Why Honeymoon in Umbria
Umbria offers Tuscany's ingredients at a gentler pace. Hill towns here are compact and genuinely lived-in, with evening passeggiate in the main square and family bakeries rather than souvenir shops.
The variety is good for couples with different interests. Art lovers have the Giotto frescoes in Assisi's Basilica of San Francesco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is also the Signorelli chapel in Orvieto's cathedral. Outdoor types can hike the slopes of Monte Subasio, cycle around Lake Trasimeno or see the Marmore waterfalls. Wine and food lovers have Montefalco, Orvieto Classico and Norcia's truffles and cured meats.
Prices for villas and farm stays tend to be lower than in comparable parts of Tuscany. A countryside base with a pool, a car and a loose plan is all you need.
When to Go
Spring and autumn are best. From April to June, the hills are green, poppies line the roads and temperatures suit walking. Spello's Infiorata, when residents carpet the streets with flower petal designs, takes place on the Corpus Domini weekend in late spring.
September and October bring the grape harvest, olive picking and truffle season, along with food festivals in many towns. Perugia hosts a big chocolate festival in autumn.
July and August are hot, though hilltop towns catch evening breezes and a villa pool makes the heat easy. Winter is cold and quiet. Some farm stays close, but the towns stay open and truffle dishes are at their best.
Where to Stay
The best Umbria honeymoons are based in the countryside rather than in town. Look for a restored farmhouse, villa or castle estate with a pool, gardens and views, then drive into the towns for meals and sightseeing.
The area between Assisi, Spello and Montefalco is a good central base, with wineries and several towns within half an hour. Around Orvieto, you are closer to Rome and the vineyards of Orvieto Classico. The hills near Lake Trasimeno and the Tuscan border offer a mix of both regions.
Castello di Reschio, a restored castle estate near the Tuscan border, is a well-known luxury option for couples. More modest agriturismi throughout the region offer warm hosts, home cooking and big breakfasts.
Romantic Things to Do
Stay in or near Assisi overnight so you can walk its pink stone lanes at dawn or after the day crowds leave, then visit the basilica early. In Spello, wander the flower-filled alleys and stop for an aperitivo on a terrace.
In Orvieto, see the striped facade of the cathedral, then take a guided tour of the caves and tunnels carved into the volcanic rock beneath the town. Spend an afternoon tasting Sagrantino in Montefalco, where several wineries sit just below the town walls.
Take a ferry to Isola Maggiore on Lake Trasimeno for a quiet lakeside walk. Drive into the mountains near Norcia and the Piano Grande, a high plain that bursts into color with lentil and wildflower blooms in early summer.
Getting There and Around
Most couples fly into Rome Fiumicino (FCO), which has nonstops from many US cities, then rent a car. Orvieto is about 1 hour 45 minutes north; Assisi takes a little over 2 hours. Florence is another option for the northern part of the region. Perugia's small airport (PEG) has limited European flights.
Trains connect Rome and Florence with Orvieto, Perugia, Assisi and Spello, so a train-based trip is possible for a town-to-town itinerary. To reach wineries, farm stays and smaller villages, a car is far easier.
Many hill towns restrict traffic in their historic centers. Park in the lots outside the walls and use the escalators or funiculars that carry you up in places like Orvieto and Perugia.
Food and Drink
Umbrian cooking is rustic and generous. Try strangozzi or umbricelli pasta with black truffle, Castelluccio lentils, wild boar, roasted pork porchetta and the cured meats Norcia has been famous for since medieval times. Olive oil from the hills around Trevi and Spoleto is excellent.
The signature wine is Sagrantino di Montefalco, a powerful red, alongside the lighter Montefalco Rosso and the white Orvieto Classico. Grechetto is a good local white to drink with lunch.
Perugia is home to Baci chocolates. Many towns have bakeries selling torcolo or rocciata pastries. Meals at farm stays often feature produce grown on the property.
Honeymoon Tips
- Cover shoulders and knees when visiting the Basilica of San Francesco and other churches; carry a light scarf.
- Stay overnight in at least one hill town to enjoy it after day visitors leave.
- Parts of eastern Umbria, including Norcia, are still recovering from the 2016 earthquakes; some sights may be closed or under restoration.
- Watch for limited-traffic zones (ZTL) in historic centers; driving in by mistake can bring fines.
- Book Sunday lunch at a countryside trattoria; it is the big family meal of the week.
- Pair Umbria with Rome at the start or the Amalfi Coast at the end for a varied trip.
