Agriturismo Villa La Rogaia

Travel recommendations and tips for your holidays in Umbria and Tuscany, Italy

Umbria lies in the heart of Italy between Florence and Rome. Trasimeno Lake almost touches Tuscany in the West.

Would you like to get in the mood for a vacation at agritourism Villa La Rogaia in Umbria? Would you like to know more about the leisure and cultural activities at Lake Trasimeno, in Umbria and Tuscany ? We invite you to browse through our website. Here you will find information about

• Umbria and Tuscany, cultural events, festivals, leisure activities and sports around Lake Trasimeno
• Towns in our vicinity such as Assisi, Perugia, Arezzo, Siena and Cortona
• Walking and hiking by foot and mountain biking in Umbria and Tuscany
• Gourmet travels in Umbria and Tuscany and everything about excellent food, wine and Italian recipies
• Wellness and relax at La Rogaia and the Tuscan thermal spas

Cetinale in Siena

We have only included some of our personal tips and recommendations which we do not claim to be complete. If you would like to know more about travelling in Umbria and Tuscany please check our link pages or travel guides. At the bottom of this page we have listed a few suggestions for books on Umbria, Tuscany and Italy. And in case you run short of reading material during your stay at La Rogaia: We are happy to help you out from our collection of travel guides, novels, art and children’s books.

These pages with tips for your vacation in Umbria and Tuscany are being updated regularly. Come back to see what’s new !

Umbria and Tuscany

Umbria is the green heart of Italy: dark green the woody slopes of the hills, light green the vineyards, silver green the olive groves. At the border to Tuscany this heart has a blue spot: the Trasimeno Lake, enclosed by endless rolling hills and picturesque little hill towns and villages. Less crowded than Tuscany to the West, Umbria still is a refuge for connoisseurs who seek for origial country holidays and half-hidden retreats still largely untroubled by visitors. But yet Umbria is everything else but sleepy. Many Umbrian and Tuscan villages offer art, culture, food and views of which many a European city would be proud. There is the spiritual world capitol Assisi, Perugia with its internationally renommated jazz festival and the innumerable festas and festivals in almost every little village throughout Umbria.
When getting to La Rogaia you will find information brochures, maps for hiking, time tables and event calendars in your holiday apartment.

Music Festivals in Umbria

• Umbria Jazz Festival at Perugia (in July):
  Jazz stars from all over the world and free open air concerts in the city
• Trasimeno Blues (July and August):
  Blues open air concerts in the towns around Lake Trasimeno
• Festival Giovani Artisti in our village Castel Rigone (in August):
  Classical concerts on the romantic little Piazza San Francesco
• Preggio Music Festival (July and August):
  Classical music performed by musicians from England, Holland, Italy and Germany, some of world class level.

Sagre : Folk festivals in Umbria

Every village in Umbria celebrates a folk festival at least once a year, with music, dance, theatre and above all homemade food.

Sagra delle Castagne (chestnut festival) at Preggio (3rd weekend of October). The villagers prepare their home specialities, such as pasta with game, fried mushrooms or chestnut tarts. You can enjoy these together with must and new wine.

More information about the sagre you can get from us during your stay or from the tourist information centres.

Sports and leisure activities

Our suggestions for hiking by foot or mountain biking you can find here: hiking and mountain biking
Information about water sports at Trasimeno Lake you can find here: Trasimeno Lake

Horseback riding

Would you like to discover Umbria from horseback? There are several riding schools in our vicinity:
Poggio del Belveduto between Castel Rigone and Passignano organizes cross country riding in the hills above Lake Trasimeno and archery.
Circolo Ippico di Valvasone at Magione offers pony-riding for children and cross country riding. The daughter of the friendly family enterprise just became national champion in endurance horse riding.

Golf

Golf Club Lamborghini at Panicale: 9-holes-golf course of the legendary car producer Lamborghini; golf school.

Paragliding

Monte Subasio above Assisi and Monte Cucco close to Gubbio are a paradise for the silent knights of the air.

River rafting and canoeing

On the rivers Nera and Corno (close to Norcia) or at the Marmora waterfalls you can discover unspoilt nature from a raft, canoe or kayak.

Star watching

For all hobby astronomers: the clear nights at La Rogaia allow fascinating views of the starry sky above ...

Reading suggestions around Umbria, Tuscany and Italy:

Travel guides:

• Reid Bramblett: Tuscany & Umbria. Frommer’s. Hungry Minds, New York 2002
• James Lasdun and Pia Davis: Walking and Eating in Tuscany and Umbria. Penguin, London 1997
• Penelope Hobhouse: Gardens of Italy. Octopus, London 1998

Travel literature:

• D.H. Lawrence: Twilight in Italy
• D.H. Lawrence: Etruscan Places. Secker, London 1932

Novels:

• Barry Unsworth: After Hannibal. Hamilton Ltd., London 1996
• Frances Mayes: Bella Tuscany. The Sweet Life in Italy. Broadway Books, 1998
• Michael Ondaatje: The English Patient. Knopf, New York 1992 (The novel partly takes place in the surroundings of Arezzo)

Enjoy your reading!

to Lake Trasimeno