The first travel blogger I took seriously was Rick Steeves. He was my constant companion on my first backpacking trip to Europe. I vowed to search out the hidden, Europe-through-the-back-door travel moments, and by and large, it’s been a fantastic success. I’ve had many of those incredible travel moments when you find beautiful gems, sometimes nearly untouched by tourists, friendly locals, incredible memories. And I largely credit his philosophy to my success in these endeavours. (Essentially though, many travel bloggers these days seek out these same magical moments, so perhaps we are all little Rick Steeves’ in the making).
When I first read about the Italian hill top towns, I knew I had to get there. Though it took me the better part of 3 years, I’ve finally managed to get myself to the Umbria region of Italy, where many of the towns can be found. These are hidden gems of Italy. Each town is unique. Some variation of ‘difficult-to-get-to’, or ‘essentially unknown’ or ‘expensive /too little lodging only’ come together to create a travel gem. While many of these towns are sometimes inundated with tourists during the day, it is after the day-tourists go home that these towns become truly magical. Then, and only then, can you surround yourself with the friendly locals, drinking Chianti in the shadow of the duomo. Then, you can be open to magical travel experiences.
Orvieto is probably the easiest hill-top town to get to. If you are coming from the south, it is one of the first towns in a series between Rome and Florence. Orvieto train station is connected to the town itself by funicular (a ticket costs 1.30€, and lasts 90 minutes), so there is no hiking needed to get to the town. For this reason, many day-trippers will make the trek to the town, however the funicular only runs until 6pm, so after this time, only locals and those staying in the town will be around.
If you are continuing to other hill towns, buses go to several destinations from the Orvieto Scala (Civita, Siena, Assisi, Arrezzo, etc), can all be reached by bus or train from Orvieto.
While there are no hostels in Orvieto, there are many three-star bed and breakfast/pensions available for less than 60€ for a single in the middle of the summer months.
I stayed at the Hotel Corso, located right on the main road, and less than a 10 minute walk to the duomo. It was located a mere 5 minutes walk to the funicular. The rooms are small, but well decorated, with very comfortable beds and private bathrooms. Several rooms have views of the inner gardens, while the others look out to the street. The rooms have air-conditioning and windows that open. Breakfast is included and offers made-to-order espresso beverages, cereal, cheese and meat and an abundance of sweet breads, cakes and croissants. While simple, it provides a lovely start to a day of exploring.
While there are several amazing dining options in Orvieto, a few that are obviously stand-out choices are:
Caffe del Corso:
Located a few minutes walk from hotel Corso, on the main street, the caffe offers delicious coffee beverages, very inexpensive snacks and meals, and a variety to suit even the pickiest eaters. Local foods like bruschetta, pizza and pasta dishes, as well as hot dogs for younger travelers, feature on the menu.
Orvieto Square Wine Bar:
I passed a truly magical evening at a wine tasting at the wine bar on the west side of the main square. The pours were extremely generous, well priced and the menu was extensive, with homemade pasta, pizzas and antipasti, made from ‘proudly traditional recipes’.
In terms of activities, there was a small museum of Etruscan artifacts (in 3D!) in a church off the square, and the church is worth checking out (even with the entrance fee of 3€).
Orvieto Cathedral
However, Orvieto is a town to enjoy sitting and watching Italian life go by. It is a truly authentic and relaxing experience, overshadowed by larger touristy centres, but not to be missed!
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