The 5 Best Towns in Umbria Italy You Need to Visit

I’m sure there’s disagreement over the best towns in Umbria.

I mean, after all, we all tend to our favorite towns in any given country or region.

Right?

So I feel like I take these lists with a grain of salt, as the saying goes.

And you should probably take this list with a grain of salt because you may have some other towns in Umbria that you love.

These 5 towns are simply my favorite Umbrian towns.

But I like to share these lists as I know that often I’m sharing a new destination that you may not be familiar with.

So let’s get started!

 

Orvieto

Orvieto makes a lot best towns in Umbria lists for a few reasons.

Number 1 is that it is only takes about an hour an a half to get to Orvieto from Rome.

It actually makes a fabulous stop between Rome and Florence and the Tuscany region.

The second reason it’s one of the best towns in Umbria is because the cathedral is stunning!

It’s the main site in Orvieto.

This Duomo is a 14th century Italian Gothic structure that really is magnificent.

Another site is the underground tunnels that are a must for your visit.

They’re very cool.

St Patrick’s Well is another site you’ll see mentioned.

My opinion is that this is an okay site, but not a must.

However, the Torre del Moro is worth the climb if the weather is good because the views of the town and the surrounding countryside are fabulous!

Because of its proximity to Rome, Orvieto is very popular with tour groups as well as cruise groups.

So Orvieto is not off the tourist track.

But…here’s a hint.

Don’t just day trip here.

Stay a night or 2.

Because in the evenings, when all the tour groups have gone, it will be you and the locals.

The town is a delight to wander about before dinner and then again after.

Walk by the Duomo as it’s all lit up and the locals are hanging out in the piazza in front of it.

This is what you’ll remember most about Orvieto.

 

Gubbio

Gubbio, located in the northern part of Umbria, has a rich history that makes it one of the best towns in Umbria.

It’s the oldest town — so they think — in Umbria.

It’s definitely a Medieval town and can look a bit more grim and austere compared to some of the other towns on this list.

Gubbio is built into the hillside rather than sitting on top of it.

As a result it feels more angular than circular.

But don’t let this deter you as Gubbio a wonderful place to wander around and it has loads of sites.

There’s Palazzo dei Consoli, Palazzo Ducale, the Piazza Grande and several churches with the Duomo (the Cathedral) and the Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo being the 2 best.

The Palazzo dei Consoli sits in Piazza Grande and houses the civic museum.

This palace is the symbol of Gubbio and it’s beautiful.

And just outside this intriguing town are the excellent ruins of a Roman Theatre.

My time in Gubbio was short with just a day trip.

And it happened to be a Monday when so many sites can be closed.

My regret is not taking the funicular (or making the walk or driving) up to Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo as he is the patron saint of Gubbio and the views are spectacular from here.

And I regret not spending a bit more time here.

I guess I’ll have to go back.

The one thing I enjoyed was wandering around some of the small passageways and just taking in every day life in this Italian town.

Gubbio is definitely one of the best towns in Umbria not to be missed.

 

Montefalco

I love this little town!

Montefalco is really all about wine.

But you don’t have to be a wine afficianado to visit this amazing town in Umbria.

There’s a lovely main piazza in the heart of town and lots of churches in town and just outside of Montefalco.

The church of San Francesco is now the town’s museum.

It has an incredible collection of art and artifacts so, if this is interests you, then do stop by.

There are loads of wine shops where you can taste the outstanding Sagrantino di Montefalco and its little brother the Rosso di Montefalco.

The Sagrantino is made of 95% of this particular grape, Sagrantino, that grows in the area.

It’s a bold wine, but very tasty!

Rosso di Montefalco is lighter and is a blend of Sagrantino, Sangiovese and other red grapes — typically Merlot.

It’s delicious as well.

So if wine is your thing, then be sure to drop into one of the shops to do some tasting.

One of my favorite things about Montefalco is that 3 of the “gates” are still standing — Porta Sant’Agostino, Porta Camiano and Porta Federico II.

Montefalco is truly one of the best towns in Umbria.

Yes, it’s quite small so you can wander about it in half a day.

But stay the day and sit in the piazza with a glass of wine and watch the world go by.

La dolce vita!

 

Todi

The 2 times I’ve been to Umbria, I based myself near this beautiful hill town in Umbria.

Todi has a fairytale-like quality to it as it sits perched on that hilltop.

There are actually 3 different walls encircling it — Etruscan, Roman and Medieval.

I love spending time in the main town square — Piazza del Popolo.

It’s in this piazza that you’ll find the main sites of Todi.

The Palazzo del Popolo (Palazzo Vecchio) and Palazzo del Capitano (Palazzo Nuovo) are here. Palazzo del Capitano is home to the Civic Museum of Todi.

You’ll also find Palazzo dei Priori and the Cathedral which was built in the 12th century.

Right next to Piazza del Popolo is another small piazza — Piazza Garabaldi — where you’ll get some lovely views out to the surrounding countryside.

I find Todi to be a wonderful town to get a bit lost in.

Wander the little pedestrian ways to see where they take you.

The best towns in Umbria are the often the ones where you have no exact plan and you simply wander, stumbling upon authentic Italian life.

PS There are some good restaurants in Todi so you can refuel after all that walking!

 

Bevagna

Bevagna is my favorite town in Umbria.

I know there are many towns I have yet to see, so I suppose this could change.

But it truly is one of the best towns in Umbria.

For me, on that first visit to Umbria, it wasn’t on my radar.

But the owners of the agriturismo where I was staying kept telling me I needed to visit Bevagna.

And who am I to argue with an Italian?

So off I went.

And yes, I fell in love with it.

First of all Bevagna is NOT a hill town so walking around it is easier.

But that’s not why I fell in love with it.

I think, for me, Bevagna just seemed very real.

There aren’t loads of sites here so there aren’t hoards of tourists.

What I found was every day Italian life.

Folks sitting at the cafes conversing with friends and neighbors.

Parents collecting their children at school. (I thought there was some event going on when I saw all these people. But, no, just parents picking up their kiddos!)

Women doing the daily shopping.

I found myself wandering around, taking loads of photos and drinking in the Italian everyday-ness of it all.

Naturally there are some lovely churches to spend some time in.

San Michele Arcangelo is right in the main town square and is a lovely Romanesque church.

Bevagna is also a wonderful town to enjoy a good meal with lots of small, family-run restaurants.

Try Ristorante Ottavius and sit outside in the garden if the weather is nice.

Most of all, just wander about Bevagna and drink in all that Italian-ness.

 

Is your favorite on the list of best towns in Umbria?

Assisi, Spello, Spoleto, Norcia…

These are towns that might also make the best towns in Umbria list.

But I like to keep it to destinations I’ve actually visited and I have yet to get to these towns.

So if you want to chime in and tell me about your favorite town in Umbria, I’d love to hear about it.

Drop your comments below!

And if you want to know about my favorite towns in Tuscany, the be sure to check out my post on the most beautiful towns in Tuscany.