Umbria Escape Cycling tour

Assisi- Spello-Foligno-Spoleto-Montefalco-Bevagna-Torgiano

Cycling through the Valle Umbra

This cycling tour leads you over quiet country roads among the sunny, colourful fields with a beautiful backdrop of hills covered with silver-green olive groves and fertile vineyards. Your discovery of the Valle Umbra starts in Assisi, a small jewel that attract millions of tourist each year, but you visit also Spello, Foligno, Spoleto, Montefalco and Bevagna which are by no means minor attractions. It are towns offering a blend of art, history, food, wine and nature.

Spello and ASSISI are hill towns striding up a spur of Monte Subasio. These splendidly intact towns are still walled-in and offer a maze of small alleys, which often, unexpectedly offer fascinating views of the surrounding green landscape. You continue your ride through the valley and reach Spoleto, ancient capital of the Lombard dukes. It is a friendly and welcoming town to tourists and walking up the small streets, you will have suddenly a surprising view of the 12-13th century cathedral S. Maria Assunta, which houses the stunning frescoes by Pinturicchio and Filippo Lippi.

The next stop is the wine town Montefalco. It stands on a hilltop carpeted with vineyard and silver-green olive groves. Montefalco was one of the few Italian cities where growing wine was also practiced in the urban centre. The town has a medieval setting, surrounded by medieval walls and towers. Do not leave it without tasting one of its excellent wines. A relaxed downhill ride brings you to Bevagna, which is among the most beautiful villages in Italy. You come to the piazza Silvestri overlooked by the Gothic Palazzo dei Consoli and the Romanesque churches of San Silvestro and San Michele Arcangelo. Interesting are the splendid mosaics depicting mythological or marine subjects such as dolphins, octopuses, and lobsters of the Roman baths. On the last day, you can choose between a longer ride or a shorter one directly to Assisi, to spend some extra time in this lovely town.

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Daily program of

5-day / 4-night tour

Day 1 | Individual arrival at your hotel in Assisi

Assisi is a Unesco Heritage site. It is overlooking the Valle Umbra and it is a place in which history, traditions and art are harmoniously combined. A leisurely stroll through the town first is a good way to start your holiday. Take your time to absorb the town’s atmosphere. Sit down on one of the cozy squares, where cafés are inviting you and enjoy an ice cream, cappuccino or a good glass of local wine. There is much to see: the Basilicas of St. Francis and of St. Clare, the fortress, museums and the Roman Forum. Overnight stay in a **** or *** star hotel

Day 2 | Assisi – Spoleto (51 km / 31,6 mi or 53 km / 33 mi)

Along the panoramic road ‘Via degli Olivi’ (olive grove road) you reach Spello, a charming ancient town pleasantly situated on the southern slopes of Mount Subasio. In urban, architectural and artistic terms, Spello is an extremely interesting town, containing many features dating back to the Roman age. Spello is also called the town of flowers, because of its many colourful little alleys embellished with plants and flowers. The town is well known for its Flower Festival (‘infiorata’) for Corpus Domini. From Spello you descend in the valley and it goes up to Foligno, which contains a good number of interesting monuments and artworks, but has also a nice ‘restaurant road’ and is a local shopping centre. Quiet country roads and the Assisi-Spoleto cycle path bring you to Spoleto, a pretty hill-town filled with beautiful medieval and Renaissance architecture and there are also very interesting museums. The town is surrounded by an evergreen woodland and a hilly countryside. Your *** or **** hotel is situated in the historical centre of Spoleto.

Distance: 51 km/31,6 miles (starting Viole) or 53 km / 33 miles (starting Assisi)
Ascent/Descent: + 326m –338m

Day 3 |Spoleto - Montefalco (30 km / 18,6 mi)

This morning you have time to visit Spoleto. Leaving the town, you cycle through a undulating landscape with olive groves and nice views of the valley. You will already see Montefalco from a distance, because it is built on a hill overlooking the valley and therefore known as the ‘balcony of Umbria’. So to reach this wine town, you first have to conquer a climb. Famous artists like Benozzo Gozzoli and Perugino decorate the Franciscan church, now a museum, with magnificent 15th and 16th century frescoes. On the sunny hills around Montefalco are the Sagrantine vineyards that produce excellent wines. You can taste these wines in many wine bars or during dinner in one of the cosy restaurants offering typical Umbrian food. Your overnight stay is in the centre of the town or just outside the town walls in a *** hotel or **** star hotel

Overnight stay in Montefalco
Distance: 30 km / 18,6 mi
Ascent/descent: +472m -338m

Day 4 | Montefalco - Bevagna-Assisi (44km / 23 mi or 30 km / 18,6 mi)

From Montefalco you have a nice downhill ride to Bevagna, where the medieval square with the two Romanesque churches is a real meeting place for the inhabitants. The route crosses the green valley. The longer ride passes Santa Maria degli Angeli, where you can visit the Franciscan basilica protecting under its impressive dome the humble little chapel Porziuncola, where Saint Francis lived. The shorter ride brings you directly to Assisi following the Assisi-Spoleto cycle path. The first sight of Assisi, perched halfway up the slopes of Mount Subasio is extraordinary. To get to the beautiful historical centre of Assisi you have to make a short but steep climb, but wandering through the town you will agree that it was worth effort. After your visit of Assisi you return to your starting hotel

Longer route:
Distance: 44 km / 31,6 miles
Ascent/Descent: + 342m –500m

Shorter route:
Distance: 30 km / 18,6 miles
Ascent/Descent: + 264m –338m

Day 5 | End of tour after breakfast

End of your tour through a wonderful valley.

Umbria Escape