Umbria self guided cycling holiday, Italy
Highlights
Perugia | Poggio delle Corti | Assisi | Bevagna via Spello | Montefalco |Description of Umbria self guided cycling holiday, Italy
This wonderful week of self guided cycling over Umbria’s undulations will place you in medieval hilltop towns and peaceful rural settings but without the crowds congregating in the county next door.Pedalling to Perugia is an absolute pleasure as is Assisi, Bevagna and Montefalco where Umbria unveils her cultural treasures one church, castle and ramshackle artist’s workshop at a time.
Distances and gradients are fairly easy going with an average of 32kms a day allowing for afternoons at wine cellar doors, such as Monte Vibiano, leading from lazy lunches at traditional trattorias or alfresco picnics unpacked from panniers.
Places like Perugia offer ample excuses to explore the Umbrian way of life with some incredibly important Etruscan antiquities combining with the woven fabrics, stained glass and regional arts and crafts that are still being created in traditional workshops to this day.
The cycle route from Perugia to Assisi is the longest of this week of self guided cycling but then it is only 35kms and completes in one of central Italy’s best loved small towns where narrow alleys and winding roads lead you back in time as well as to your overnight locally-owned accommodation.
Lesser-known Umbrian options include the twin church piazza of Bevagna and the imposing Palazzo dei Consoli in Gubbio, both of which provide plenty of peaceful places to pause for a rest prior to pedalling onwards to Montefalco to sample a drop of Sagrantino – one of Umbria’s finest reds.
Cycling in Umbria allows for an excellent introduction to the towns, countryside and authentic ambience of one of Italy's lesser-known gems.
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. The Travel Team.
01273 823 700 Calling from outside the UK? rosy@responsibletravel.comDeparture information
Responsible tourism
As the pioneers of responsible tourism, we screen every trip so you can travel knowing your holiday will help support conservation and local people.
1) We choose our suppliers among the ones that sustain the environment. For example, Monte Vibiano farm has been awarded with the prestigious "Premio Impresa Ambiente" award, "the highest recognition for Italian private and public companies that have distinguished themselves in the interests of Sustainable Development, Environmental Issues and Social Responsibility". It has been the first farm in Italy to receive the prestigious reward and certification of DNV ISO 14064, to have reached the zero emission of CO2, using solar and wind power. We sustain them also by buying their precious wine for our guests. 2) We support a local NGO, TAMAT, that is working on a project to develop sustainable mobility (H2power project) and we buy their gadgets to fund their activities. They are working, with other partners, on developing a demonstrator vehicle that is using as fuel a variable mixture of methane and hydrogen, that can be produced from renewable energy sources. They also organize awareness raising events for citizens and students about sustainable development and mobility and about the solution to preserve our environment.
The Impacts of this Trip
1) We give information to our guests to visit some local art and crafts workshops that maintains alive old techniques. In 2010 an association of craftsmen “Associazione botteghe artigiane del centro storico” was set up in Perugia to promote the historic, artistic and cultural heritage of the city and make people aware about Umbria cultural heritage. The association promotes the project “ArtiCity” to support the local handicraft, among them : the Studio Moretti Caselli that still uses a characteristic ancient technique to produce stained glasses, the Giuditta Brozzetti Atelier, that produces woven fabrics with ancient techniques, and Anna Barola’s workshop “Art and craftsmanship” that produces handmade traditional embroidery
2) We give information to our guests to visit and buy souvenirs and presents from a social cooperative, RELEGART, that employ people with physical and psychological disabilities to support their social inclusion and to give them the chance of a real job. They work leather and paper to bind books, and to produce home accessories and notebooks. Most of the products are handmade. The cooperative is not only a place where people with disabilities can work but it’s also a place where they can use their competences and skills in producing artistic objects in a friendly environment.
1) We choose our suppliers among the ones that sustain the environment. For example, Monte Vibiano farm has been awarded with the prestigious "Premio Impresa Ambiente" award, "the highest recognition for Italian private and public companies that have distinguished themselves in the interests of Sustainable Development, Environmental Issues and Social Responsibility". It has been the first farm in Italy to receive the prestigious reward and certification of DNV ISO 14064, to have reached the zero emission of CO2, using solar and wind power. We sustain them also by buying their precious wine for our guests. 2) We support a local NGO, TAMAT, that is working on a project to develop sustainable mobility (H2power project) and we buy their gadgets to fund their activities. They are working, with other partners, on developing a demonstrator vehicle that is using as fuel a variable mixture of methane and hydrogen, that can be produced from renewable energy sources. They also organize awareness raising events for citizens and students about sustainable development and mobility and about the solution to preserve our environment.
The Impacts of this Trip
1) We give information to our guests to visit some local art and crafts workshops that maintains alive old techniques. In 2010 an association of craftsmen “Associazione botteghe artigiane del centro storico” was set up in Perugia to promote the historic, artistic and cultural heritage of the city and make people aware about Umbria cultural heritage. The association promotes the project “ArtiCity” to support the local handicraft, among them : the Studio Moretti Caselli that still uses a characteristic ancient technique to produce stained glasses, the Giuditta Brozzetti Atelier, that produces woven fabrics with ancient techniques, and Anna Barola’s workshop “Art and craftsmanship” that produces handmade traditional embroidery
2) We give information to our guests to visit and buy souvenirs and presents from a social cooperative, RELEGART, that employ people with physical and psychological disabilities to support their social inclusion and to give them the chance of a real job. They work leather and paper to bind books, and to produce home accessories and notebooks. Most of the products are handmade. The cooperative is not only a place where people with disabilities can work but it’s also a place where they can use their competences and skills in producing artistic objects in a friendly environment.
3 Reviews of Umbria self guided cycling holiday, Italy
Reviewed on 07 Sep 2020 by Patrick Waldock
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Cycling into a different, stunning medieval hill town every day
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
check out flights to cities other than Rome. We found Pisa to be one fifth the price of flights to Rome, and the train to Umbria is pretty easy, albeit a bit longer. The tour operator adapted the holiday itinerary to fit our flight plans.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Our only form of transport was cycling and trains. We stayed with the family who run the operator who made a real home cooked Italian meal.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent, thoroughly recommend the personal service provided by the operator. Nothing was too much trouble.
Reviewed on 31 Oct 2019 by Chad Hainline
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
We enjoyed the time at the farmhouse and visiting with the host family
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Do some hills so you can be prepared for the ascents into Perugia and Assisi.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes- we visited local businesses, avoided large corporations, and were urged to recycle along the way.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
We enjoyed the towns we visited very much. The company did a great job with accommodations.
Reviewed on 20 May 2016 by John Holder
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
The biking in Umbria.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
You're going too enjoy this!
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
All of the services and accommodations were wonderfully done by small local groups and families.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Superb, we would not hesitate to take this holiday again.
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