by Silvia Matricardi
The third travel experience we would like to propose is EXPERIENCE UMBRIAN NATURE.
It is not easy to describe Umbrian landscape, as it is very diverse and characterized by many areas with totally different features. Umbrian land is mainly covered by mountains and hills and its territory is preserved by six regional and one national natural parks. During a journey in Umbria you can easily see several kinds of natural surroundings and pass from one kind to another in a very short time: from the Appennine mountains and the hilly ranges, to the large valleys and broad lowlands, through vineyards and olive groves, from cultivated valleys to bare plateaux, from ilex and oak woods to lakes, rivers and waterfalls. No wonder if, given this overall picture of scenic beauty, Umbria has been nicknamed “The Green Heart of Italy”.
To explore all these different environments 4 days are not enough; anyway, in such a short time you can have a taste and feel of some of their main peculiarities. First of all, our mountains covered by an old vegetation that in some cases has been preserved since ancient times and keeps the characteristics it had in past centuries, with all the beautiful tracks and paths that winds for kilometres and unlock hidden hermitages, ancient convents and churches. Then, the sweet landscape of rolling hills, vineyards, olive groves and villages that you can find in the Umbra Valley, with its rich farming culture and traditions linked to olive and vine harvesting and processing, like in the area of Montefalco. And also wild Umbria, that you can see in the Valnerina Valley, nestling between pictoresque gorges, and in Norcia area; this is the reign of wild waters, such as those of the Nera and Corno river and of the Marmore Waterfalls, but also those of the springs in Sellano and La Rocchetta area, with their curative properties.
As the other travel experiences we are presenting, this one starts with a welcome aperitif at guests’ arrival in Spoleto, followed by a typical dinner (with local cheese, cold cuts, pasta and meat); it takes them on a a tour of Spoleto city center and its main monuments, that “talk” about the city’s Roman and Medieval history. Then the real naturalistic tour starts, with an 1h20 minutes hiking on the top of Monteluco, a sacred mountain covered by ilexes and oaks woods, following an ancient hermits’ path; after a picnic guests can visit the sacred forest and monastery and then take a 2hours walk along another beautiful pathway. The second day offers the experience of another kind of typical Umbrian landscape, the green and hilly Montefalco area, with a biking tour of Montefalco along the Sagrantino Road, characterized by hundreds of vineyard, from which the famous Sagrantino and Montefalco Rosso wine are made; during the day we will stop and visit two vineries and enjoy some wine and local food tasting, before going back to the hotel. The third day lets guests explore another side of Umbria, the Valnerina and Norcia area, the kingdom of water, woods and mountain, with its beautiful medieval castles, towers and churches perched here and there, its natural parks and beautiful walks: after a visit of Norcia, with his heart-shaped medieval surrounding walls, main square hosting several historical buildings and the St. Benedict church, its narrow streets and old buildings and its typical shops and norcinerie (pork butchery shops), the tour heads to the Valnerina, the narrow valley carved and shaped throught the centuries by the flowing of the chilly Nera river, where visitors will enjoy a 7km rafting journey on Corno river.
The tour can end here or it can go on with a 3-days visit of Tuscany (Firenze, Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti area) and 2-days visit of Rome.For detailed information: http://www.umbrianescapes.it/
