Location: Perugia
Top Things to do in Perugia
What to do and see in Perugia, Umbria: The Best Things to do
This picturesque Umbrian city has a history that spans many eras. The city wall and arch are Etruscan; the sixth-century Sant'Angelo church was built atop a Roman temple; the town's cathedral is both Gothic and Renaissance. If you have a sweet tooth, visit the famous Perugina chocolate factory; if you have a full set of sweet teeth, visit during the Eurochocolate festival, held in October, when the entire town reportedly smells of chocolate.
Restaurants in Perugia
1. Museo-Laboratorio di Vetrate Artistiche Moretti Caselli
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 187 reviews
Museo Laboratorio Moretti Caselli making and restoration of stained glass windows and of works of artSince 1860, for five generations, a family of artists has been making painted and baked stained-glass windows in the historic centre of Perugia.The Moretti Caselli Studio is located in a fifteenth-century residence that once belonged to the Baglioni family.Visitors can plunge into history and the activity of the past by enjoying guided visits by appointment.
Reviewed By ChrisJaytravels
Excellent and interesting to see the history of the workshop see the works and then walk one block over and SEE some of restored glass in the church. Amazing and interesting!
2. Piazza IV Novembre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,046 reviews
This is the artistic center of Perugia that features beautiful reliefs carved in the 13 century, a stunning gothic cathedral and the superb Italian medieval palace, the Palazzo Priori, which houses the National Art Gallery of Umbria.
Reviewed By CleverCat
Piazza IV Novembre is not to be missed during a visit to historic Perugia. The piazza is flanked by historical buildings like the city's Duomo and the Palazzo Priori which go back centuries. The beautiful Fontana Maggiore sits in the middle of the square. It is such a pretty fountain with so much detail - be sure to check it out. People love to sit on the steps of the Duomo and chat and people watch. This is a great location to meet friends and soak in the city, especially at night when everything is lit up.
3. Basilica di San Pietro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 414 reviews
Founded in the 10th century and rebuilt in 1463, this grand Gothic cathedral is a worthwhile stop when visiting Perugia.
Reviewed By 58philipp - Herentals, Belgium
Very rich decoration - for sure worth a visit with some explanation. History meets religion. Especially the ceiling is well-done> Impressive historic large painting.
4. Minimetro
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,770 reviews
Reviewed By giacomina17 - Brisbane, Australia
The historic centre of Perugia is a long way from the train station and it is impossible to walk there because it is up a windy road which is very busy. The Minimetro is excellent. It runs every two minutes and drops you right in the centre of the historic part of town. If you are visiting Perugia, use it for efficiency and speed. There is enough up and down places in Perugia so save your legs!
5. City Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 963 reviews
Reviewed By backpacker31 - Boynton Beach, United States
Perugia’s ancient walled hilltop city is a delight to explore. It’s relatively compact although there are some steep up/down sections that may prove challenging. There are churches, museums, old palaces, a Roman aqueduct (part of which can be walked), beautiful buildings dating back many hundreds of years, an Estrucan well, an international university, a fabulous subterranean city, restaurants, cafes and much more. Simply wandering the narrow cobbled lanes are the best way to explore and enjoy the ancient atmosphere. Behind some of the buildings located on Piazza Matteotti are public terraces that offer sweeping views of the Umbrian countryside. The best part...no crowds! Just locals and students going about their daily routines. An authentic slice of life in Umbria.
6. Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 825 reviews
Reviewed By juanmiguelk2018 - San Jose, Costa Rica
An art museum mainly about Medieval and Renaissance art (mainly religious) and some Baroque art. Has amazing art by Perugino and Piero della Francesca, most sees,even if focusing on the main artists will mean a short 1 and half hour visit. It is true is has few explanations, and fewer in english.The explanations are way too technical (I speak italian) Not for first timers, for avid museum goers.
7. Rocca Paolina
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,082 reviews
Reviewed By backpacker31 - Boynton Beach, United States
What a wonderful surprise this underground city turned out to be. I accessed via the escalators adjacent to Provincia di Perugia (government building) in Piazza Italia. It felt like traveling from the 21st century back 2000 years. I explored all of the tunnels and rooms, admired some art that adorned the spaces here, visited a small museum (focused on earthquakes in the region), saw the remains of an ancient church and marveled at the fact that an entire city was built atop this sprawling subterranean world. From Rocca Paolina two sets of escalators can be reached - one heading up to Piazza Italia and one heading down towards Piazza Partigiani. There are other entry/exit points to nearby streets as well including Porta Marzia. Please note, the floors are uneven and can be slippery in places. Lightning isn’t the brightest (to be expected). Unfortunately I did not see any handicap accessibility. Entry is free.
8. Tempio di Sant'Angelo - Chiesa di San Michele Arcangelo
9. Palazzo dei Priori
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 417 reviews
Reviewed By Houlihan2 - Melbourne, Australia
The decorated vaulted ceiling and walls of this lawyers' meeting hall dating back to the late 1290's are simply breath-taking. This is one of the oldest parts of the palazzo. There are 80 mighty painted arches! It used to be used as the peoples' assembly. After 1582, it became the seat of the Notaries' Guild. While only a few original frescoes remain, it was repainted by Matteo Tassi in 1885.
10. Lake Trasimeno
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 1,515 reviews
Lake Trasimeno is located in the heart of Italy, which makes it an ideal base for visiting Umbria and Tuscany, as well as providing unspoiled nature and a refuge of birds and fish for outdoor enthusiasts.
Reviewed By F12MPpeters - Rome, Italy
Lago Trasimeno, Umbria We had a week’s holiday en famille and had taken a place near to San Feliciano looking west over the lake – catching some gorgeous sunsets/evening skies. As a group we were six adults and three little kids, and time tends to race when you’re having fun. The holiday represented an opportunity to explore and enjoy Lago Trasimeno, which included visits by ferry boat to the islands. Lago Trasimeno is half-way along the Italian peninsular – about mid-way between Rome and Firenza – and generally considered the fourth largest lake in the country at 124 km2 surface area and perimeter 50 km. There are bike and walking trails that follow the lake shore for those interested but, for us, there simply wasn’t the time available. We had small kids in tow, ambient temperatures mid-summer this year have been in the high 30s degC and there was more than sufficient interest in the geography, history and social development of the local peoples to keep us happy for the week. There’s more too - Lago Trasimeno is in Umbria with all those gorgeous tourist/culinary pleasures/images typical of the lake and surrounding countryside. Lago Trasimeno has three islands: Isola Polvese – the largest at 70 ha – Isola Maggiore (the only one with a permanent population) and Isola Minore – privately owned. The history of the lake and the islands encompasses the Etruscans, the Romans and the Umbrian people – Ombri/Ombrii – one of the ancient Italic peoples who date back >3,000 years. It was the Romans who eventually dominated, settling and incorporating the region into their greater empire (as they were to do across much of the Europe of the day). The lake was an important source of fish before the modern age when people depended largely upon what they could grow/harvest/capture locally. Fishing villages cropped up around the lake and on the islands – harvesting carp, pike and tench. The small 600-year old castle/keep on Isola Polvere, the larger castle in Castiglione del Lago and others in towns/villages close to the lake provided security. Notwithstanding this, the castle on Isola Polvese was sacked by the Florentine army in the 17th century and the island declined thereafter until relatively recent times. Check out the museum in San Feliciano and there’s another on Isola Maggiore – describing the importance of fish/technologies/employment/security of the lake and, in direct context, the constant effort required to ensure sufficient water in the lake. The malarial mosquito was a perennial issue for those living close to the lake through to the mid-20th century when it was effectively eradicated/controlled with improved understanding of the disease/medicines, drainage and judicious use of chemicals. Mid-August and there was no noticeable issue with mosquitoes during our time there. Lago Trasimeno provides all those popular Umbrian images, but it is not a swimmer’s lake – shallow with warm water sure, but opaque/clouded with mud and lake weed underfoot – it’s an agricultural lake and largely dependent upon local run-off. Lack of clarity means keeping an eye on small children because you can’t see beneath the surface. The beaches too are few and far between and they are not particularly sandy – notwithstanding the many people there (in Passignano, Lido Santino, Castiglione & Isola Polvese) – us too. Shallow slopes full of rocks and weed highlight the value of plastic water shoes. At Castiglione & Passignano we hired pedali to provide a floating platform off-beach – again with a watchful eye on the kids. Half-day trips to Isola Maggiore and Isola Polvese (respectively, from Passignano and San Feliciano) provided a glimpse of the 18/19th centuries – in the buildings that remain intact, those that have become ruins and those renovated/adapted to the 20th century demands of tourism. Maggiore provides you with a glimpse of village/community life that no longer exists on the mainland - absence of modern road traffic. The island is pedestrianized. You walk off the ferry boat straight into the main lakeshore road - Via Guglielmi - with a community of solid buildings 6-8 m apart on either side. This is where you find lunch al fresco or simply coffee/brioche with time to watch the people passing through. Maggiore is criss-crossed with easy walking trails beneath dense tree cover – over the central heights of the Chiesa di S. Michele Arcangelo mid-island to the statue of S. Francesco and around the lake shore to the ruined buildings/windmill (which were inaccessible). Wall boards describe the renovation work undertaken at the ‘Isabella Guglielmi Castle’. Isola Polvese – 2.5 km from San Feliciano - is part of the Trasimeno Regional Park and provides a centre for enviro-scientific development including the impact of tourism on the island. There’s a small compound of official buildings with a scattering of tourist facilities – restaurant, bar, hostel, etc. Again, there’s walking trails and a handful of scavi – castello medievale monastery – and botanically-specific gardens. For us, however, the island was a beach retreat – lazing/playing with the kids in the water over-looking San Feliciano. Looking back … some pleasant memories of an interesting week in which we’d explored the locality and the historical cities of Perugia & Assisi further afield. You can only do so much notwithstanding the history of the place that encompasses you as you read/explore/examine. For example, during the Second Punic War the Battle of Lago Trasimeno was fought to the north of the current lake shore in which the Carpathians under Hannibal defeated the Roman Army 217 BCE. We just didn’t have the time/resources in which to explore further. The memories of the open boats, high/clear skies and the distant shorelines remain; of the small villages/towns in which we stopped for coffee/drinks/snacks; in the pleasure of the relative emptiness of the country away from the main highways and cities. It was August and Lago Trasimeno was a quite/peaceful place in which to enjoy Umbria at its best. Peter Steele 25 February 2020
