A Wonderful Valley: an easy cycle tour from Assisi to Spoleto

An 7 days self guided cycle tour

The Valle Umbra is a great starting point for exploring the beautiful Umbria. This fertile valley, full of water and surrounded by green mountains and hills covered with olive groves and vineyards is excellent place to have a relaxing cycling holiday. The valley is famous for its medieval towns and villages, because here we find them all: Assisi, Bevagna, Montefalco, Spello and Spoleto. Your tourbegins in Assisi, the city of pilgrims, situated on the slopes of MountSubasio.

The first ride is a round tour taking you to Spello, a town of Roman origins as we are remembered by several features like the Porta Consolare, Porta Venere and the mosaics of a Roman villa. The next day you leave Assisi to reach Torgiano built on a hill top covered by vineyards. It is worth visiting the Wine and Olive and Oil museums. The next ridewill take you to the medieval town of Bevagna, which has a cosy square full of live with not one, but two Romanesque churches. Pedalling along the cycle path you enter Spoleto and surely you will be charmed by the late medieval and Renaissance monuments of this city and by the imposing castle that dominates the town from above.

Programme day by day:

Day 1 arrival at Assisi

Assisi is a medieval city built on the slopes of Mount Subasio overlooking the Valle Umbra. It is a city in which are harmonious combined history, traditions and art. If you arrive early you can discover this beautiful city wandering through its alleys, streets andmake a stop at one of the cosy squares, where bars are inviting to sit down and enjoy an ice cream, cappuccino or a good glass of local wine.

Day 2 a round tour to Spello

After breakfast in the saddle for your first bike ride to discover the green UmbrianValley. You cycle downhill into the valley and along quiet country roads you come to Spello, proudly positioned at the slopes of Mount Subasio. The city has maintained well its medieval charm with a maze of small alleys, cheerful coloured by flower pots, many small squares and beautiful churches. Leave your bicycles at the foot of the old town to visit the historic centre and its monuments: the church of S. Maria Maggiore with the Baglioni Chapel decorated by Pinturicchio, the Church of St. Andrew, the art gallery, the Roman mosaics and Roman town gate Porta Consulare. You ride back to Assisi among corn fields, sunflowers, vineyards and olive groves.

Day 3 Assisi- Torgiano

You head back down into the valley and arrive at the Franciscan basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. Its impressive dome covers the Porziuncola, where once lived Saint Francis and his companions. Discovering the beauty of the Valle Umbra landscape you reach Torgiano, once a fortified village. Interesting to visit is the wine museum housed in the seventeenth century Palazzo Graziani-Baglioni. Your accommodation is in the old town in a hotel with a pool. On request we can book a wine-tasting at the Lungarotti Osteria.

Day 4 Torgiano - Bevagna

Even today you reach Bevagna, one of the rare historic centres built in the valley and not on a hilltop. Very special is the square ‘Piazza Silvestri’, a lively meeting place for the inhabitants, with the Gothic Palace of the Consuls and two Romanesque churches. Other sights worth to visit are the Roman mosaics and a medieval house. The hotel is located in the historic centre. Tonight you are free to dine in one of the cosy wine bars or restaurants

Day 5 Foligno and Casco dellAcqua

Today is dedicated to Foligno, like Bevagna built in the plain. It is a hospitable town along the Topino river.Worth visiting are the Cathedral and the late Gothic Trinci palace, home of the art gallery and the archaeological museum, or you just can go shopping along the Corso Cavour or make a stop at the Piazza Repubblica for a hot cappuccino or a delicious ice cream. Leaving Foligno soon you will pedal again in the middle of cultivated fields and alongside canals. You will stay in acountry house with asaltwater pool.

Day 6 Casco dell´Acqua - Spoleto

This last day you cycle along the bike path, which takes you to Spoleto. This town you recognize from afar by the fortress, which thrones high above the old town centre. You pass through the Garibaldi town gate and here you can leave your bike to explore the city on foot. The historic centre with the Cathedral, the Ponte delle Torri (Tower Bridge), the castle, the Roman house and amphitheatre is located in the upper part of the city. After visiting Spoleto, a short bike ride takes you to your rural hotel with a pool.

Day 7 departure after breakfast

Period: Daily from April till October ( other months on request)

Participants: From 1 people

Level: 1 (easy; also suitable for ebikes) The routes are along quiet country roads or cycle paths. The differences of level are less then 100m and daily distances between 20 and 35 km / 12,5 and 22 miles. Total:136 km / 84 miles

Hotels: two country houses and 4 *** hotels. Upgradings on request

Included in the individual tour:

• 6 nights with breakfast
• 5 dinners (excluded at Bevagna – only B&B)
• Luggage transportation
• Road book with maps
• Clients assistance
• Information about the tour
• Free car parking at the first or last hotel