Hiking in Umbria, Italy

Picture courtesy - http://medberths.com

Even though it is an extremely popular area with hikers from around the world, in some ways Umbria in Italy is not geared up for hikers. The trails that pass along the perfect valleys, through verdant fields and vineyards, to hill-top hamlets, country churches and ancient ruins, are idyllic, thought often poorly signposted. Sometimes, the most picturesque trail can just peter out to nothing leaving you stranded in a pastoral idyll without a clue of where you are or where you are headed. If you are hiking in Umbria, it is almost inevitable that you will get lost at some point – but far from being a negative, being lost in Umbria is one of the very best things you can do. Some of the most delightful experiences happen when you wander off the beaten track and find yourself somewhere you never expected to be. Live in the moment and enjoy the scenery, even if it takes you a little bit longer to get where you are going.

Picture courtesy - http://www.franciscantrail.it

One of Umbria's most delightful hikes is the Franciscan Trail, which runs through scenic splendour between Assisi and Gubbio. This route takes in many old religious sites – a number of historic churches, abbeys and hermitages, which is appropriate considering its namesake is St. Francis. With its gentle, rolling hills dotted with the buildings associated with a rural life, this is a lush, green landscape of immense pastoral charm.

Picture courtesy - http://www.wild-wonders.com

Sibilline National Park straddles the border between Umbria and Le Marche. It is an infinitely breathtaking and beautiful region, home to dramatic mountain peaks, plateau's blooming with wildflowers and a beautiful glacial lake, Il Lago di Pilates, beaneath whose tranquil water the bones of Pontius Pilate are said to lie. One of the most memorable hikes in the park is the one that takes you up Mount Vettore to the lake. Begin your walk in Castelluccio for magnificent views of the Piano Grande Plateau.

Picture courtesy - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoleto

Another delightful route follows the track of the old railway which ran between Spoleto and Norcia. Leave the mediaeval town of Spoleto behind you, after looking at the tiny restored station with its railway-related exhibits, and you can follow the train through the mountains and walk through some of the most beautiful landscapes in Italy. In the sleepy silence of the little settlements of Caprareccia, Sant’Anatolia di Narco-Scheggino, Piedipaterno-Vallo di Nera and Borgo Cerreto-Sellano it is hard to imagine the bustle and noise that the railway will once have brought. Norcia, at the end of the trail, is a food-lover's dream – reward yourself with some of the delicious black truffles or some scrumptious charcuterie.

Picture courtesy - wallpaperweb.org

Further south in the Valnerina, the scenery is just as beautiful and more dramatic, with its imposing peaks. The changeable weather and rugged scenery of this landscape make for many fairytale-like walks through a landscape that it is easy to believe is populated by witches and dragons and the like.

These are just a few of the many delights of Umbria, where it is a pleasure to get lost.

Content Courtesy - http://www.traveleze.co.uk

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