Search hotels in Umbria, Italy

One of Italy’s smallest regions, fabulous Umbria has stunning hilltop towns, rolling vineyards and magnificent architecture to rival its more famous neighbour Tuscany.

The capital Perugia is a university town whose cobbled centre houses medieval art, steep streets and shops selling locally made chocolate. It also hosts a jazz festival, while the annual Festival of the Two Worlds is in Spoleto, a town with a hilltop castle and well-preserved Roman theatre.

Remains of a Roman theatre are also in walled Gubbio, one of Italy’s best-preserved medieval towns. North-east, Città di Castello has excellent galleries and a church visible for miles around. The same is true of the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi, dedicated to the saint who lived in poverty. Ironically, this hillside town has one of the few 5-star Umbria hotels.

Foligno has a peaceful river and further south Terni is near the multi-level Marmore waterfalls. Orvieto on a sheer escarpment to the north-west houses the jewel in the Umbrian crown – a fantastic cathedral with a gold-mosaic façade.

To the north, jutting into Lake Trasimeno on a piece of land that was once an island, is Castiglione del Lago. In the east, tranquil Norcia in the foothills of the Monti Sibillini National Park houses some of the many Umbria hotels in the countryside on Booking.com.