Orvieto?

Seen lots of threads on Tuscany and Piedmont but anyone have recommendations for hotels, restaurants, sights etc a little further south around Orvieto?

We followed a lot of Rick Stevens recommendations and had a really nice stay. That type of travel isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but we prefer it. Search that site for good current reqs

We stayed at an agriturismo near civita di bagnoregio and made day trips around the region in a car. I really enjoyed the regional pace. It was more like home. Unlike a lot of touristic Italy, you definitely need a car.

Edited: typo

I don’t have a ton of recommendations, but we did enjoy the Enoteca Al Duomo Orvieto. It is on the piazza of the Duomo, walking in it is basically a wine shop but they have great food (it may not seem like it, just a few tables but trust me, they do). Their website (http://www.enotecaduomo.com/en/) indicates they have a new location nearby, but we enjoyed the spot next to the Duomo.

We stayed just outside of Assisi (at the Castello di Petrata) and made day trips as described by Chris. There is a lot to see in this area, a car is a must (as is a GPS with Italy maps). We also visited a local winery (Terre Margaritelli) which has a connection in the US so the wine we enjoyed there was easily obtainable when we got home (I think it shipped from Oregon or Washington). We planned for the horseback ride through the vineyards, followed by a wine tasting…but a typhoon made the grounds too wet for horseback riding…so we just did the tasting which was still a great time. We were there during the crush, so there was extra activity which was fun.

I would also recommend the website http://www.lifeitalianstyle.com/ if you decide on this area. We thoroughly enjoyed interacting with Jennifer and learning about the region of Umbria (a Seattle native who is married to the owner of Trampetti olive oil which is somehow affiliated with Terre Margaritelli). She has a couple wine/food tours or cooking classes to book through her (e.g. the horseback riding in the vineyard / wine tasting lunch).

Assisi is great, a must see if you are in Orvieto area for more than a day. My father-in-law stayed at Todi Castle and thoroughly enjoyed it, but it was out of my price range.

My one recommendation is that in general, this area seems to be more strict about dining times than the more touristy areas (such as Rome). Most dining establishments open later (7pm seemed to be the earliest in many places, and it wasn’t until 8pm that they started filling up) which you should keep in mind if you have little ones or are particularly hungry at 5:30.

A very basic and cheap hotel we stayed at and loved was Affittacamere Valentina. The family runs it and were very welcoming and helpful. It had a small balcony with a table to relax and drink some wine with a great view. The dining left a lot to be desired, including Enoteca al Duomo. I’d recommend to go the Enoteca, but just for a drink outside as it is in the best location. I could have sat there all day. The majority of places were overpriced and had below average food for Italy. It’s obvious the city’s restaurant’s are geared toward travelers. We did eat a nondescript pizza place that was terrific, but I can’t remember the name. We had amazing porchetta sandwiches at the outdoor market (every Thurs and Sat).

Aside from the Duomo, I’d recommend the underground tour. If you like to run/walk, there is a trail that goes around the city on top of the hill that had amazing views. We tried to go to the Il Palazzo del Gusto, which is sort of an Umbrian Wine Center and museum with various tastings. But it was closed both days we tried to go, and there were no signs or info at the place it was supposed to be. I sent an email a month before we went and was never replied to. I’m not if it closed for good or not.

We came by train and it was really easy to get into from Rome. However, we wished we could explore more of the Umbrian countryside.

The underground tour of Etruscan Orvieto is the best thing the town has going for it. I prefer the Umbrian towns southeast of Perugia rather than those to the southwest. YMMV.

We didn’t stay in Orvieto, we stayed in a wonderful, but very reasonably priced Relais just outside of Cortona. Cortona proved to be a great hill town and a great base for day trips to Orvieto and Assisi as well as Chianti and Montalcino.

Here’s where we stayed;

We’ve been to Orvieto a few times. It’s our favorite lunch stop whenever we find ourselves driving between Rome and Siena/Florence. We’ve also taken the 35 minute round-trip train-ride, twice, when we were staying in Rome just so we can eat lunch at one of our favorite restaurant in Italy, and that is I Sette Consoli in the middle of the town. Excellent Umbrian dishes in a very nice ambiance. If you decide to eat here, call to reserve.

http://www.isetteconsoli.it/

Btw, the imposingly beautiful Duomo di Orvieto is worth the trek to this hill town.

Thanks everyone!

A nice little town that is worth a night on two on your way north or south. We ate and drank well there a few years ago. The town is small enough that just by walking around you can get a pretty good idea of where to eat.

We spent 2 weeks in the area at:

http://www.emmavillas.com/en/Villa-Cleofe-12.aspx (we had a large group)

in between trips to Rome and Venice. Day trips to Orvieto, Assisi, and Gubio were all definitely highlights, but my favorite experience of the entire trip was the visit to Civita di Bagnoregio. My wife, daughter, and I actually broke from the family and spent one evening there. We had a simple, but delicious meal at Osteria al Forno di Agnese and lingered over wine as the tourists slowly left. Basically, no one stays the night, so as the sun disappeared we literally had the village to ourselves. We walked about after dinner well into the night, and were absolutely alone (except for the cats). Despite being surrounded by evidence of antiquity when you’re in Italy, this was the only time on our trip that we truly forgot our modern life.

Loved Bagnoregio and had a lovely meal there as well. Truly stunning views.