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DISCOVER
UMBRIA BY BICYCLE
an
8 or 10 day individual cycling holiday
This
cycle tour is perfect for those looking to personally experience the
unique and unspoiled region of
Umbria
with its beauty and hospitality. Umbria, nestling
between Tuscany, Marche and Lazio, is maybe one of the smallest regions
of Italy, but is has a wide range of different landscapes: from harsh
gorges, to sweet green hills, wild woods to fertile plains transformed
by varied cultivations; oases of fresh, crystal clear spring water and
enchanting lakes. This cycle
tour combines the beauty of nature with sightseeing in quiet little
medieval towns. The trip starts and finishes in the surroundings of the
beautiful and fascinating town of
Assisi
, the pilgrims’ town built against the slopes of
Mount
Subasio
. Many monuments have been erected here in honour of
the saints Francis and Clare. But
Assisi
isn’t the only highlight of this tour. You will
pass many other interesting small towns such as Spello, which
has Roman origins, as we are reminded by several features
including the Porta Venere and Porta Consolare town gates, Montefalco,
famous for its delicious wines and Bevagna, which has a lovely medieval
square with two Romanesque churches. Two
nights you will spend in Torgiano allowing time to visit the county-town
of
Perugia
. Its magnificent old
town center is certainly worth visiting, with renaissance palaces,
medieval churches, museums and galleries, but of course it is also nice
just to wander around the evocative alleys, the characteristic squares
and the fashionable shopping street Corso Vannuci. During the second
part of the tour you bike through a beautiful unspoiled scenery. The
biker-friendly roads, the lovely towns and the green hills with
cypresses, vineyards and olive trees make this tour unforgettable.
8 day /7 nights tour
Programme in short
1. arrival Viole di Assisi
2.
to Torgiano (65 km / 40,5 miles)
3.
roundtrip to Perugia (34 km / 21 miles) or day of rest
4.
to lake Trasimeno (53 km / 33 miles)
5.
to Umbertide (46 km / 28 miles)
6.
to Gubbio (56 km / 35 miles)
7.
to Assisi (54 km / 33,5 miles)
8.
departure
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Programme
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Day
1 |
Individual
arrival at Assisi
Collect
cycles, route briefing and instruction.
The
start of this cycle tour is in the lovely medieval town of
Assisi
, the popular
pilgrimage town built on the slopes of Monte Subasio. Its
impressive ramparts, towers and palace roofs of the town are
visible from afar.
Assisi
has a strong
unbreakable bond with the saints Francis and Clare. On the day
of your arrival you might want to explore the town with its
little alleys and squares. Worth seeing are the famous basilica
of St. Francis and the Roman
temple
of
Minerva
in Piazza
del Comune. Your overnight stay is in a hotel between
Assisi
(3 km) and Spello, another beautiful fortified town with old
town gates and an amphitheatre. (on request a hotel in Assisi is
possible
)
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Day
2 |
Passing
the small medieval towns Spello-Montefalco-Bevagna-Torgiano (65 km)
This
morning there will be time to wander about in Spello. After
continuing your journey through the
valley
of
Spoleto
, passing
Foligno, your route goes up to Montefalco; also called ‘the
balcony of
Umbria
’, because
of its fantastic panorama. The Franciscan church, now a museum,
is decorated with magnificent frescoes from the 15th
and 16th century by artists like Benozzo Gozzoli and
Perugino. The next town you will visit is Bevagna, whose
characteristic medieval square still hosts two Romanesque
churches. Your overnight stay is in Torgiano, which in medieval
times was a fortified village and is situated on a hilltop above
the confluence of the rivers Chiascio and
Tiber
. Interesting
to visit are the wine museum and the ‘osteria’ of the
Lungarotti family, where you can taste their excellent wines.
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Day
3 |
Visiting
Perugia
(35 km)
Today
you can visit the neighbouring town of
Perugia
: the
provincial capital and a lively, vibrant place. The medieval
town centre with its little alleyways is at the highest point of
the town. The renaissance palaces, churches, museums and many
galleries make a lasting impression. You will spend the night
once more in the peaceful, hospitable town of
Torgiano
.
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Day
4 |
From
Torgiano to lake Trasimeno
(53 km)
On
the fourth day you will bike through a hilly landscape to be
rewarded with a magnificent view
of the lake and its islands. Your hotel is just outside
the little fishing village of Passignano, a town made of history
and nature, art and folklore, peace and vitality.
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Day
5 |
From
the lake to Umbertide
(46 km)
Today’s
bike is through unspoiled scenery to the quiet little town of
Umbertide
, whose town
centre is dominated by a majestic tower, the remains of a castle
dating back to 1385.
There will be some uphill and downhill cycling. Your hotel is a
lovely country hotel just outside town.
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Day
6 |
From
Umbertide to Gubbio
(km 55)
Today
you will reach the fortified hill town of
Gubbio
. Worthwhile
visiting are the palaces, the Roman theatre and the monastery of
S. Ubaldo
, which is
built at 827m altitude and can be reached by cable car. Your
overnight stay will be near the historical centre.
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Day
7 |
From
Gubbio to
Assisi
(km 60)
At
the beginning of this last leg of the tour you still have some
hard climbing to do, through a rolling still-life landscape, but
after that you have a well-deserved easy descent to
Assisi
. Cycling through the centre of this little town you will pass its most
important monuments, like the Basilica of St. Francis, the
temple
of
Minerva
and the
basilica of St. Clare.
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Day
8 |
departure after
breakfast |
10
day / 9 nights tour
This
tour has an extra night in the town of Spoleto, famous for its yearly cultural
'festival dei due mondi' . You also have an extra overnight stay at lake Trasimeno,
where you could do a nice tour around the lake or visit one of
the islands.
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1.
arrival Viole di Assisi
2.
to Spoleto (58 km / 34 miles)
3.
to Torgiano (58 km / 34 miles)
4.
roundtrip to Perugia (ca. 40 km / 25 miles) or day of rest
5.
to lake Trasimeno (ca.48 km / 30 miles)
6.
day of rest or tour around the lake (65 km / 40,5 miles)
7.
to Umbertide (ca. 43 km / 27 miles)
8.
to Gubbio (ca. 55 km / 34 miles)
9.
to Assisi (ca.54 km / 33,5 miles)
10
departure
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This
trip includes:
-
Overnight stays
in good *** star hotels on the basis of B & B (upgradings and half board is possible)
-
luggage
transportation
-
detailed descriptions
(English, German, Italian or Dutch) and maps of the routes (also gps)
-
local
back up service
-
tour
information
-
route briefing
on arrival day
-
insurance
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Period
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All
year (best period April - november)
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Level 3
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Hilly
landscape with average distances of 35-65 km. Some cycle experience needed.
Cycling over quiet asphalted or dirt country roads. Some noteworthy
descent and ascent. Not suitable for
children under 12 years.
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Prices 2012
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standard hotels
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8 day
tour: per person in a double room with breakfast € 605,00
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8 day tour: single room with breakfast
€ 750,00
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8 day tour: travelling alone with breakfast €
790,00
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8 day tour: 3rd person in triple room with
breakfast € 380,00
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8 day tour: half board supplement € 133,00
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10 day tour: per person in a double room with breakfast
€ 735,00
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10 day tour: single room with breakfast €
920,00
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10 day tour: travelling alone with
breakfast € 960,00
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10 day tour: 3rd person in triple room with
breakfast € 466,00
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10 day tour: half board supplement € 173,00
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On request
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bike rental (city bike or road bike), tracks for gps, extra overnight
stays, wine-tasting and upgrading
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Please,
contact us freely, if you would like to receive more information !
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