What's Where

What's Where

Perugia, Assisi & Northern Umbria

Umbria was the first region in Italy to be dubbed by travel writers "the next Tuscany," and there's some sense to the comparison -- like Tuscany, Umbria has beautiful rolling hills with attractive old towns sitting on top of them. Perugia is Umbria's largest city, but with a population of about 150,000 it's far from overwhelming, and it has a well-preserved medieval core. The pedestrian-only street through the heart of town, Corso Vannucci, is a classic place for a passeggiata (evening stroll). Assisi, birthplace of St. Francis, has a grand basilica built in the saint's honor that draws millions of pilgrims. Gubbio, to the northeast, is a tiny jewel built against a steep hill. A side trip east into the Marches region brings you to Urbino, a town with a splendid palace that feels like a Renaissance time capsule.

Spoleto, Orvieto & Southern Umbria

The town of Spoleto has a a split personality: for much of the year it's a quiet, elegant hill town, but in late June and early July it explodes with activity during the Festival dei Due Monde, one of Italy's greatest performing-arts events. East of Spoleto, mountainous Valnerina may be Umbria's most beautiful region; its town of Norcia is a foodie magnet, known first and foremost for its pork products. Orvieto sits atop a tufa plateau, giving a warm, reddish glow to its magnificent Duomo as you view it in the distance.