Umbrian Delight Italy: Guided Walking This walking tour of Umbria allows you to appreciate both the natural beauty of the area and its artistic treasures. It includes visits to some of the major city centers and towns of this very special region. A mystic land, a great serenity can be felt in the air and in the soft colors of the landscape: grey stone houses, silvery-green olive trees, the soft powdery color of the earth. Walking through Umbria’s sensual rolling terrain with all its sweet power and its magic is a gift to yourself you’ll treasure for a lifetime! On this tour you will enjoy visits to the impressive towns of Assisi, Spello, Bevagna, and Perugia with their typical medieval appearance. You'll explore the exquisite hilltop villages scattered over Umbria’s green hills, passing century-old farms and churches (especially the unforgettable Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi). From the hills you'll enjoy sweeping views over the unspoiled Umbrian landscape, a patchwork of wild flower fields, olive groves, and woods. You'll also have the chance to enjoy the region's delectable food. You will be led through your time here by an expert bilingual Italian guide. Your tour will last 8 days and 7 nights, with two nights each in Assisi, Spello, and Bevagna, and one night in Perugia. Included • 7 nights of double occupancy lodging in mostly 3-star, air-conditioned, hotels with private facilities each night • Daily breakfast • Expert leadership by bilingual Italian guide • Luggage transfers • All transportation during the tour • All taxes and gratuities for the hotel and restaurant portions of the tour Daily Itinerary Day 1: Arrival on your own at the Perugia train station To arrive, you’ll take the metro (the Minimetro) directly to the center of town and your comfortable hotel. Perugia is the capital city of Umbria and the seat of major cultural institutions. It was an Etruscan stronghold before it became a Roman colony and was an important walled city in the middle ages, built high up on the hilltop to repel invaders. The streets are precariously narrow. The splendid 14th century Palazzo dei Priori sits at the highest point and houses the Galleria Nazional di Umbria and its many treasures. The nearby Corso Vannucci is ideal for strolling and people watching. Don’t forget to try the chocolates Perugia is so famous for! In the late afternoon you will meet your guide and the other tour members for a short orientation meeting. Day 2: Valfabbrica - Assisi - 5 hours of walking In the morning we'll transfer from our hotel to Valfabbrica, a quiet and charming village with ancient origins where we’ll find the start of our hiking trail. The beginning of the walk is a bit tough but then it will become easier. You’ll walk over rolling hills and through thick woods, and be rewarded with a breathtaking view of Assisi. Our Assisi hotel is just outside of the Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected] center of town and within walking distance of the basilica. From the terrace you'll have a wonderful view over the surrounding hills. You can enjoy a refreshing dip in the hotel pool at the end of a tiring but rewarding first day. Day 3: Assisi Round Trip - 3 hours of walking Today we’ll have an optional walk in the “Footsteps of St. Francesco” as we visit the Eremo delle Carceri, a small monastery located on the spot where St. Francis would pray in solitude. At the top of the trail, 500 meters from the Eremo, is a nice picnic spot with tables and benches. Today could also be your day to just visit Assisi, a “precious, medieval jewel” set against a lovely natural backdrop. Visit the magnificent Basilica of San Francesco, painstakingly restored after the recent earthquake. The basilica complex is composed of two churches built one above the other, the lower one dating from 1228 – 1230 and the upper one from 1230 – 1253. Entering the lower part of Piazza San Francesco, you'll get an unforgettable view of the facade with its simple, harmonious lines. Inside the lower church are beautiful frescoes by famous artists such as Lorenzetti and Giotto, and the wonderful Chapel of St. Martin is completely frescoed by Martini with scenes of the life of St. Martin. It's one of the most beautiful works of the painter and a masterpiece of Gothic art. You can visit the Crypt and the Chapel of the Relics where St. Francis’ belongings are kept. It's the upper church, however, where you’ll find Giotto’s frescoes illustrating the life of St. Francis and one of the most important cycles of paintings in the history of Italian art. In the Piazza del Commune you’ll see a 14th century pulpit and the Roman Temple of Minerva, with a well-preserved original exterior. Day 4: Assisi - Spello – 6 hours of walking We’ll start from the hotel and walk on a trail which cuts through the Natural Park of Mount Subasio, a protected area with serene paths meandering through open meadows with ancient oak and chestnut trees. Mount Subasio is a haven of subtle beauty and spirituality, and a wonderful place for walking as we head towards Spello. Spello is a lovely walled town, another medieval jewel with picturesque, steep cobbled streets and peaceful squares. It's much less touristy and quieter after Assisi. From our hotel you'll have a view over the whole valley. Day 5: Spello Round Trip - 4 hours of walking Monte Subasio, with its unusual, flat top, is often called the “roof of Umbria.” It's the mountain of Assisi and St. Francis. Views from the top are magnificent due to centuries of forest cleared for grazing animals. Even today we might meet a lonely shepherd with his flock and feisty, barking dogs. We'll walk to the Madonna della Spella shrine and then to the lovely hamlet of Collepino where you can have a picnic lunch. From here we'll walk back to Spello for another night in this enchanting village. Day 6: Collemancio to Bevagna - 5 hours We'll start the day with a 20 minute transfer by van from Spello to Collemancio to begin a spectacular walk to Bevagna. Here we’ll visit the genuine and rustic cellar of the Dionigi family, one of the producers of Umbria’s well known and distinctive wines, the Sagrantino di Montefalco (Umbria’s answer to Brunello wines!). Tonight we’ll stay in Bevagna at the Palazzo Brunamonti, once the home of the noble Pietro Brunamonti. Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected] Day 7: Bevagna to Montefalco walk – 4.5 hours Today’s walk will loop through the heart of the best wine area of Umbria, but first we’ll visit more of Bevagna which is known for its medieval market during the month of June. Then we’ll head to Montefalco, nicknamed "the balcony of Umbria" because of its spectacular views. Don't miss the dazzling Renaissance frescoes painted by Benozzo Gozzoli in the 15th century in the huge church of San Francesco. You could have lunch at the enoteca on Montefalco’s main square, sample some wine at one of the best wineries of the area, and then return to Bevagna for a group farewell. Day 8: Tour Ends Today after breakfast you'll be transferred to the railroad station in Foligno (between Perugia and Spoleto) from where you can take direct trains to Rome or Florence. Starting Point You'll arrive individually at the Perugia train station. Here you’ll take a metro (the Minimetro) directly to the center of town and your comfortable hotel. Travel time by train from Rome is a good two and a half hours. Please let us know the arrival time of your train at least one week before your trip! For train schedules visit the website of the Italian Railways, www.trenitalia.com or www.raileurope.com. Level of Difficulty This tour is rated "moderate." The average distance is between 3 and 6 hours of walking per day. The terrain is moderately rolling with some short steep hills, upwards and down wards; walking is mostly on small footpaths and some country roads. Tour Guidance Well fitting, supportive, “broken in" hiking boots are very strongly recommended for this tour, not because it involves dangerous mountain hiking but because they give a better grip on the occasionally loose, rocky surface. The minimum number of participants is six people. WiFi WiFi is available on a limited basis in hotels. Don't expect to have a perfect internet connection for your entire stay. Usually during the busiest hours when many people are online the speed gets slower, and you may have trouble connecting. Not included • Airfare • Alcoholic and bar beverages • Lunches and dinners • Gratuities for guide • Transportation other than scheduled transfers Van Gogh Tours Inc. • (781)-646-0096 • [email protected] .