On 26 September 1997, the inhabitants of the small town of Assisi once again had to deal with higher powers: a piece of the vault collapsed right where Saint Francis is buried, under the top of the basilica, killing four people. It was triggered by the second earthquake in nine hours. It destroyed thousands of houses, left tens of thousands in the area homeless and pulverised parts of the basilica's 800-year-old frescoes to form the largest jigsaw puzzle in the world. The fact that they were largely reconstructed two years later could be considered a miracle elsewhere, but in Assisi the bar is set higher: the city thrives on miracles. Francis, who was born there at the end of the 12th century, renounced the world, converted wolves and was given the wounds of Christ's crucifixion by heavenly powers - at least according to official church doctrine.
25 years later, the effects of the earthquake in the renovated city centre of Assisi are only visible to attentive visitors. And those travelling by road bike prefer to concentrate on the immediate vicinity anyway: groups of pilgrims suddenly cross the road and it's always good to keep an eye out for manoeuvring tourist buses. Five million pilgrims and tourists a year are a logistical challenge for the medieval town of 30,000 inhabitants, which is situated on a hill.
Road bike holidays in Umbria
As the birthplace and place of death of one of the most popular saints, Assisi is a top destination for pilgrims. But how does a road cyclist end up here of all places? Perhaps it was my memory of the wonderful Abruzzo region, a little further south, and almost certainly it was the experience that practically no sparsely populated area in Italy has ever been a disappointment. In addition, there is a hotel that has joined the "Italy Bike Hotels" association right here, which is at least an indication of the road cycling option. Fabio Betti smiles behind the reception desk, framed by a cold, shiny stone floor. Betti is around thirty, fairly tall and extremely slim, even for a cyclist, which perhaps explains the length and difficulty of his initially proposed daily routes. Less than 2000 metres in altitude per day and well over 100 kilometres was not much, and it had taken some persuasion to trim them down to more manageable bites even before we arrived. While other hotel guests were whizzing past in the direction of the wellness oasis or golf course, the hotel's cycling expert optimised a few final loops in the route plan. For the loop directly behind Assisi, this means: "You have to ride up to Serra Santa. Absolutely! Everything before that almost rolls by itself anyway." His hand draws clear wavy lines in the air.
Given the route scout and the winding course of the route according to the map, it was to be expected that it wouldn't roll all by itself - on a plain, even playful engineers would probably plan straight roads. The hill of Assisi is an announcement in itself. Its ascent is south-facing and steep, the spring sun is already blazing with Mediterranean superpower in the morning and the double espresso has obviously not yet reached the engine room. After all, the car traffic ends immediately after the town sign. Assisi, the self-proclaimed "Citta della Pace" (City of Peace) lives up to its name, especially in the surrounding area.
Mont Ventoux atmosphere awaits here
Beyond the city limits, a lively up and down begins in the medium-high deciduous forest, through which yellow broom bushes shine. There are hardly any places or traffic lights to hinder your indulgence in the forest, only the rough tarmac keeps your attention. Only after Gua ldo Tadino, at the start of the final 800 metres of climbing to Serra Santa, do two other racing cyclists appear. A very brief encounter, as they shoot down the ten per cent gradient in the opposite direction. No chance of finding out from them whether the ristorante further up the mountain is open. It is open, and although it is only 1100 metres above sea level, it is still beyond the tree line. An extra Coke helps the sandwich to fill the stomach, the light grey chunks of limestone of the humpbacked peaks all around give off a little Mont Ventoux atmosphere, and far to the east, the peaks are obviously even higher and chalkier. The view, as far as the hazy spring air allows, is beautiful and lonely. Conclusion of the first exploratory tour: if you stay too low, you're in the forest. And if you're not careful in the changing light and shade, you'll hit a pothole.
The ideal starting point for cycle tours in Umbria
The famous Assisi has an almost equally pious sister town. Santa Maria degli Angeli is a few metres lower and has a little more space to spread out in all directions. It is the better location for cyclists, as there are a few flat kilometres all around to roll in. For pilgrims and tourists, Santa Maria also has the advantage that it is easier to find accommodation than in the medieval jewellery box further up. In Santa Maria in May, the low season, it is warm enough in the evenings to stroll around freshly showered and thinly dressed. To the right and left of the main street, Viale Patrono d'Italia, there are so many trattorias and ristoranti that it is difficult to choose. When asked for a restaurant tip before leaving, a locally patriotic friend said that it was harder to find a bad restaurant in Umbria than a good one. I leave the first restaurant because each of the children at the neighbouring table is watching their funny videos with sound, the second because a group of Americans is taking up all the staff's attention, and end up happily in the third, surrounded by reserved Brazilian pilgrims. And, yes: the people are nice, the food is sigh-worthy and so is the ice cream next door.
A series of earth tremors began in August 2016
After three well-constructed bike laps from the same location, it's time for a change of scenery. The bare, grey mountains that seemed so enticingly alien from the first summit are the Monti Sibillini. Large parts of the mountains are protected as a national park, the rounded peaks reach almost 2500 metres. It is only 80 kilometres by car from Santa Maria degli Angeli to the start of this royal stage - an hour's drive in which the landscape changes from Mediterranean to Mongolian. The barren, empty mountains would definitely have the potential for more than one lap - if the earth hadn't shaken so violently here too. More violently than in Assisi, and not so long ago. In August 2016, a series of earth tremors began here, killing people and destroying houses and roads. A local tour operator therefore advised me not to focus my trip on this area alone: Roads, bridges and entire towns had not yet been rebuilt, so the route was limited. However, the GPS data, which showed me the way with the help of my local expert and a few satellite photos, protected me from getting too far off track.
And then the traces of the earthquakes become visible
The first surprise: a perfectly tarmac road climbs up from the deep valley of the River Nera, better than almost anything in the area around Assisi. The route will maintain this pleasing level - earthquake or not. And at first there is no sign of their destruction. Emerald lizards dart off the road, an oriole flutters briefly from the lower forest, old Fiats smoke through quiet villages. The Apennines at their best. And then, at the entrance to Norcia, the main town in the area and the epicentre of 2016, there is an abandoned discotheque. Its strangely bent roof hangs far down on one side. We walk through the town wall into the town centre, onto the shopping street of the pretty little town, past small shops and people with shopping baskets. The idyll comes to an abrupt end: The former main square in front of the church is a collection of steel tubes with multiple struts. They hold historic towers together and support the remaining façades. Steel girders and steel cables secure what did not collapse six years ago. Sorted church rubble is stored behind construction fences. A place in a stable lateral position.
A piece of Mongolia
Outside Norcia, I cycle past small terraced houses where some of the inhabitants have retreated, then the ascent into the barren mountains begins. A gradient of five to seven per cent, 800 metres in altitude, a single hairpin bend and an air temperature of 37 degrees require careful cranking up to cooler heights. At 1500 metres, the view opens up like from the edge of a galactic frying pan. The flat Piano Grande lies there like a Wild West backdrop or a piece of Mongolia. Barren and green-grey, stony and arid. A dead-straight road with shimmering heat aims for a place on the horizon. So much space at this altitude! Yellow and black snow poles mark the edge of the road. The perfect place to lean your bike against and slowly smack away a bar. How far away from the world will it be here in winter? In Castelluccio, at the end of the road, more than half of the houses have apparently completely collapsed. A picture straight out of a war, a field of rubble for over six years.
Behind the ruins and a second, smaller valley bowl with lentil fields, the landscape then tilts downhill and, a tear-jerking descent later, ends in the Nera Gorge. Strong thermals wash me out of the valley between peaks a thousand metres higher at over 40 kilometres per hour, sometimes to the right, sometimes to the left of the river, my hands always on the lower handlebars. Back at the start, I have gained 2,000 metres in altitude. As night falls, a dark curtain falls over the wild backdrop of the Monti Sibillini. The loudest sound before the return journey is the crackling of a greedily emptied bag of crisps.
General information for the Umbria cycle tour
Arrival
Railway
From Munich, the journey takes 13 hours with three changes to Santa Maria degli Angeli (the station is called "Assisi") - the international bike card costs twelve euros, the ticket costs around 120 euros per direction. You can't make it from Frankfurt am Main in one day, unless you transport your bike disassembled in a bag - you don't need to reserve a bike parking space for this. Then you can also find connections of 14 to 15 hours with two or three changes.
Car
It is around 1200 kilometres from Frankfurt am Main to Santa Maria degli Angeli. A large part of this is on toll motorways. For the outward and return journey, in addition to the Swiss vignette (42 euros), you will have to pay around 73 euros for the Italian motorway toll. Those travelling via Munich and the Brenner Pass pay an Austrian toll sticker (9.90 euros), two Brenner tolls (21 euros) and around 84 euros in Italian route tolls.
Bus
For unbeatable fares from 40 euros, Flixbus travels from Munich to Santa Maria degli Angeli in twelve hours without changing buses. Bicycle transport costs 9 euros - if buses are not designed for this or the three bicycle spaces in the luggage compartment of the bus are exhausted, it is usually possible to book the bicycle disassembled in a bag as special luggage.
Flight
Perugia Airport is only ten kilometres from Santa Maria degli Angeli, but there are no direct flights from Germany. However, Ryanair does operate the Brussels-Perugia route.
Best time to travel
Spring and autumn. Although Assisi lies at an altitude of around 500 metres, it is simply too hot in summer. The highest point of the route in the Monti Sibillini reaches 1500 metres and can still be snow-covered in spring.
Food & Drink
Assisi and our location just below, Santa Maria degli Angeli, are popular tourist destinations with many restaurants and varied cuisine. One of the Umbrian specialities is truffles. The province is considered the most important source of truffles in Italy, with seven varieties of the underground mushrooms growing in the forests. At harvest time in autumn and winter, they are available fresh on menus, otherwise they can be found in various delicacies, such as truffle oil or salami. The souvenir tip from the region is correspondingly meat-heavy: the butcher's shop recommended to us, Macelleria Il Castello on the outskirts of Santa Maria degli Angeli, also supplies the local catering trade. A hit for lovers of ham and salami, plain or with fennel and truffles.
Restaurant tip: Trattoria la Rosa in Santa Maria delle Angeli
The main street of Santa Maria is lined with one restaurant after another. There are two reasons why we kept coming back to "Rosa", apart from the cuisine: the quiet terrace in the side street and the friendly service, which was sometimes lacking on the promenade. A third reason: two ice cream parlours for dessert are almost next door.
Two accommodations in Santa Maria delle Angeli
Valle di Assisi Hotel & SPA Resort
As a partner of the "Italy Bike Hotels" association, this quietly located, rather golf-focussed hotel also caters for racing cyclists. Fabio Betti, who looks after reception and cyclists, advised us on route planning. He does a lot of cycling himself. Nice pool behind the hotel! Double room with breakfast from 110 euros.
Agriturismo La Mora - for self-catering guests
This equally quiet alternative for self-catering guests is located very close to the aforementioned bike hotel - with four flats on a large garden plot with a pool. A flat for two people costs from 400 euros per week.
Bike service: Cicli Clementi in Foligno
It's less than 20 kilometres to the road bike specialist with a good selection in the neighbouring town of Foligno to the south-east of Santa Maria degli Angeli.
As well as cycling tours in Umbria, you shouldn't miss this:
ASSISI Basilica of San Francesco
St Francis of Assisi, the canonised founder of the Franciscan order, is buried in the crypt of the medieval church. The basilica is a world-famous pilgrimage destination, but also something special for those interested in art history. The two-storey construction, the exposed location and the medieval frescoes will impress even art buffs. If you want to experience this busy place in peace and quiet, you should get up early: On some days, the church opens at six o'clock in the morning. Admission is free.
Basilica of Sta. Maria degli Angeli
The huge basilica in the centre of Santa Maria is also a magnet for pilgrims and art lovers. Inside is the tiny Portiuncula Chapel. Francis is said to have gathered his first disciples and died in this small church, which is around 1000 years old. Free admission, open from 6.15 am.
Literature and maps around Umbria
- TRAVEL GUIDE "Umbria", 280 pages, Michael Müller Verlag 2022; 18.90 euros, for Kindle 15 euros.
- CARD Car and leisure map "Umbria, Perugia, Assisi, 1:150,000, Freytag & Berndt 2018, 12.90 euros.
Tour character - that's cycling tours in Umbria
Tours around Assisi gain their numerous metres in altitude in the ups and downs between the villages. Large sections run along small side roads in the forest or between fields and plantations. The climbs are at most briefly steep and the traffic is moderate. However, group rides with slipstreaming are only recommended to a limited extent: The asphalt of the side roads is of variable quality, sometimes very poor - thick tyres definitely increase the riding pleasure. The climbs in the Monti Sibillini are not particularly steep, but much longer - more alpine. At the weekend there are sometimes lots of day trippers.
Our location Santa Maria degli Angeli is in central Italy and is a fraction of the municipality of Assisi in the province of Perugia, Umbria region. The nearest major city, Perugia, is around 20 kilometres to the west. The peaks in the cycling area around Assisi reach a maximum altitude of 1400 metres, while the Monti Sibillini (Tour 4) to the east are over 2000 metres high. Earthquakes have also destroyed bridges in the spectacular Monti Sibillini. At the time of our research in spring 2022, this restricted our route planning. If the damage has since been repaired, Norcia, located at the foot of the Monti Sibillini, would be highly recommended as a second, more southerly location for further tours.
Four cycle tours in Umbria
You can download the GPS data for the tour below.
Tour 1: Oneway to the lake
The large Lago Trasimeno is a popular excursion destination and is temptingly close to Assisi, but the journey there with little traffic is strenuous, with long, steep climbs of up to 15 per cent. The final descent to the lake is extremely smooth. There are few alternatives to our route to avoid the heavy traffic near Perugia. In any case, the route is a one-way street: From the destination of Passignano, a regional train runs every hour or so for less than six euros (plus 3.50 euros for the bike) back to Assisi station in Santa Maria.
Tour 2: Up the holy mountain
After the pilgrimage town of Assisi, the traffic dies down, but unfortunately the good road quality also ends. It goes up and down through the forest. The cycling and geographical highlight is the climb up the Serra Santa. The asphalt ends at an altitude of almost 1,300 metres, around 50 metres below the pilgrimage church - a steep gravel road or footpath leads up. The undulating way back benefits from the nearby motorway: although the old road is wide, there is little traffic on it today. RASTTIPP: (km 47.1 or 55.0) Ristorante Da Clelia in the Via Valsorda 6 in Gualdo Tadino. This small inn with a pretty outdoor seating area is situated alone on a saddle about a thousand metres high, immediately before or after the final ascent to the summit. There are always large panini, but hot food is not always available.
Tour 3: Rollercoaster in the Valle di Assisi
After a flat roll-in, the route climbs undulatingly behind Spello on a popular cycle route to the hamlet of San Giovanni. The descent from there is more pothole slalom than flow, but the pretty little town of Nocera Umbra and the surrounding area make up for it. On the way back to Spello - where the route crosses over to form a figure of eight - there are alternating fast, winding and scenic sections. From there back to the start, it almost rolls by itself. REST TIP: Pizzeria La Coccinella in Nocera Umbra.
Tour 4: Stones, lenses and earth tremors
The 80-kilometre drive to the start is worth it: the route leads through the impressively barren landscape of the Monti Sibillini National Park on the border between Umbria and Le Marche - our sister magazine MYBIKE was exploring the Marche region. Due to the severe destruction caused by an earthquake in 2016, not all roads in the region are passable, but our route even boasts good tarmac. Only a short steep section behind Rocchetta could torture leisure cyclists, the rest is magnificent and rarely steeper than ten per cent. At weekends, there are many motorised excursionists on the road, especially around Castelluccio.
Here you can find the GPS data for our cycle tours in Umbria
You can also find the tours directly at komoot:
If you want to take more than four tours in Umbria, we can help, because We have already been to this region of Italy in 2017. In the linked article you will find four more road bike tours in Umbria - you can download the GPS data free of charge below.
