Prices
Cookery course, sampling delicious wines and excellent local food
Spello-Spoleto-Montefalco-Bevagna-Torgiano-Perugia-Assisi
This tour for foodies offers the possibility to get to know the beautiful green and hilly Umbria in a different way, thanks to this perfect combination of cycling in a natural environment, exploring around culturally interesting towns, and discovering the excellent wines and gastronomic traditions of this lovely area. The tour starts in Spello, a lovely medieval town, built on the slopes of Mount Subasio. In the evening a tasting dinner in an enoteca to start to taste Umbria’s delicacies and wines.
The next day you cycle to the interesting town of Spoleto. There is a lot to see and taste. The next morning you have still time to visit the town centre, because cycling to San Luca is short. In the village of San Luca, you will stay in a villa, the Zuccari residence since the 16th century, at the foot of Montefalco. A loop ride will bring you to this captivating wine town, famous for its delicious Sagrantino wines. In Villa Zuccari you will have a cooking class during which you will discover some secrets of the Umbrian & Italian cookery.
Again, in the saddle, you pedal to the medieval town of Bevagna and after it, a short ride will bring you to Torgiano, also famous for its excellent wines. These wines you will taste in the Lungarotti winery. During the second day of your stay in Torgiano, you can choose to make a nature ride in the surroundings, visiting the town of Deruta, famous for its ceramics, or to visit the county town of Perugia. In the evening, there is a very special dinner in a nearby restaurant. You will taste delicious Umbrian truffle dishes. Your last short ride will bring you to the graceful town of Assisi, the town of Saint Francis and Clare.
The daily program of the 8-day tour
The *** or **** hotel is situated in the historical centre of the town and has a terrace offering a magnificent view of the Valle Umbra and the surrounding hills. At the end of the afternoon, there is a route briefing and bike set-up.
In the evening, you have a tasting menu in the restaurant and wine bar Drinking Wine:
Today you will leave Spello and cycling through the valley you cross the centre of Foligno, an alluring town with not only interesting monuments but also many good restaurants, bars, and shops. Then it goes up to Spoleto. Your **** hotel is situated in a historical building, a restored tannery of the 19th century, at the border of the old town centre.
Distance: 42 km / 26 mi
Ascent / Descent: + 258m -217m
This morning you still have time to visit Spoleto, because the ride of today is short. Enjoy its alleys, stately city palaces, and engaging monuments. You cycle through an undulating landscape amongst olive-groves to the village of San Luca, built at the foot of Montefalco. Overnight stay in a country Villa.
Distance: 23 km / 14,3 mi
Ascent / Descent: + 230m -341m
This morning a loop route brings you to the charming town of Montefalco. It is a short ride but you have to conquer the hill on which the town is built. Montefalco is famous for its Sagrantino docg wines. The many wine bars will give you the opportunity to taste these wines. In the medieval town centre there are some nice churches to visit and the museum ‘San Francesco’ is certainly a must. A nice downhill ride brings you back to your hotel.
In the afternoon, you will have an appetizing cookery lesson with Lorenza Zuccari
Distance: 14,1 km / 8,8 mi
Ascent / Descent: + 258m -258m
After breakfast in the saddle again and you cycle to Bevagna, which has a lovely medieval square with a fountain and two Romanesque churches. The square is a real meeting place for the friendly inhabitants of the town.
After visiting Bevagna a short ride mostly through the valley will lead you to the small town of Torgiano, in medieval times a fortified village, situated on the confluence of the rivers Chiascio and Tiber (Tevere). The town is famous for its excellent wines. You have enough time to visit the nice wine museum with its rich collection of ceramics and art (subject winemaking) from Etruscan until modern times.
In the afternoon in the ‘winery of the Lungarotti’ family, you will visit the winery and taste their excellent Torgiano wines. Your hotel is in the quiet town centre.
Distance: 41,6 km / 25,8 mi
Ascent / Descent: + 225m -235m
Today you have two cycle options: visiting the town of Perugia or a cycling tour in the surroundings of Torgiano. Perugia is a lively vibrant place. The renaissance palaces, medieval churches, museums, and many galleries will make a lasting impression. Deruta is universally famous for its ceramics and there are many ateliers to visit.
Perugia
Distance: 24 km / 14,9 miles
Ascent / Descent: + 218 m -212m
Deruta
Distance: 45 km / 28 miles
Ascent / Descent: + 508m -546m
Today a short ride in which you will cross the valley, cycling along quiet country roads. Already from afar, you will see Assisi, like many other Umbrian towns built on a hilltop. Before reaching Assisi, however, you can stop for a moment to visit the Franciscan basilica in S.Maria degli Angeli. Under its impressive dome still lies the humble little chapel ‘Porziuncola’ where Saint Francis came to pray. You will have enough time to visit the main monuments of the town, like the basilica of Saint Francis with its beautiful frescoes by the painters Giotto, Simone Martini, Cimabue and Pietro Lorenzetti.
Distance: 24,4 km / 15,2 miles
Ascent / Descent: + 251 -54m
After breakfast ends this tour, an eno-gastronomic adventure.
Impressions
Spello-Spoleto-Montefalco-Bevagna-Torgiano-Perugia-Assisi
LEVEL 2
You cycle through a landscape of gentle, rolling hills. Throughout these tours the steeper slopes are short and the longer ones are not too steep. Some cycle experience is needed. The daily distances are restricted to between 15 km / 9,3 mi and 47 km / 29 mi
Total km: minimum 169 km / 105 mi and maximum 190km /118 mi
DEPARTURES:
Daily except on Mondays from April till November (winter on request and Italian festivities)
PARTICIPANTS:
2 or more people.
START / FINISH:
Spello / Assisi
Cycling & tasting excellent Umbrian wines
5 or 4 days cycling in a green fertile valley stretching out from Assisi to Spoleto, dotted with well-known medieval towns and famous wine-areas.