Umbria is situated in the centre of Italy with borders to Tuscany and offers large lakes, beautiful mountains, chateaus, impressing abbeys and cathedrals. Many of the big saints come from this region, which is why you will find an atmosphere of the mystery of the Middle Ages here. In the green mountain areas of Umbria, you will find the chocolate town Perugia, the town of saints Assisi, the medieval town Gubbio and the beautiful Lake Trasimeno, which offers bathing and water sports.

If you are looking for beautiful nature in combination with impressive historical monuments and gastronomic experiences, Umbria offers everything one’s heart desires. 

The landscape of Umbria

The landscape of Umbria is vigorous with a lot of cornfields and orchards. You will find many small mountains with rural villages between roaring rivers, forests and rich fauna. The area is especially known for its wonderful valleys and lakes of which the idyllic Lake Trasimeno may be the best known one. 

Large cities in Umbria: Perugia and Assisi

Fortunately, there are a lot of exciting cities in Umbria. A number of these cities have a lot of architectural gems, from the Middle Ages in particular, besides offering a large number of art collections.

The medieval city of Perugia is the capital of Umbria. In Perugia, you will find a lot of interesting monuments and the old part of the city with the winding and steep streets is abounding with nice cafes, shops and tempting, famous chocolate shops. The city is also known for its chocolate festival and the international and very well-reputed jazz festival, Umbria Jazz, where a number of performers with a world-wide reputation are performing every year. The city also has an international chocolate festival, which is well-attended by chocolate enthusiasts. 

Most people may have heard of Assisi in connection with the Catholic saint, Frans of Assisi. A big part of the city consists of medieval buildings and a walk in the city will give you an impression of the distinctive spirituality of the city whereto pilgrims make pilgrimages to pray for and honour the holy Frans.

Tourist attractions in Umbria

To travel to Gubbio is like travelling back in time to the Middle Ages. Gubbio is one of Umbria’s most ancient cities and almost all of the stone buildings originate from the Middle Ages. Visit the Roman theatre, the basilica Sant’Ubaldo, the cathedral and the beautiful palace, Palazzo dei Consoli.

You will also find other interesting medieval cities in the area. E.g. you could visit Umbertide or Città della Pieve by the Lake Trasimeno with their fascinating medieval castles and beautiful churches.

The city of Norcia is known for its excellent hams and sausages from pigs and wild boar. A visit to Norcia is often also a culinary visit where you have the possibility of tasting the fine local Umbrian cuisine.

Sports activities in Umbria

Umbria is the only region in Italy without a stretch of coast, but in return, there are a number of beautiful lakes where the large idyllic Lake Trasimeno offers water cycling, surfing and boat trips to the three islands of the lake. Moreover, the region offers rafting, kayak and canoe sailing, swimming in the lakes, climbing, golf, bike rides, skiing, bungee jump, horseback riding, trekking, tennis, windsurfing and other yachting activities.

Gastronomic characteristics of Umbria

The region is well-known for its fine cuisine with excellent black and white truffles, which are used in pastas and bruchettas. The region’s specialities consist of wood pigeons, wild boar stuffed with fennel, guinea fowls and quails followed by the ewe’s milk cheese, Pecorino. On the menu at the restaurants in the small towns around the Lake Trasimeno, you can eat roasted freshwater fish such as trout, carps and eels. Along with these dishes, you can enjoy the local Orvieto white wine. If you like sweet things, dried figs and chocolate from Umbria are specifically appreciated.

The climate of Umbria

The climate of Umbria is ideal for holidays all year, but the autumn and the spring months in particular are optimal for a holiday in Umbria because of the pleasant temperatures and few tourists. The summers can be very hot and the winters very cold. In general, the western part of the region has a milder climate than the other parts of the region. The average temperature in Perugia is 2 degrees in the winter and 22 in the summer.

Some of the photos are kindly lent out from the Italian Tourist Office. Photographers: De Agostini Picture Library, Vito Arcomano - Fototeca ENIT