Prices
A Cycle Tour through the Valle Umbra
Assisi – Spello – Foligno – Spoleto – Montefalco – Bevagna – Torgiano – Perugia
Treasures of the green valley tour mean to see in one week all the beauties of the Valle Umbra. This is cycling on quiet country roads among the colourful fields, with a beautiful backdrop of hills covered with silver-green olive groves and fertile vineyards. Umbria has been praised for its pure beauty since Roman times, because of its greenness, many lakes, rivers, refreshing springs, mountain streams and waterfalls. This not-too-strenuous cycle tour since it take place mainly in the valley with only a few rolling parts will bring you to lively, medieval villages and towns of the green valley ‘Valle Umbra‘, such as Assisi, Spello, Spoleto, Montefalco, Bevagna and Perugia. Thanks to the reduced daily distances, you will have enough time to visit these towns.
The tour starts and finishes close to Assisi, which rises on a mountainous branch of the Monte Subasio, and its highest point, where the castle is located, is 505m a.s.l.. This beautiful pilgrimage town with its narrow alleys, cosy squares and many medieval monuments will make an unforgettable impression. On the first day you pass the medieval town of Spello. Back in the saddle again you reach the centre of Foligno with its magnificent Duomo. A scenic route winds its way through the fertile valley till Casco dell’Acqua, situated at the refreshing Clitunno-river and immersed in an enchanting oasis of peace. The second day you will make a circular tour among olive groves to Spoleto. You will have enough time to visit this interesting town. It is full of life, with many squares, lovely little streets and many sights to visit, such as the Duomo with the frescoes of the Florentine painter Filippo Lippi, the Roman Theatre and the medieval bridge and aqueduct Ponte delle Torri.
The second part of the tour will bring you to MONTEFALCO, Bevagna, Torgiano and Perugia, the capital of the province, with its solemn Renaissance palaces, museums, impressive churches and tightly winding shopping streets. A short ride along the quiet country roads of the valley will bring you back to Assisi, which you will already see from afar.
Daily program
The start of this cycle tour is in Assisi. If you arrive early you could already visit this amazing medieval town. There is a lot to see and many monuments have been erected here in honor of the saints Francis and Clare. At the end of the afternoon drop off bicycles, if rented, bike fitting and route briefing. Overnight with breakfast in *** or **** star hotel.
You leave your hotel and cycle along the slopes of Mount Subasio to Spello. There is enough time this morning to wander around this charming ancient town, pleasantly situated on the southern slopes of Mount Subasio. In urban, architectural and artistic terms, Spello is an extremely interesting town, containing many features dating back to the Roman and medieval times. Spello is also called the town of flowers, because of its many colourful little alleys embellished with plants and flowers. The town is well known for its special flower festival (‘infiorata’) for Corpus Domini. After Spello you descend to Foligno, which is in the valley. You pass along the main square with its beautiful ‘duomo’, which still has a Romanesque façade. Continuing along the lively main shopping street, you will leave the town to cycle the last km of your route, across the fertile valley with its colourful fields and various waterways. Your country house is situated in the village Casco dell’Acqua
This morning the route among olive groves will take you to Spoleto. You can already see Spoleto from afar, with its castle dominating the hilltop on which the medieval part of the town is built. The centre is still largely inside the medieval town walls. Spoleto is very famous for its music festival ‘dei due mondi’, held end of June, beginning of July. There is a lot to see in Spoleto, including the cathedral with its famous frescoes by the Florentine painter Filippo Lippi, the Roman house and the Roman theatre with an annexed archaeological museum. Leaving Spoleto you cycle along the cycle path back to Casco dell’Acqua.
Biking through a slightly undulating landscape you will already see Montefalco from a distance. At the foot of this town, you have the option to continue along the valley directly to Bevagna or to visit Montefalco… but to reach this lovely wine town, you first have to conquer a steep climb. Montefalco (472 m a.s.l.) is also known as the ‘balcony of Umbria’, because of its fantastic panorama. Artists such as Benozzo Gozzoli and Perugino decorated the Franciscan church, now a museum, with magnificent 15th and 16th-century frescoes. Montefalco is famous for its excellent wines, Rosso di Montefalco d.o.c. and Sagrantino d.o.c.g , produced on the sunny slopes around the town, and of course, it is almost impossible to leave the town without tasting them in one of the many wine bars.
From Montefalco, you go downhill to Bevagna. This town has a lovely medieval square with a fountain and two Romanesque churches. The square is a real meeting place for friendly inhabitants. After the last hill, you will reach Torgiano, at the confluence of the rivers Chiascio and Tiber (Tevere). Your hotel is in the quiet town centre.
Today there are two different options:
1. Visiting Perugia: cycling to the old town centre (32 km / 19,9 mi)
This trip takes you to Perugia, which is the capital of the province. Cycling along quiet country roads, you reach Perugia. A climb will bring you to the old town centre, with its little alleys and characteristic town squares. There is a lot to see like renaissance palaces, medieval churches, museums and many galleries. After your visit, you return cycling to the peaceful, hospitable town of Torgiano.
2. A loop in the surroundings of Torgiano (30 km / 18,6 mi or 45 km / 28 mi)
Close to Torgiano (6 km) is the village of Deruta, which has in part, managed to retain the highly distinctive features of its medieval buildings. Deruta is universally famous for its ceramics. The origins of this ancient art go back as far as the Etruscan times and nowadays the many local workshops still make excellent quality ceramics. Numerous Italian and foreign museums have pieces of Deruta ceramics on show, including the Victoria and Albert Museum. The town hall hosts the art gallery and the ceramics museum. The next stop is the sanctuary of Madonna dei Bagni, which has built after a miracle, which took place in the year 1657. Inside the church, there are more than 600 votive tiles, all testimony to the tradition of the Deruta ceramics. Cycling through a beautiful hilly landscape, you pass typical Umbrian hamlets like Casalalta. Your cycle back to Torgiano is through the Tiber valley.
Today you will cross the valley, cycling on quiet country roads. You will already see Assisi from afar as, like many other Umbrian towns, it is 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.
To reach the beautiful historical centre of Assisi you have to make a short steep climb, but wandering through the town you will agree that it was worth the effort. 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. Your overnight stay will be in the hotel where you started your tour.
After breakfast end of tour.
Treasure impressions
level 2
You cycle through a landscape of gentle, rolling hills. This generally easy route, mostly flat, with short daily distances, makes this an ideal tour for leisure cyclists. There are not too many climbs and if possible there will be offered an alternative.
Average daily distances:
between 25 km – 53 km / 15,5 mi – 32,9 mi
Total km:
minimum 172 km / 106,9 mi
or maximum 200 km / 124,3 mi
departures
Self-Guided: from 1 April till 31 October (except 10/08-24/08/2025)
Guided tour: on request.
participants
1 or more people.
Start / Finish
Assisi / Assisi
Umbria escape
This short cycling tour in Umbria leads you over quiet country roads among the sunny, colourful fields with a beautiful backdrop of hills covered.
Medieval villages and a fascinating lake
Rediscovering beauty is one of the objectives of this cycling trip, which offers a complete and extraordinary overview of alluring Umbria.