Umbria

Umbria sits between Tuscany and Lazio and is often called Italy's green heart. The region lacks a coastline but compensates with rolling hills, medieval hilltop towns, and a pace of life that Tuscany lost to tourism years ago. Perugia is the regional capital with a university town energy, excellent chocolate, and a strong jazz festival in July. Assisi draws pilgrims to the Basilica of San Francesco but also offers some of the best sunset views in central Italy from its upper town.

Orvieto perches on a volcanic plateau with a cathedral that rivals anything in Florence and an underground network of Etruscan tunnels. Spoleto hosts the Festival dei Due Mondi in late June and early July, a performing arts festival that fills the medieval centre. Norcia, before the 2016 earthquake, was the truffle and salumi capital of Italy and is slowly rebuilding its culinary reputation.

Accommodation in Umbria runs 30 to 50 percent cheaper than equivalent Tuscan properties. Agriturismi are the primary stay type, often with pools, home-cooked dinners, and olive oil production on site. Direct booking matters here because most Umbrian properties are tiny operations where the aggregator commission of 15 to 20 percent is the difference between profit and loss. Our Umbria guides cover where to base yourself, driving routes, and the best seasonal events from truffle hunting in November to the Infiorata flower festival in Spello each June.