Central Italy offers a perfect combination of beautiful towns, both small and large, nestled in stunning country landscapes. While much-loved Tuscany is the region most popular with tourists, their beautiful sister often overshadows other areas worth visiting. Many surprises await you throughout central Italy.
Let us take you to a land of milk and honey. The Emilia-Romagna region is famous not only for its culinary specialties but also for its warm hospitality. Charming and culture-rich towns such as Ravenna, Bologna, Ferrara, Modena, and Parma make the region a real highlight. The Apennine Ridge and Po River Delta offer unforgettable nature experiences. And the Adriatic coast is much more than just miles of beautiful beaches!
Emilia-Romagna is well connected to the Marche region. Never heard of it? Or the seaside city of Ancona? The region offers many important centers, like Urbino, Loreto, Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, and other gems, and it provides a relaxed vacation with no mass tourism. And the food and wine are as delicious as in Emilia-Romagna. Pure nature is to be found in the Apennines and Sibylline Mountains.
These mountains border the region of Umbria, which is less well known. St. Francis was born in Assisi, and the secluded mountain town of Norcia in the Apennines is the birthplace of St. Benedict. But Umbria has much more to offer. Its capital, Perugia, offers 2500 years of history within 500 yards. In Gubbio, you’ll find the town hall square that no other medieval town ever dared to build. The city of Spoleto is the secret capital of Umbria, and how can we forget Orvieto, whose cathedral is one of the most important in Italy? It’s also the perfect place to enjoy a glass of the local wine. The Umbrian “sea,” Lake Trasimeno, the secluded Nera Valley, and Sibylline Mountain all offer you pure nature to enjoy. The tranquility of this Umbrian hill is unique, as even the Tuscans must admit.
There is another region that nearly borders the mountains of Umbria and is quite literally the high point of a trip to the Apennine Ridge. Abruzzo has the highest mountain in the Apennines – the Gran Sasso – and other sites of indescribable natural beauty. In the mountains between Campo Imperatore and Campotosto Lake, in the Maiella massif, and even in the foothills, you will find magnificent scenery and charming, authentic places that few tourists know about. Villages like Campli, Civitella, Santo Stefano, and Calascio are among the most beautiful in Italy. The best thing about Abruzzo is its rich diversity. We’ll show you a pastoral mountain world where cows, sheep, and goats all graze peacefully. And the stunning coastline, with its nature reserves and the famous octopus-shaped fishing docks of the Trabocchi, is not to be missed.
To the west lies the region of Lazio, which boasts an incredible wealth of landscapes. One of Italy’s largest regions, the capital city of Rome is just one of its attractions. To the north lies the largest volcanic lake in Europe, Lake Bolsena, and the area has much to offer, from Civita di Bagnoregio to Viterbo and the richly decorated Etruscan tombs in Tarquinia. Treasures such as the Bomarzo “Monster Park”, the Villa Lante, and the Palazzo Farnese are particularly memorable. Lake Bracciano is a pleasant place and a good starting point for visiting Rome. There are small nature reserves along the coast south of the capital, while high mountains rise inland. The Ciociaria is a mountainous area off the beaten path, with intriguing villages that feature impressive cyclopean masonry. Anagni, once the center of the papacy, is a defiant town boasting a medieval Sistine Chapel of great beauty. And Monte Cassino is widely known, as the monastery has come to symbolize the destruction of important cultural assets and the never-ending horrors of war.