Umbria: Medieval Towns, Wooded Hills and Living Traditions
Umbria is a landlocked region in central Italy where historic towns rise above valleys, farmland and wooded hills. Its character comes as much from everyday rural life as from its churches, frescoes and medieval streets. Travelers often divide their time between walking through compact town centers and exploring a quieter countryside of olive groves, vineyards and mountain landscapes. Assisi’s connection to St. Francis gives the region a particular place in Italy’s religious history, while places such as Perugia and Orvieto reveal other layers of art and architecture. Food is closely tied to local produce, from olive oil and lentils to truffles and robust red wines. Umbria suits travelers who enjoy taking time over both places and meals.
Places in Umbria
25 places
Città di Castello
Explore Città di Castello in northern Umbria, from its Renaissance palaces and Alberto Burri museums to the streets and landscape of the Upper Tiber Valley.
Collazzone
Get to know Collazzone, a small Umbrian hill town above the Tiber Valley, with medieval lanes, nearby hamlets and a quiet rural setting.
Corciano
Explore Corciano, a walled Umbrian village near Perugia, with stone lanes, historic churches, countryside views and a practical base for nearby towns.
Costacciaro
Explore Costacciaro, a small Umbrian village below Monte Cucco, with a fortified historic center, mountain trails and access to a remarkable cave.
Deruta
Explore Deruta, an Umbrian hill town shaped by centuries of ceramics. Find its workshops, museum, historic center and practical tips for a visit.
Foligno
Explore Foligno, an Umbrian city with a walkable historic center, the Giostra della Quintana and rail links to towns across the region.
Fossato di Vico
Explore Fossato di Vico, an Umbrian hill town with medieval covered lanes, a quiet historic center and access to the landscapes of Monte Cucco.
Fratta Todina
Get to know Fratta Todina, a small Umbrian town near Todi, with a medieval center, Tiber Valley views and a quiet agricultural setting.
Giano dell'Umbria
Explore Giano dell'Umbria, a small Umbrian hill town with olive groves, a medieval center and the Romanesque Abbey of San Felice.
Gualdo Cattaneo
Explore Gualdo Cattaneo, an Umbrian hill town surrounded by medieval villages, vineyards and olive groves, with practical tips on what to see.
Gualdo Tadino
Explore Gualdo Tadino, an Umbrian hill town with a medieval fortress, ceramic workshops and mountain scenery on the edge of the Apennines.
Gubbio
Explore Gubbio, an Umbrian hill town with medieval streets, an elevated main square, ancient inscriptions and wooded slopes above the historic center.
About Umbria
A landscape that changes as you travel
Umbria has no coastline, but its scenery is far from uniform. The Tiber valley provides a broad corridor through the region, while wooded hills, cultivated slopes and mountain areas give shorter journeys noticeably different settings. Lake Trasimeno brings a gentler, waterside landscape to the west; farther east, the terrain becomes more rugged toward the Apennines. Many historic centers occupy hilltops, so arriving in a town often means leaving the surrounding fields and climbing into narrow streets and stone squares. This geography shapes how visitors experience Umbria: a day can pair a town visit with a countryside walk or a meal in a rural village, but seeing more remote areas generally takes more planning than moving between major centers.
Faith, art and civic life
Umbria’s artistic heritage is not confined to museums. Churches, public buildings and streetscapes carry traces of Etruscan and Roman history, medieval civic ambition and centuries of religious patronage. Assisi is closely associated with St. Francis and draws pilgrims as well as visitors interested in its art and architecture. Elsewhere, cathedrals, frescoes and fortified town centers tell different local stories. These are also lived-in places, with shops, schools and markets alongside the monuments. It is worth allowing time beyond the main sights: the relationship between a town’s central square, its residential lanes and the countryside outside its walls often says as much about Umbria as a single landmark does.
Food shaped by the land
Umbrian cooking tends to make the most of ingredients grown, raised or gathered inland. Olive oil, legumes, cured meats, mushrooms and truffles appear in different combinations across the region, while local wines reflect its varied hills and valleys. Menus change with the season, so a dish associated with one time of year may not be available on every visit. Eating here is part of understanding the landscape rather than a separate attraction: a simple lunch can point to nearby farms, olive groves or woodland. Visitors who enjoy food-focused travel can seek out markets and small producers, but even without a special itinerary, regional ingredients are easy to encounter in traditional restaurants.
What is Umbria known for?
Medieval hill towns
Stone streets, gateways and public squares give many Umbrian towns a strong sense of their historic setting.
Franciscan heritage
The life of St. Francis has left a lasting mark on the region’s religious sites, art and pilgrimage traditions.
Frescoes and churches
Religious buildings hold works of art that are often experienced in the spaces for which they were created.
Olive oil and regional cooking
Olive groves and inland ingredients help define a cuisine rooted in local agriculture.
Truffles and woodland foods
Truffles and other seasonal ingredients reflect the close connection between Umbrian kitchens and the surrounding countryside.
Lake and mountain landscapes
Lake Trasimeno, wooded hills and Apennine terrain offer a change of pace from town-based sightseeing.
Why visit Umbria?
Historic centers that reward exploring on foot
A mix of art, religious history and everyday town life
Countryside settings close to many town centers
Distinctive food traditions tied to local agriculture
Options for both town-based stays and rural trips
Things to know
Trains connect some major towns, but stations may sit below or outside historic centers.
A car makes rural areas easier to explore; check parking rules and restricted-traffic zones before driving into old towns.
Hilltop streets can be steep or uneven, so comfortable walking shoes are useful.
Summer afternoons can be hot, while higher areas may feel cooler than the valleys.
Harvests and seasonal foods vary through the year; not every regional specialty is equally available in every season.
Churches are active places of worship as well as visitor sites, so dress and behave respectfully.