Going out

A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SOME EVENTS AND DAY TRIPS IN AND AROUND UMBRIA.

Sagra's and city festivals

City festival in Gualdo Cattaneo

Every town and village organizes during the summer months at some point a "sagra". A sagra is a city or village festival and aims to bring people more together and also to raise money for a good cause. The goal can be anything.
You can often eat very well and dance afterwards.
Public drunkenness is rare. Although the sagra's are generally local matters, they attract people from far and wide away.
You will not find many foreigners on most sagra's. The parties are very authentic.

City festivals are also very popular and often have a theme: Renaissance, Middle Ages, medieval crafts, etc.. Also at city festivals, food is very important. There are also performances (spectaculi), music, acrobatics, theatre, etc. To be able to eat at long tables, reservations are required.

Foligno:

Foligno also has a lot to offer. Maybe the city isn't as vibrant as Perugia, but if you check the site: umbriaeventi.com you will notice that there are many festivities. I think there are a few top attractions during the year and one of them is the "Quintana". A spectacular ring stitch competition between the neighborhoods and around it are all kinds of other festivities. Thus, the "wealthy nobility" presents itself to the public on the evening before the battle in a historic parade, the "Corteo Storico". Truly a top spectacle.
The hundreds of garments that men and women wear can cost more than €30,000/piece.

Perugia:

Umbria Jazz is normally during the second and third week of July

A whole page can be devoted to Perugia. It is best to consult a travel guide for detailed information. A visit is actually a must. Especially the way you arrive by escalators in the Rocca and then in the center is all ready worth a visit. In the main street you will find the more expensive shops and beautiful terraces. There is plenty to see to spend a whole day. In summer there is also the Umbria Jazz festival and in the towns around Lake Trasimeno the "Trasimeno blues festival". Most concerts are free. A week is not enough for a true jazz lover!

Lake of Trasimeno

From Passignano and Tuoro you can take a boat to one of the islands in the lake. You can enjoy walking, sunbathing, swimming and eating. As a day trip very recommended.

Montefalco and Bevagna

These are two gems in the heart of Umbria. Less than 30 minutes drive away from our villa you imagine yourself in an ancient city where the atmosphere of the Middle Ages is still tangible.

Montefalco

The main square of Montefalco

Montefalco is the place where you "must" drink the Montefalco Rosso or the Sagrantino. These very tasty wines originate from this region. There are about three enoteca's (wine bar's) with terrace on the picturesque square at the top of the town. There is also a beautiful museum in the old church. On the north-east side of the city is a lookout point with a nice view of the valley of Umbria. Assisi can be seen in the distance, as well as a lot of other cities and towns.

Bevagna

Zuil op het hoofdplein in Bevagna

This town was originally an Etruscan settlement that was later used by the Romans as one of the stopping places between Rome and the far north. There are still many remains from that time. There is a roman merchant's house, remains of a roman theatre, thermal baths, and many other things that remind of times gone by. Bevagna has not been sacrificed to the tourists. There is still normal life going on. The beautiful Piazza Sylvestri is the perfect place to relax.
Bevagna is known throughout central Italy for its medieval summer-ten-day festival (the Gaita).

Gualdo Cattaneo and it'd direct surroundings:

The historic town has a newly renovated square with a restaurant ans a bar, where you can enjoy an espresso and the daily Italian life on the terrace. From the tower you have a beautiful panorama over a part of Umbria and the beautiful square.
Outside Gualdo there is an airport where you can book a sightseeing flight above the region. That cost a few years ago about € 60 pp / half an hour. This must be arranged a few days in advance. On the same site is a tractor museum, a restaurant, a bar and an activity park with a train. For more information: http://www.parcoacquarossa.com

A day trip to Rome.

There are three ways to get to Rome

1. By car it is about 160 km to the center. In the center is, nearby the Spanish Steps / Villa Borghese a covered parking garage. Costs? €18/day?
2. By car to railway station in Orte (90 km), long term parking at €2.50 per day and further by train to Rome (Termini Station). A day return including public transport (bus, tram, metro) in Rome costs about €15.50 pp. You must buy this ticket at the bar! (for times see www.trenitalia.com ).
3. By bus from Deruta (Banca dell'Umbria or Hotel Amfora) to Rome (Rermini Station); return costs about €30 pp. For more information see: www.sulga.it

La Scarzuola.

A 40 minute drive takes you to a mini dream city. The architect Tommaso Buzzi (1900-1981) bought the area around the Franciscan monastery "La Scarzuola" (= named after a kind of reed that occurs there) in 1956 and wanted to create his fantasy city Città Buzziana in twenty years time. He wanted to create an "ideal" city where nature and culture could merge. Let yourself be surprised by wonderful constructions in the unspoiled nature. There are 8 theatres with occasional performances. It is necessary to make an appointment for an English-language guided tour. Costs: approx. €10 pp with a minimum of 8 visitors. Combination with guests from another apartment rental is possible. Ask us for possibilities. For more information see also: http://www.lascarzuola.comA combination of a day trip with a visit to Orvieto is easy to do.

Civita di Bagno Regio (in Lazio)

The landscape around the ancient city of Civita has subsided over the centuries due to its karstic structure. Because of this Civita is situated on a kind of island that can only be reached by a footbridge. The center of the "dead" town is very picturesque and is regularly used for shooting movies. Both the landscape and the town are very worth while a visit. The visit does not have to last longer than two hours. Therefore it is good to combine with a visit to Orvieto or the volcanic lake Bolsena. In contrast to Lake Trasimeno, the water is clear and invites you to dive into it.
It is about an hour's drive to Civita di Bagno Regio. The entrance to the town costs about €3/pp.