Umbria is Italy's only landlocked region — all hills, oak woods and medieval villages. It is the less-known Tuscany: equally beautiful landscapes, excellent cuisine (Norcia black truffle, Castelluccio lentils, Sagrantino di Montefalco), lower prices, fewer crowds. Assisi, Perugia and Spoleto are the main stops. From Rome by car: 2h (A1 + E45). From Florence: 1h 30'. From Bologna: 2h. Car hire is recommended — villages are often far from railway stations.
Assisi and Perugia
Assisi (UNESCO): the Basilica of St Francis (free, frescoes by Cimabue, Simone Martini and Giotto), Piazza del Comune with the 1st-century BC Temple of Minerva (free), Rocca Maggiore (€5). Perugia (regional capital): National Gallery of Umbria (€8, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Piero della Francesca), Palazzo dei Priori (13th-15th century), Fontana Maggiore (1278). Norcia (80km from Perugia) is the capital of black truffle and cured meats — the norcineria (the norcino shop with cured meats, Castelluccio lentils and black truffle) is the mandatory purchase. Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG (indigenous grape, Italy's most tannic, from Montefalco, 45km from Perugia) is Umbria's most important wine.
Spoleto, Spello and the Sibillini
Spoleto (60km from Perugia) is the city of the Festival dei Due Mondi (July, theatre, dance, music) — outside the festival it is quiet and beautiful: the Romanesque Cathedral (12th century, Filippo Lippi frescoes in the choir), the Ponte delle Torri (14th century, 230m medieval aqueduct), the Rocca Albornoziana (€8). Spello (12km from Assisi) is famous for the June Infiorata and the Pinturicchio Rooms (the Baglioni Chapels in the Collegiata di Santa Maria Maggiore, €3) — the 1501 frescoes are among Pinturicchio's most intact. The Sibillini Mountains (National Park, on the Marche border) have the Castelluccio plains (1,452m) — in May the lentil flowering is one of the central Apennines' most beautiful landscapes.
Practical tips
Sagrantino di Montefalco paired with wild boar and game dishes is Umbria's most identity-driven food and wine pairing
The Castelluccio plains (May) with the lentil flowering are a unique spectacle — book parking in advance
Norcia: buy black truffle and Castelluccio lentils directly from local norcinerie
