3 Towns to Visit in Umbria

Umbria is often called the heart of Italy. Situated, quite literally, in the middle of the country, this beautiful region is packed full of rolling hills, quaint towns, a slower pace of life than many of the other big Italian cities (such as Rome) and invites visitors to explore peaceful, colourful beauty.

I am spending six weeks backpacking around Italy this summer. I kicked off this tour with a week in Rome which was absolutely gorgeous but busy and a bit overwhelming. So, escaping inland to the peaceful and pretty Umbria region was the perfect next stop. I spent five days based in Perugia, the capital of Umbria, the perfect base to visit both the city and explore the other towns nearby.

Here are three towns/cities not to visit when visiting Umbria, Italy:

1. Perugia

Perugia is the capital of the Umbria region, the perfect spot to base yourself in to visit the area and the other towns nearby. Perugia is a medieval city, with many elements still preserved in gorgeous condition just waiting to be explored. I loved wandering the little streets, camera in hand, enjoying the gentle charm of the city. As the heart of the Umbrian region, Perugia was once a city of great importance, particularly during the Etruscan era. It feels like the city has hardly changed since.

Check out my complete guide to visiting Perugia!

2. Assisi

Assisi is most well-known for being the home of St. Francis, born there in 1181. He grew up in a comfortable, wealthy life before famously shedding all this luxury to live a life in service of God. He created the Franciscan order and became a saint two years after his death in 1228.

Today, you can visit the Basilica of St. Francis, with beautiful frescoes depicting the life of St. Francis. His tomb and final resting place can also be found here. The Basilica is completely free to visit. I also highly recommend wandering through the sweet town, and walking up to Rocca Maggiore for the best viewpoint over the town and Basilica.

You can reach Assisi by car, by train (to Statzione Assisi and then take the local bus up to Assisi), or by regional bus E007 from Perugia (but it only runs twice a day: 9:30am and 2:10pm).

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