Agriturismo in Umbria with Spa, Riding

Farm stays in Umbria occupy the one Italian region with no coastline at all — hills, oak woods and river valleys instead, which is how it earned the name "the green heart of Italy". Farms here are typically smaller and less commercial than in neighbouring Tuscany, and prices tend to follow.

Where to base yourself

The area around Assisi and Spello puts you within reach of the region's best-known churches and hill towns, with Perugia half an hour away. Further south, the Valnerina cuts a narrow wooded valley towards Norcia, known for its pork butchery and its lentils, and continues to the Marmore waterfall. Around Lake Trasimeno the land flattens and warms, with swimming, cycling and island ferries. In the far south, Orvieto sits on its volcanic rock above vineyards producing the white wine that carries the town's name.

What to expect on the farm

• Olive oil from Trevi, Spoleto and the Assisi slopes, among the most respected in Italy
• Truffle hunts with a dog and handler, black truffle in summer and winter, white in autumn
• Farmhouses restored in local stone, often with only a handful of rooms
• Half board at farms with their own kitchen, which is common here and worth taking
• Horse riding and marked walking trails, including stretches of the Way of St Francis

Practical notes

Spring brings the wildflower bloom on the Castelluccio plateau, usually late May to early July, and it is the single busiest window in the region. Autumn is quieter and better for food: truffle, new oil and chestnuts arrive together from October. Winters are cold inland and many farms close between January and March.

Perugia has a small airport; most visitors arrive via Rome, roughly two hours by car, or Florence. Trains reach Assisi, Spoleto and Orvieto, but a car is needed to get from any station to a farm in the hills.

In Umbria we have 324 farmhouses, including 267 with swimming pool, 121 with restaurant and 196 pet friendly.