Umbria - Gastronomy Bike Tour

Day 1: Arrival in Spello
Day 2: Spello - Spoleto, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 3: Cycling to San Luca (Montefalco), 14 mi. (23 km)
Day 4: Cycling to San Luca (Montefalco),  9 mi. 14 km
Day 5: A short ride to Torgiano, 23 mi. (37 km)
Day 6: Visiting the towns of Perugia, 15 or 20 mi. (24 or 32 km) or cycling in surroundings of Torgiano, 21 or 29 mi. (33 or 47 km)
Day 7: Cycling to Assisi,  16 mi. (25 km)
Day 8: Departure

All distances are approximate.

Day 1: Arrival in Spello
You arrive at your hotel, the 4 star, la Bastiglia in Spello www.labastiglia.com. The hotel is situated in the historical center of the town and has a terrace offering a magnificent view over the Valle Umbra and the surrounding hills. In late afternoon, there is a route briefing and bike set-up. In the evening, enjoy a tasting menu paired with a selection of fine wine in the restaurant: 

• Selection of Bruschette with cherry tomatoes, black truffle and olive oil from Spello paired with Grecchetto dell’Umbria
• Scrambled eggs with black truffle paired with Trebbiano Spoletino
• Tagliatelle with Cacio cheese, pepper and black truffle paired with Montefalco: Rosso
• Selection of cheeses and salami paired with Sagrantino di Montefalco
• Tozzetti Biscuits paired with Sagrantino passito

Accommodations: Hotel la Bastiglia ****

Day 2: Spello to Spoleto, 28 mi. (45 km)
Today you will leave Spello and cycle through the valley you across the center of Foligno, a town with not only interesting monuments, but also many good restaurants, bars, and shops. Then cycle on to Spoleto, today's destination. Hotel San Luca is situated in a historical building, a restored tannery of the 19th century, at the border of the old town center.
Accommodations: Hotel San Luca ****

Day 3: Cycling to San Luca (Montefalco), 14 mi. (23 km)
This morning you still have time to visit Spoleto, because today's ride is very short.  You cycle through an undulating landscape to San Luca, a village at the foot of Montefalco.
Accommodations: Villa Zuccari ****

Day 4: Cycling to Montefalco, 9 mi  (15 km)
This morning a loop route brings you to the lovely town of Montefalco It is a short ride but you have to conquer the hill on which the town is built. Montefalco is famous for its Sagrantino docg wines and in the medieval town center there are some nice churches and the museum ‘San Francesco’ to visit. A nice downhill ride brings you back to your hotel. In the afternoon you will have a cookery lesson with Lorenza Zuccari.

*The cooking class starts at 4:30 p.m and takes about 3 hours. During the class, you learn to prepare a multi-course Umbrian meal. The Umbrian cuisine is incredibly rich, varied, and tasty. Recipes vary according to the season, utilizing only the freshest ingredients available and providing you with a deeply individual Italian experience.

*On some occasions the cookery lesson can be in the afternoon the day before.
Accommodations: Villa Zuccari ****

Day 5: A short ride to Torgiano, 23 mi. (37 km)
After breakfast, you cycle to Bevagna, which has a lovely medieval square with a fountain and two Romanesque churches. The square is a real meeting place for the friendly inhabitants of the town.

After visiting Bevagna, a short ride will lead you to the small town of Torgiano. In medieval times it was a fortified village, situated on the confluence of  the rivers Chiascio and Tiber (Tevere). The town is famous for its excellent wines. You have enough time to visit the nice wine museum with its rich collection of ceramics and art (subject wine making) from Etruscan till modern times. In the afternoon at the winery of the Lungarotti family, you will visit the winery and taste their excellent Torgiano wines. Your hotel is in the quiet town center.
Accommodations: Al Grappolo d’Oro ***

Day 6: Visiting the towns of Perugia or cycle in the surroundings of Torgiano, 15 or 20 mi. (24 or 32 km) or cycling in surroundings of Torgianao, 21 or 29 mi. (33 or 47 km)

Today there are two options:

Cycling and train ride/Cycle to Perugia
Perugia is the capital of the province. A short cycle tour takes you to the station in Ponte S.Giovanni at the foot of Perugia. From here, a local train will take you into the historical center of Perugia. You can also choose to cycle the entire distance which only adds a few more kilometers. The center, with its little alleys and characteristic town squares, is a lively and vibrant place. The renaissance palaces, medieval churches, museums, and many galleries will make a lasting impression. After your visit, return by train and bike back to the peaceful, hospitable town of Torgiano.

or

A trip in the surroundings of Torgiano
Close to Torgiano (6 km) is the village of Deruta which has, in part, managed to retain the highly distinctive features of its medieval buildings. Deruta is universally famous for its ceramics and there are many ateliers to visit. The origins of this ancient art go back as far as the Etruscan times and nowadays the many local workshops still make excellent quality ceramics. Numerous Italian and foreign museums have pieces of Deruta ceramics on show, including the Victoria and Albert Museum. The town hall hosts  the art gallery and the ceramics museum. The next stop is the sanctuary of Madonna dei Bagni. Inside the church there are more then 600 votive tiles, all testimony to the tradition of the Deruta ceramics. Cycling through a beautiful hilly landscape, you pass typical Umbrian hamlets like Casalalta. Cycle back to Torgiano through the Tiber valley. 

Tonight a very special dinner will await you in restaurant Si.Ro. You will taste some typical Umbrian dishes during a delicious three course dinner followed by a coffee with a grappa or another after-dinner spirit. For the lover of black truffle you can also enjoy some dishes prepared with the "Diamonds of the Kitchen."
Accommodations: Al Grappolo d’Oro ***

Day 7: Cycling to Assisi, 16 mi. (25 km)
Today is a short ride in which you will cross the valley, cycling along quiet country roads. From afar, you will see Assisi, like many other Umbrian towns built on a hilltop. Before reaching Assisi, however, you can stop for a moment to visit the Franciscan basilica in S.Maria degli Angeli. Under its impressive dome still lies the humble little chapel ‘Porziuncola’, where Saint Francis came to pray. You will have enough time to visit the main monuments of the town, like the basilica of Saint Francis with its beautiful frescoes by the painters Giotto, Simone Martini, Cimabue, and Pietro Lorenzetti.

On request it is possible to ask for an extra gastronomy experience in the superior hotel Borgo Antichi Orti. You can choose to reserve a night at the Borgo Antichi plus the gastronomy experience or just the gastronomy experience. See pricing for details. 

The experience includes:

• Course to discover the wild herbs and cultivated herbs in the vegetable garden of the Borgo, an ex-Benedictine monastery at the foot of the Basilica of Saint Francis. Here the Monastic Hortuli are reborn and a bio-conservative park of officinal species among the largest in Europe is re-created. You go with the gardener in the vegetable and herb garden to collect fresh products for your cookery course and he will give you explanation of the use of herbs. 
• One of our Mixtures served by the Bar Alchemists of the Spagirico Lab combined with a snack 
• Cooking class with the Chef of the Locanda degli Orti using vegetables and herbs from the vegetable garden 
• Dinner tasting what is cooked during the course

Accommodations: Hotel la Terrazza *** or Hotel dal Moro Gallery ****

Day 8: Departure

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Please see each day’s detailed itinerary for the preferred accommodations for this tour. Final accommodation list will be based on availability. If preferred hotels are not available, a comparable alternative will be offered. Accommodations in very nice 3 and 4 star hotels, with breakfast included. Upgrade to 4 * is possible in Assisi.