The charms of Tuscany are well known, but some of the more popular spots have become confected, where streets that once had butchers and bakers are now populated only by tourist shops. For this reason, I’ve always been smitten with Umbria, Tuscany’s poor cousin next door. Ever since we went there on our honeymoon in the last century, literally, I fell in love with it. Its medieval streets are just as beautiful as its neighbour’s; but the people who live there are still getting their meat from the local butcher. After all the hoo-ha about a certain billionaire’s wedding in Venice, isn’t it nice to go to places where they are happy to see you coming? We recently revisited one of our favourite honeymoon spots, Castiglione del Lago on Lake Trasimeno. Less than two hours from Rome (you can go by train, but hiring a car lets you explore the many other beautiful hilltop villages in the region), it sits high on a promontory above the lake shore. We went in May so, while it gets busy in the summer, at this time of year the bar man remembers your drink when you go back the following night. It’s friendly, like most of Italy. The food is wonderful, with many restaurants specialising in fish from the lake, with local favourites like wild boar (cinghiale), truffles and wild mushrooms appearing on all menus. There is a cycle track all around the lake, about 60 km in total. We hired e-bikes in town, and cycled half-way around, to Passignano sul Trasimeno. After a bottle of wine with our lunch on a lake side terrace, we decided to take the safer option of the ferry back to base.
Umbrian wine is making its way slowly into the Irish market, though in the 90s Orvieto wine was on all restaurant menus. It now seems to have been replaced by the often less interesting Pinot Grigio. The red wines, like Montefalco Rosso, are made mostly from Sangiovese, the grape of Chianti, and are well worth seeking out.
Wandering into the beautiful 13th century town of Orvieto, we decided to stay the night, and easily found a hotel at the last minute. The joy of travelling off-season. We were able to enjoy a negroni, as the evening light reflected on the mosaic façade of the stunning Gothic cathedral, which rises above Orvieto’s narrow streets. For me, this area is a joy to meander in. It feels unhurried and, while in high summer it is obviously busy, it still doesn’t reach the hectic levels of the more popular destinations.
We spent a few days in Viterbo, just across the border in Lazio, less than an hour from Rome. This is a vibrant university town, buzzing with life and chatter from outside tables teeming with locals and tourists out for the night. A beautiful medieval town, it has been the location for many movies, including George Clooney’s recent adaptation of ‘Catch 22’. Our favourite spot was a tree-shaded restaurant terrace in the middle of town. There, a glass of Malvasia with chicken cacciatore delivered that feeling of well-being only produced by dappled sunshine and lunchtime wine. Viterbo is famous for its natural hot springs, and has both free, wild bathing spots, and fancy resorts in which you can benefit from the hot, mineral-rich waters in more luxurious surroundings.
On this trip, we decided to also check out other lakes in the area. Along with Trasimeno, we visited Lake Bolsena, and Lago Di Vico and Lake Bracciano. All these lakes have gorgeous lake-side towns, restaurants serving the usual wonderful food and wine, and are not overdeveloped with hotels piled high along their shores. We had lunch in Bolsena, shaded by plane trees, with the water lapping at our ankles. Lake Bolsena, Europe’s largest volcanic crater lake, is at the heart of this region, known as Tuscia, which joins the three provinces of Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio.
We spent our final night in Trevignano Romano, on the shores of Lake Bracciano. Being less than an hour from the centre of Rome, this lake is the holiday spot of choice for Romans escaping the intense summer heat. The lake is crystal clear and perfect for a swim, though pool shoes would be handy for the stones underfoot. Restaurants with jasmine-covered terraces face the sparking waters, serving wine produced in vineyards on the slopes above the lake. We visited the cantina of a local vineyard in Trevignano, where we bought a few bottles of Vermentino and metodo classico, the Italian version of Champagne. This will help to conjure up lakeside memories on a drizzly November night.
Details
(All paid for, not sponsored, these are just places we found really good)
• Fly Cork-Rome twice weekly with Ryanair
• Trains from Trenitalia.com
• Indigo Car Hire +441132899281. They made our journey very simple, and ask for Jake or Cherie (really!) The car hire desk at airports is usually so stressful, we have used these guys a few times and found them so helpful.
• Hotel Mali, Trevignano Romano, Lake Bracciano: rooms from €107 – a small hotel on the lake shore, ask for a lake view room
• Grand Hotel Italia, Orvieto: rooms from €150 – lovely old hotel right in the centre of town, we had a fifth floor room with a terrace looking out over rooftops and rolling hills.
