Walking Umbria, Walking the Marche
£10.00
60 long and short walks, 8 car tours
by Georg Henke
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A guidebook to walking in Umbria and the Marche, featuring 60 of the best long and short day walks. We cover all of Umbria and the Marche (except for the heavily developed Adriatic coast).
The main focal points are the two most beautiful areas of the Apennines – the idyllic, deeply-etched valley of Valnerina and the legendary Monti Sibillini which rise to almost 2500m.
We show trekking routes of varying difficulty, all of which are mapped in detail. Many of the hikes are circular, taking in this glorious Italian landscape dotted with villages, castles, monasteries and farms.
This guide also includes 8 car tours, 2 touring maps and free downloadable GPS tracks.
When to go: The best months for walking in Umbria and the Marche are from April to mid-June and September till the end of October.
Printed book: £12.99 / PDF book £10.00
Purchase the complete book as a downloadable PDF using the button below:
Umbria promotes itself as ‘Italy’s Green Heart’, and this description applies equally well to the lesser-known neighbouring region of the Marche.
The main focal points of this guide are the two most beautiful areas of the Apennines in the region – the idyllic, deeply-etched valley of Valnerina in Umbria and the legendary Monti Sibillini which rise to almost 2500m and lie mainly in the Marche.
Naturally there is a wealth of art and architecture to be seen en route, whether you travel by car or on foot: everywhere you go, you come upon villages, castles, monasteries and farms which even today make beautiful pictures straight out of the Middle Ages.
Key features
- 60 long and short walks, for all ages and abilities
- 1:50,000 topo maps
- free downloadable GPS tracks
- 8 car tours and fold-out touring maps
- public transport details
- online update service for the latest information
I found this book immensely helpful while planning for a vacation touring Umbria by car. The car tours are fantastic and hard to plan by yourself without the help of a person with intimate knowledge of the area. I loved the picnic recommendations… A great book in this excellent series. I strongly recommend it to anyone visiting Umbria. (BZ, Amazon)
Don’t let anyone tell you that Tuscany is the most beautiful part of Italy. I reckon Umbria is just as good, if not better, as it is more varied. From the plain of Assisi to the highest mountains this book will get your imagination going. Some of the walks are in remote and mountainous areas, and are not for the unfit or faint-hearted, but if you are touring then there are others such as the walk near Passignano on Lake Trasimeno which are no problem for the less energetic. Another great little book in the series. (AL, Amazon)
Recommended tourist centres are the starting and end-points for all the car tours. While details of public transport are given for each walk, you really need a hire car to make the best of all the possibilities in this guide.
8 car tours, each with suggestions for picnics en route, 60 long and short walks
136 pages + 2 touring maps; large-scale (1:50,000) walking maps
3rd ed, 2017; ISBN 978-1-85691-501-4; UK retail price £12.99 / USA retail price $18.00
Table of contents:
Preface 5
Getting there and getting about 7
Recommended reading 7
A country code for motorists and walkers 7
Touring 8
Car tour 1: MARE DEL UMBRIA – PERUGIA AND LAKE TRASIMENO 10
Car tour 2: FROM ORVIETO TO TODI, VIA AMELIA 14
Car tour 3: ASSISI, MONTE SUBASIO AND THE VALLE UMBRA 17
Car tour 4: FROM SPOLETO THROUGH THE MONTI MARTANI INTO THE SOUTHERN VALNERINA 21
Car tour 5: UMBRIA’S LONELY EAST: FROM SPOLETO TO THE MONTI SIBILLINI 25
Car tour 6: THROUGH THE CENTRAL APENNINES VIA LITTLE-KNOWN MOUNTAINS AND HISTORICAL TOWNS 29
Car tour 7: FROM URBINO THROUGH THE MONTEFELTRO 36
Car tour 8: ASCOLI PICENO AND THE MONTI SIBILLINI 40
Walking 45
Maps and waymarks 45
When to walk 46
Equipment 46
Walk descriptions, grading 47
Safety and precautions 47
THE WALKS
1 Passignano, Lake Trasimeno and Maggiore 49
2 Monte Tezio di Perugia 52
3 Circuit above Lake Corbara 54
4 From Santa Restituta to Monte Croce di Serra 56
5 From Assisi across Monte Subasio to Spello 58
6 The Menotre Falls and the monastery of Sassovivo 61
7 Across the olive groves of Trevi 64
8 Monteluco, above Spoleto 67
9 From Cesi across Monte Torre Maggiore to the
ruins of Carsulae 69
10 From Ferentillo to San Pietro in Valle 72
11 Through the Valnerina from Scheggino to Piedipaterno 75
12 Lonely mountains above the Valnerina 79
13 In the mountains round Gavelli 81
14 From Sant’Eutizio through Valle Castoriana 83
15 Above the rooftops of Gubbio 85
16 From Miratoio to Sasso di Simone 87
17 Above Furlo Gorge 90
18 On Monte Nerone near Piobbico 93
19 On Monte Nerone near Pianello 95
20 Around Fonte Avellana Monastery on Monte Catria 97
21 On Monte Cucco 99
22 Above the gorge of the Rio Freddo 101
23 Through Valle Scappuccia near Genga 104
24 The Gola della Rossa near Frasassi 106
25 Through the Apennines near Fabriano 109
26 Hermits’ caves above the Fiastrone Gorge 111
27 Above the Castelluccio Plateau 113
28 Along the slopes of Monte Utero 115
29 From Castelluccio to Lago di Pilato 117
30 Below the rocky pyramid of Monte Bove 119
31 Mountain trails above the Ambro Valley 121
32 Through the Infernaccio Gorge 124
33 In the Monti della Laga near Acquasanta 125
34 Colle San Marco, near Ascoli Piceno 126
35 On Montagna dei Fiori near Ascoli Piceno 128
36 Through the Gola di Salinello 130
37 Above the sea on Monte Conero 131
Index 135
Fold-out maps inside back cover
Abbazia di Sassovivo 61, 62
Acquasanta Terme 40, 44, 125
Amandola 40, 42
Ambro, gorge, stream, valley 121, 122-123
Amelia 14, 16
Apennines 5, 6, 21, 29, 40, 46, 47, 48, 109, 110
Arquata del Tronto 44
Arrone 21, 22
Ascoli Piceno 40, 44, 126, 126, 127, 128
Assisi 17, 18, 20, 58-59, 59
Badia San Pietro 131, 134
Baschi 15
Bevagna 17, 20
Borgo Cerreto 77, 78
Cagli 29, 30
Campello Alto 19, 65, 66
Campello sul Clitunno 64, 65
Campi Vecchio 27, 83, 84
Carsulae 21, 22, 23, 69, 70-71
Casali 119, 120
Cascata
della Volpara 125
delle Marmore 21, 23
Cascia 25, 28
Case Barboni 88-89, 88
Castel Rigone 10, 11
Castel San Felice 24, 28, 75, 76
Castello di Pissignano 19, 65, 66
Castello Procoio 53
Castelluccio 25, 27, 43, 113, 114, 114, 117
Piano Grande or Altopiano (Castelluccio Plateau) 4-5, 27, 40, 43, 113, 114, 117
Castiglione del Lago 10, 11
Cesi 21, 22, 69, 70-1
Chiusi (Tuscany) 10, 12
Citta della Pieve 10, 12
Civita di Bagnoregio 14, 15
Civitella del Lago 14, 15
Colfiorito 17, 18
Palude de 18
Colle San Marco 126
Corciano 10, 13
Due Sorelle (beach) 131, 132-133
Elcito 33
Eremo
delle Carceri 58-59
San Marco 126, 127
Esanatoglia 34
Esino, river, valley 107, 107
Fabriano 29, 35, 109, 110
Fematre 25
Ferentillo 21, 72, 73, 74, 75, 77
Fiastrone Gorge (see Gola)
Foce 40
Fonte Avellana (monastery) 29, 31, 97, 97
Fonte Vecchia 121, 122, 122-123
Fonti del Clitunno 19
Frasassi (caves, gorge, nature reserve) 29, 33, 106, 107
Freddo, river, gorge, valley 100, 101
Frontone 31
Furlo 91, 92
Gorge (see Gola)
Gavelli 81, 82
Genga 104, 105
Gioiella 11
Gola
dell’Infernaccio 42, 124
del Fiastrone 42, 111, 111
della Rossa 106, 107
di Furlo 36, 39, 90, 91
di Salinello 130, 130
Guardea 14
Gubbio 29, 35, 85, 86
Infernaccio Gorge (see Gola)
Isola Maggiore 10, 11, 49, 50, 51
Isola Polvese 10, 13
Labro 21, 23
Lago
di Chiusi (Tuscany) 12
di Corbara 15, 16, 54, 55, 55
di Fiastra 40, 42
di Gerosa 41
di Piediluco 21, 23
di Pilato 40, 117, 118
Trasimeno 49, 50-51
Lakes (see Lago)
Lugnano in Teverina 14, 15
Madonna dell’Ambro 42, 121, 122, 122-123
Madonna della Neve 25, 27
Madonna di Macereto 43
Magione 10, 13
Massa 30
Matelica 34
Meggiano 25
Menotre, waterfalls, valley 61, 62
Mercatello sul Metauro 38
Miratoio 87, 88, 89
Monastero 111, 112
Montagna dei Fiori 40, 128, 129, 129
Monte
Bove 43, 119, 120
Catria 34, 96
Conero 6, 131
Corsegno 109, 110
Croce (near San Felice) 102-103
Croce di Serra (near Santa Restituta) 56, 57, 57
Cucco (mountain, nature reserve) 29, 35, 99, 100, 102
dell’Eremita 81, 82, 82
delle Rose 112, 113, 114
Nerone 30, 93, 95
Subasio 58-9
Tezio di Perugia 52
Torre Maggiore 22, 69, 70-71
Utero 115, 116, 116
Montefalco 17, 19, 20
Montefeltro 36, 87, 88
Monteleone di Spoleto 25, 28
Monteluco 67
Monti
della Laga 125
Martani 21, 22
Sibillini 6, 25, 26, 40, 47, 111, 119
Nera, river (see Valnerina)
Nocera Umbra 17, 18
Norcia 25, 27, 28
Orvieto 1, 14, 16
Pale 61, 62
Panicale 10, 12
Passignano sul Trasimeno 10, 11, 49, 50-51
Pennabilli 36, 38
Perugia 10, 12, 53
Pettino 17, 19
Piagge 126, 127
Pianello 30, 95, 96
Piedipaterno 75, 76, 77, 78
Pieia 95, 96
Pietralunga 29
Pietrarubbia, Castello di 37
Piobbico 29, 30, 32, 36, 39, 93
Pissignano, Castello di 19
Pontuglia 73, 79
Porano 1
Portaria 21, 22
Portonovo (bay) 131, 134
Preci 25, 26
San Felice 100, 101
San Feliciano 10
San Leo 36, 37, 38
San Leonardo 124, 124
San Pietro in Valle 21, 24, 72, 73, 74
San Severino Marche 29, 34
Sant’Angelo in Vado 36, 38
Sant’Antolia di Narco 75, 76
Sant’Eutizio 26, 27, 83, 84
Sant’Ubaldo 85, 86
Santa Maria Giacobbe 60, 61, 62
Santa Restituta 14, 16, 56, 57
Sarnano 40, 41, 42
Sasso di Simone 36, 38, 87, 88
Sassocorvaro 36
Sassoferrato 29, 32
Sassovivo Monastery (see Abbazia)
Scheggino 21, 24, 75, 76, 77
Schioppo 73, 80
Sensati 73, 79
Serra San Quirico 33
Sirolo 131, 132, 133
Spello 17, 20, 58-59
Spoleto 21, 24, 25, 28, 67, 68
Titignano 14, 16, 54, 55
Todi 14, 16, 54
Trevi 2, 6, 17, 19, 64, 65, 66, cover
Trivio 104, 105, 105
Urbania 36
Urbino 36, 37, 39
Val di Castro 33
Valle Castoriana 83, 84
Valle Scappuccia 104, 105, 105
Vallecchia 44
Vallo di Nero 25, 28, 76, 77
Valnerina (valley of the river Nera) 6, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28, 62, 63, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 79
Visso 25, 26, 40, 43
Vitoschio, river, valley 31, 93, 94
Umbria and the Marches, 3rd ed (2017); updated 10/7/22
Updates for walks and car tours (drives) in Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast given below supplement those provided in the guidebook. It is vital that this Update is read in conjunction with the text of the book, but note that the Update applies only to the edition stated and not to any earlier editions. (If you have an older edition of this book you can “upgrade” to the latest edition at half price.)
Information has been forwarded to us by users of the book, and Sunflower Books offers the data in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any misleading or inaccurate content in the Update. Unless indicated otherwise, what appears here has not been verified by the author or publisher, so please allow due caution when new or amended routes are suggested. Each piece of information is dated; bear in mind that some of the older observations may have since been overtaken by events or further changes. If, during your holiday, you are using the current edition of the guide and are able to provide any additional updating to add to this page, we will be pleased to hear from you. Please send information, preferably by e-mail, to info@sunflowerbooks.co.uk.
Car tour 1: ‘Signora Volpe’ (Acorn) is a new TV series started in May 2022 that perfectly showcases the area of Car tour 1 in our guide to Umbria. The landscape photography is just gorgeous, centering on Panicale and Perugia. If you have been toying with the thought of going to Umbria as opposed to heavily visited Tuscany, have a look at the three episodes so far produced. (Sunflower)
Walk 8: The end of the walk directs you across the “Ponte delle Torri” back to the start point in Spoleto. Unfortunately the path across this bridge was closed. It looks as though it may be long term; according to other online reviews, it is apparently due to earthquake damage. We found our way back to the town via roads, rather than retrace our steps. (User, 3/18)
GPS files for use with Landscapes of Umbria and the Marches:
Download GPS files for Landscapes of Umbria
iPhone users need a free or paid app to open the zip file and see the files stored inside it. There are a variety of apps that can open zip files on the iPhone, but Zip Viewer is one of the easiest to use – and it is free.
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