When planning a trip to Italy, you’ve likely included the hot spots – Florence, Rome, Milan – but when you begin planning a stop in the Italian countryside, are you immediately considering Tuscany?
If so, consider a journey into Umbria instead. Tuscany is beautiful, certainly, but Umbria has many assets over the extremely popular Tuscan region that might make it the better choice for your family.
Umbria is Less Crowded than Tuscany
Tuscany has feature films, books and every other sort of publicity imaginable. And with good reason. The region is beautiful and the scenery is diverse, but it is certainly not the only region in Italy that can boast these features. Umbria is just as beautiful, albeit a bit less varied. But the biggest asset to Umbria over Tuscany is the lack of tourists. Tuscany is full of tour buses and commercialism designed to draw in as many tourist dollars as possible. Umbria is simply beautiful and the simple is refreshing after the large cities.
Umbria Has Astonishing Sights
Like all regions, Umbria has many impressive sights to see in its villages and towns, but some of the ones you find in Umbria are ancient and wondrous. Consider the town of Assisi. Dating back to the 4th or 5th century BC, the town has ancient roots that still flow deeply. The most famous inhabitant of Assisi is buried there today in the Basilica of St. Francis. This lovely town includes century-old fortifications, stone castles and a spirit you won’t find anywhere else in Umbria or in Italy.
Umbria is Peacefully Delicious
Umbria is primarily an agricultural region which accounts for its laid back pace and attitude. Leaving the big bustling cities behind, you are finally free to relax, wander the hillsides at your leisure and explore the many small towns and architectural treasures to be found in this region of Italy.
You can expect your appetite to grow as you sample the authentic wares of the towns and hopefully catch a festival or two in a village. From the field to the table, Umbria has amazing cuisine and the company is certainly enjoyable as well. The seemingly sleepy towns are bursting with local history and the residents can direct you to some of the more interesting sites you might have otherwise missed. To visit Umbria is to find a new, wonderful way of life.
