The Middle Ages, Gastronomy, and Cycling at Lake Trasimeno

Lake Trasimeno and the villages that border its shores offer a perfect combination of nature and medieval Italian architecture.

An ideal place to spend a romantic weekend, go on an easy bike ride, or simply relax by the lake.

It offers a wide range of possibilities for enjoying your free time: charming villages, history, nature walks, beaches, sailing, gastronomy...

Still unsure about this destination? Let me give you some details.

When to go

Although the quality of its waters is monitored and they are perfectly suitable for swimming, I wouldn't recommend it as a beach destination (I prefer the sea).

However, Lake Trasimeno is a fairly popular destination among Italians for an affordable family getaway when the weather is hot, as the Italian coasts bordering the Mediterranean and Adriatic seas see a considerable increase in prices during the summer. At this time of year, therefore, there is a high influx of visitors; but if you are on a tight budget and/or have young children, this could be a good option.

If you want to avoid crowds or if, like me, you don't like swimming in lakes, I recommend visiting the area in spring, when cycling the route will be much more enjoyable.

We spent a weekend there at the end of March 2016. During our stay, the weather was quite changeable, with foggy mornings and a heavy downpour on the first night. The temperature during the day was pleasant (long sleeves were sufficient), but it dropped considerably at night (you'll need a good coat).

We had a great time, but my photographer was disappointed by the sunsets, which are supposed to be spectacular.

Directions

My favorite way to travel around Italy is by car. This was the first stop on a tour of Umbria, so we chose to travel by car, which is the most convenient way to get around freely, without having to depend on schedules.

However, if you plan to visit only one place, traveling by train is a very practical option in this country. Tickets are cheap, and several of the towns surrounding the lake have train stations connected to major cities such as Rome, Perugia , and Florence.

Villages

There are several towns settled around the lake. The best known are Passignano sul Trasimeno and Castiglione del Lago, which is not surprising, as they are the ones with the easiest access to Trasimeno.

Passignano sul Trasimeno

It has a beautiful medieval center and the views from its shore towards the lake are stunning.

If you want to watch and/or photograph the sunset, anywhere between this city and the village of San Feliciano is a great option.

Find a bar with a view and... enjoy!

Castiglione del Lago

This was the town I liked the most, and not surprisingly, it is considered one of the most beautiful towns in Italy.

It has a walled village (borgo) on the hill, with beautiful views of Lake Trasimeno. This medieval area consists of two parallel inner streets, one focused entirely on gastronomic tourism, the other quiet and very little traveled.

From the entrance, you can walk through any of them until you reach the Ducal Palace and the Medieval Fortress, both of which are connected. Admission costs €5 per person and is well worth it, as the view from the fortress is spectacular.

It is also very pleasant to stroll along the border between Castiglione and the lake shore, either on foot or by bike (there is a fairly wide bike path).

Islands

Lake Trasimeno has three islands:

• Polvese Island, connected by boat to San Feliciano. It is the largest of the three and offers guided tours and nature walks; although, according to some, it is not very well preserved.
• Isla Minore, the smallest and uninhabited island.
• Isola Maggiore, the most visited island. From its summit, you can enjoy beautiful views of the lake and surrounding area. In addition to numerous walking trails, it has several churches, palaces, and a castle that is open to visitors. You can reach it by boat from Passignano sul Trasimeno, Tuoro al Trasimeno, and Castiglione del Lago.

Beaches

You won't find many beaches as such on this lake, but there are places where you can sunbathe by the shore in Castiglione del Lago, Tuoro al Trasimeno, Magione, and Passignano sul Trasimeno.

I can't guarantee that it's free to use, since in Italy almost all beaches are private, well equipped with sun loungers and umbrellas for visitors, and you have to pay to use them. You can certainly find free areas without any facilities, but they are few and far between.

As I said, the water is suitable for swimming and safe, although I understand that the bottom is somewhat muddy.

Bike route

There is a beautiful bike route around the lake, which is fairly well signposted.

There are times when it's easy to get a little lost, or at least to have doubts, but adventure is where the fun is!

We rented a couple of bicycles from the shop Cicli Valentiniin Castiglione del Lago for €10 per day each (you can choose between city bikes or mountain bikes).

The service we received from the store staff was exceptional, and we highly recommend this establishment. Since we picked them up on a Saturday afternoon and they are closed on Sundays, they let us keep them until Monday morning and only charge us for one day. They even allowed us to leave them at the hotel where we were staying, since Monday was also a holiday. They picked them up themselves the next day.

At the end of this post, I'll leave a link to a map that roughly shows what the route is like (about 100 kilometers if you do the whole thing), including areas shared with road traffic and bike lanes.

The route to follow is marked by a sign with a red arrow and a cyclist. You will find it at almost every point where you need to change direction.

In general, if you don't see a sign, it means you should keep going in the same direction. 

There is a spot where a tree has fallen. You should not go all the way to that tree, as the trail veers off inland quite a bit before reaching it.

I have tried to mark the route we took as best as possible on the map at the bottom of this page. Perhaps it will be of some help to you.

It is approximately 25 kilometers from Castiglione to Passignano .

At times you walk alongside the lake, at other times you are separated from it by green fields. At one point, the path crosses the main road and runs through a small forest between houses. If it has just rained, part of the latter may be muddy (despite this, we passed through without much trouble).

I recommend bringing enough water, some food, sunscreen, and a hat.

If you are afraid of dogs, keep in mind that at certain points you will encounter some loose dogs, barking at the noise of the bike and even chasing you a little. Nothing to worry about, but perhaps someone with a phobia might feel uncomfortable.

To return, we planned to take the boat that goes from Passignano sul Trasimeno to Castiglione del Lago, passing by Isola Maggiore, since, according to the people who rented us the bikes, it is possible to take them on the boat.

And that's how it is... except on Sundays and other holidays. Only they didn't tell us this until we were at the Passignano dock. And as you can imagine... it was Sunday.

It was very frustrating to see the boat leave half empty due to a highly questionable rule that was not advertised anywhere. This setback prevented us from seeing Castiglione from the water, which must be worth seeing.

As it was very hot and we were already tired, we decided to take a train back to Castiglione.

The trip cost €2.55 per person plus €1.30 per bicycle. In our case, we had to wait two hours for a train to pass and had to change trains (not very far).

They are small towns, so trains do not run very frequently, especially on weekends.

Where to stay

There are many options around Castiglione del Lago.

Of all of them, we decided on the Le Macerine, for €80 per night (plus €1 per person per night in tourist tax).

The rooms are very spacious, with a small sitting area. They are actually semi-detached rooms with front and rear doors, set in the middle of a communal garden with lawn.

The Wi-Fi didn't work very well, but everything else was perfect. The breakfast, included in the price, was quite good. The cakes, all homemade, were particularly noteworthy, while the savory breakfast options were somewhat limited, though present and acceptable.

Where to eat

The medieval center of Castiglione del Lago is full of restaurants and high-quality dining options at reasonable prices. As I mentioned, one of the streets is a true paradise for food lovers.

There are several shops selling typical products, with a special focus on legumes produced in the area. Trasimeno beans, for example, are highly prized.

They also have many pork and wild boar products, as well as a wide variety of cheeses. You can sample products at many of the establishments before buying whatever you like best.

As for restaurants, we tried two, both of which are highly recommended:

Porta Senese

We had appetizers for dinner at this restaurant. It's a cantina with very good wines, and although we thought we would just have a drink...

The night came alive all by itself!

As an appetizer, they only offer cold cuts and cheeses, accompanied by the typical unsalted bread of Umbria, but everything was delicious.

We couldn't have dinner (and had to leave earlier than we wanted) because we hadn't made a reservation. Despite that, everything on the menu looked very good.

I recommend booking in advance if you want to dine here (I would). To give you an idea, we paid €50 for two appetizers (for two), six glasses of wine, and a dessert.

The Aquarium

On the second night, we went to the restaurant L'Acquario, where reservations are also required.

It's a bit larger thanPorta Senese, but very charming.

We shared a platter of delicious cheeses (especially the truffle cheese), two fish main courses (which is why the restaurant has that name), and a dessert; this time, without wine.

We paid €57 in total and left very satisfied.

As you can see, the Lake Trasimeno area offers entertainment for all ages.

Whether you want to take a weekend getaway or are traveling through Umbria or Tuscany, it's worth stopping by the shore to enjoy the scenery.

And remember, if you need more details about this destination, leave me a comment below. I'll be happy to help you in any way I can.

Budget

• Accommodation: €162 total, €40.50 per person per night (breakfast included).
• Food: €107, €27 per person per day (dinner only; we ate sandwiches we brought from home).
• Bike rental: €20, €10 per person.

In total, we spent €289 over two full days, €72.25 per person per day.

Useful Links

• Official website of the Italian railway network.
• Website of Cicli Valentini.
• Map of the bike route.
• Hotel Le Macerine.
• Flight offers to Italy: Trabber, eDreams, Momondo and Vueling.
• Get 5% off your IATI travel insurance.

On route in Umbria and Tuscany? Then I'm sure this will interest you:

• A week's tour of Umbria.
• Orvieto and the dying city: hypnotic beauties.
• Perugia, the romantic capital of Umbria.
• Assisi, much more than a city of pilgrimage.
• Trekking in Castelluccio di Norcia.
• A stroll through Florence.
• Tour of Tuscany: Siena and Val d'Orcia.
• The roofless abbey of San Galgano.
• The natural park of Maremma: the unspoiled beaches of Tuscany.

And if you want to see more of Italy's essentials:

• A weekend in Rome.
• Venice in low season.
• Driving along Lake Como.
• Bologna, the city of arcades.
• The wonders of the Amalfi Coast.

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