Sabina, boasts a historical and archaeological heritage that is revealed in the underground tours of Rieti, as well as in the sections of the city walls and the bridge over the river that are still visible today. Among the medieval landmarks, the Cathedral with its 14th-century baptistery, now home to the Diocesan Museum, the Church of San Francesco, the Papal Palace and the Town Hall housing the Civic Museum. The Renaissance influence is found in the Vecchiarelli Palace and Prefettura Palace, while one of the most iconic landmarks is the Teatro Flavio Vespasiano, an elegant 19th-century building.
