Umbria

Information and Tourism

There is no chance of getting a sea view in the tiny Italian region of Umbria. Entirely landlocked, Umbria's nearest neighbours are its other Italian regions, including Tuscany, Marche and Lazio.

Umbria's landscape is one of rolling hills, a patchwork of woods, fields of sunflowers, medieval villages, olive groves and vineyards. You get the feeling that the countryside hasn't changed much for centuries. Nor has the way of life in many of its rural communities.

A far cry from rural tranquillity, Perugia positively vibrates of an evening to the sound of revelling students, mostly from the city's Università per Stranieri. The capital of the region, Perugia is also an incredibly well-preserved example of one of Umbria's ancient hilltop towns. By daytime, it is a much more sedate place, where museums and churches are the focus of tourist attention.

If Perugia is the administrative capital of the region, then Assisi - once the home of St. Francis himself, has to be the spiritual equivalent. Millions of tourists and pilgrims come to visit the place where the town's most famous son saw out his first and final days.

Other famous Umbrian towns include Orvieto, with its cliffhanging example of a Gothic cathedral, and Gubbio, perched precariously on the slopes of Monte Ingino.

Umbria is often described as a walkers' paradise. One of the most popular trails in the region heads up from the Castelluccio Plain to Monte Vettore, situated within the Sibillini National Park. As hikers get close to the peak, they are rewarded by views of a glacial lake known as Lago di Pilato, which, legend has it, is the final resting place of Pontius Pilate.

Umbria Information and Fast Facts

• Country: Italy
• Main administrative centre: Perugia
• Population: approximately 925,000
• Language: Italian
• Area: 3,270 square miles / 8,470 square kilometres
• Height of highest point (Monte Vettore): 2,476 metres / 8,123 feet

	WORLD GUIDES TO UMBRIA
	World Guide to Assisi, Italy Assisi is a very charming town and has managed to remain relatively tranquil. The birthplace of San Francesco (St. Francis), Assisi offers many quiet back streets, while its central Piazza del Comune is filled with cafes offering al fresco tables.

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