Umbria: stone villages in the green heart of Italy.

Which part of Umbria should you choose?

Umbria is the only region of peninsular Italy with no coast: hills of olive and holm oak, farming valleys and a chain of hilltop stone villages, each with its cathedral, its square and its view. It's smaller, greener and less visited than neighbouring Tuscany, and it can be toured well in three to five days by car.

Assisi is the main visit: the city of St Francis, on the slope of Monte Subasio, with the basilica of Giotto's frescoes, the Rocca Maggiore fortress and trails that lead from the walls to the Eremo delle Carceri hermitage and to Spello. Sleep inside the walls to see it empty at dawn and dusk.

Around Assisi, Spello is a village of stone streets decked with flowers, and Montefalco, up on its hill, is the home of the red Sagrantino wine. Perugia, the capital, is a university city with a medieval centre on a hill and a jazz festival in July. Gubbio, to the north, is a very well-preserved medieval town of grey stone, with an open-cabin cable car that climbs Monte Ingino.

To the south, Orvieto rises on a tuff crag with a cathedral with a golden façade and an underground city of caves and wells. It's a short hop from Civita di Bagnoregio, already in Lazio, and the two combine very well on the same day. Spoleto, between Assisi and Orvieto, has a summer music and theatre festival and Lombard monuments that are a World Heritage Site. Near Terni is the Marmore waterfall, of Roman origin, whose flow is opened according to a schedule.

To the east, the Sibillini mountains hold the Castelluccio di Norcia plain, which in early summer is covered in colourful flowers during the lentil bloom. Norcia is the capital of cured meats and black truffle. Lake Trasimeno, to the west, is calm, with islands reached by boat.

A good split for four days: two nights in Assisi, with Spello and Perugia, and two in Orvieto or Spoleto, with Civita as a day trip.

How do you get there from Spain?

By plane, the most practical option is to fly to Rome Fiumicino, with many flights from Spain, and continue by hire car or train: Orvieto is on the Rome–Florence line. Perugia airport, halfway between Perugia and Assisi, has flights from Barcelona. Flying to Florence or Pisa also works if you're combining with Tuscany.

By car, from Rome the A1 motorway passes by Orvieto, and the E45 expressway crosses the region from south to north via Perugia, toll-free.

How do you get around Umbria?

By car, which is best: the villages are on hills, the stations are usually below and buses between villages are scarce. Almost all historic centres are closed to unauthorised traffic, with paid car parks outside the walls and stairs or lifts to go up.

By train, you can do the main cities: Orvieto and Terni on the Rome line, and Assisi, Spello, Foligno and Perugia on the Foligno–Terontola line. In Assisi the station is below, at Santa Maria degli Angeli, and you go up by bus; in Orvieto, a funicular climbs from the station to the old town.

When should you go and what does it cost?

Spring and autumn. In May and June the hills are green and the Castelluccio fields begin to bloom; in September and October come the grape harvest and the olive picking. In summer it's hot, but it's the season of the Perugia and Spoleto festivals. Winter is cold and quiet, a good time for black truffle and villages without crowds.

Umbria is more affordable than Tuscany: farm stays and village houses at reasonable prices and trattorias with good value for money. Assisi fills up on the big Franciscan feast days, especially in early October.