A surprising Umbria

On your first evening you have a briefing and will have the opportunity to discuss your holiday.

Spello has lovely little streets to wander around, colourful decorated balconies with plants and flowers. A very picturesque spot is the Via Torre di Properzio, which ends near the Roman ‘Porta Venere’, but also the Roman mosaics in the Museum and the S.Maria Maggiore church with the frescoes of Pinturicchio are worthwhile to visit. Your overnight stay is in a *** or **** hotel in the medieval town centre.

Overnight with breakfast in Spello.

Spello is situated on the west edge of the Monte Subasio Natural Park and today you will be walking through this green Park. The route has different variants. The first stretch will lead you through the olive groves on the slopes of Monte Subasio. After about 8 km (475m a.s.l.) you can choose to go straight on to Assisi, remaining more or less on level, or to climb up to the hermitage Eremo delle Carceri (830m a.s.l.). St. Francis and his companions often stayed here and you can visit the cave where Francis used to meditate. After your visit, you descend through the forest to the Porta Cappuccini town gate. Assisi’s medieval character is well preserved; the houses, gates and churches are almost all built in the pink-white stone of Mt.Subasio.

Longer route: 

Walking time: 6 hrs;  Distance: 17,1 km / 10,6 miles);  Ascent & Descent: +879m -788m

Shorter route:

Walking time: 3 hrs;  Distance: 11 km (6,8 miles);  Ascent & Descent: +324m -239m

The town walk

This cultural walk will take you round the most important cultural monuments of Assisi, which are mostly connected with the lives of the saints Francis and Clare, who were born in Assisi. From the hotel your walk goes up to the Porta Cappuccini town gate (470m a.s.l.). From here you will walk through a tangle of little alleys and medieval squares. You will pass the remains of an amphitheatre, the medieval castle (506m a.s.l.), the basilica of St. Francis, the temple of Minerva, the church ‘Chiesa Nuova’ and the basilica of St. Clare, finally walking down to the monastery of S. Damiano (310m a.s.l.).

Walking time:  3 – 4 ½  hours

About 7 Km

A walk through the national park of Mount Subasio :

This is a beautiful walk in the shade of the woods of Mount Subasio. From the Porta Cappuccini town gates, you walk up the hermitage Eremo delle Carceri (830m a.s.l.) on Monte Subasio, a holy place where St Francis retreated himself. Then you descend along trails and quiet country roads back to Assisi. The longer route makes an extra loop on the mountain Subasio

Distance short walk: 12 or 16 km from Porta Capuccini

Walking time: 4 hrs or 5hrs

Ascent/descent: + 544m – 544m or +731 m -744 m

Unpaved 73% Paved 27%

Today a stunning walk through the Monte Subasio Natural Park. You follow the Franciscan walking path 351. A highlight is the Forra del Ponte Marchetto, a mini canyon and chapel of Satriano, a place reminding us of the last journey of Saint Francis. Walking through forest and olive groves you will reach your hotel, where you can enjoy a swim in the swimming pool and a good diner, because the restaurant is specialized in truffle dishes.

Overnight with breakfast in Balciano

Walking time: 6 hrs 30 min;  Distance: 19,9 km /12,3 mi;  Ascent & Descent: + 919m -740m

Also today, a walk amongst olive groves and accompanied by amazing panoramas. From your hotel you descend in the valley of the Topino river. Then you leave this valley climbing up to the castle il Poggio and descending again you reach the village of Capodacqua. One last uphill climb with beautiful views on the surrounding hills and Monte Subasio, followed by a downhill stretch to Vescia. Your overnight stay is in a real ancient olive oil mill (Frantoio), where excellent olive oils are produced. You will have diner in a local restaurant close by.

Overnight with breakfast and dinner in Vescia

Walking time: 6 hrs 30 min;  Distance: 21 km / 13 miles;  Ascent & Descent: +489m -753m

This beautiful route amongst olive groves will take you first along the waterfalls of the Altolina and then to the 11th century Benedictine Abbey of Sassovivo.  The finest architectural feature of the entire abbey is certainly the cloister with the double order columns, surmounted by lily-shaped capitols. Walking through the woods and olive groves you will reach farmhouse B&B in the hamlet Manciano. Also here is an olive oil mill and they produce good olive oil. There is a nice pool to relax after your walk of today. In the evening you are brought to Trevi to dine and after dinner picked up again. 

Overnight with breakfast in Manciano

Walking time: 6 hrs;  Distance: 18,4 km / 11,4 miles;  Ascent & Descent: +884m -630m

You leave Manciano and  walk towards Trevi on the lower flank of Monte Serano, known as the capital of olive oil. Trevi has a medieval aspect and worthwhile to visit are the Duomo and the St. Francis church, which houses a museum. You leave the town walking among the olive groves mostly following the pilgrimage route ‘Way of St. Francis’, which runs from La Verna to Rome. You reach the walled village of Campello Alto and a last climb will bring you to your hotel 650m a.s.l. 

Overnight stay in a ** hotel with swimming pool, an ex-monastery or a **** Relais with Spa

Overnight with breakfast and dinner in Campello Alto

Walking time: 5 hrs;  Distance: 15,8 km / 9,8 miles; Ascent & Descent: +571m -422m

You will walk along the olive grove path and again the Way of Saint Francis till Spoleto. As the name indicates, you will mostly walk through olive groves on the slopes of the mountains and hills. You pass several little villages, mostly built on hills, like Bazzano and Eggi. In Spoleto, there is a lot to see, including the cathedral with the frescoes of Filippo Lippi and Pinturicchio, a Roman house and a Roman theatre. Also worth seeing are the façade of the church S.Pietro just outside town and, of course, the famous aqueduct bridge Ponte delle Torri. Spoleto is also a very pleasant place just to wander around the friendly little shopping streets with cosy restaurants and bars. Overnight stay in a *** or **** hotel in Spoleto

Walking time: 6 hrs;  Distance: 18,8 km / 11,6 miles;  Ascent & Descent: + 466 -745m 

Today’s walk takes you to the Monteluco (Mount Luco). The name ‘Lucu’ (lucus) means ‘sacred woods’, and signifies that in ancient times the mountain was considered a holy place. From the 5th century hermits lived under Benedictine rule on the mountain. Later the Franciscans also built a monastery here. The evergreen oak wood was always very important for the town and was therefore already a protected area in the Middle Ages. The animals living here include porcupines, wild cats, badgers and squirrels.

Overnight with breakfast in Spoleto

Walking time: 3 hrs 30 min;  Distance: 10,5 km (6,5 miles);  Ascent & Descent: +510m -483m

Today after breakfast end this tour through a spectacular Umbrian nature