LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
The walk up the hill to Montecastello is a bit more than a gentle slope but thankfully it’s easily driven and there’s usually plenty of parking outside the city walls of Montecastello. Technically a city, but by most people’s reckoning it’s a typical medieval Umbrian hillside town, with narrow streets, a few piazza’s and a Duomo. There’s the world’s smallest opera house, too which is well worth a visit. The coffee at Gianni’s cafe in the main piazza is a great reward for all, and affords great views back over Le Favette towards Todi.
In the area, there are some very nice restaurants, including pizzeria’s, some wonderful Umbrian specialist restaurants and more conventional fare. It’s possible to eat out every evening, if you so desire, especially if you book ahead for some of the more specialist places. Todi has countless nice restaurants, many of which don’t require booking. There is a very well stocked supermarket in Todi, and another in Marsciano (both about 7 km away). Local shops include green grocers, fruit shops, pastry and gelato, butchers and chemists. The local shops provide great value and are well worth patronising.
Other attractions are the many hillside town’s of the area - to name but a few, you might consider visiting Todi, Perugia, Assissi (and the world famous pilgrimage spot of the St Francis’ Basilica), Orvieto (and it’s caves, and famous white wine), Spoleto, Montefalco (red wines) and many many more.
It’s also a manageable drive to the mountains of the Apennines, including the Sibellini range and Pian Grande. Recently devastated by a number of earthquakes, Norcia (being rebuilt) and Castelluccio (being flattened) are both well worth a visit and the locals will be grateful of your patronage. On that note, it’s worth knowing that Montecastello di Vibio is to the west of the Tevere and has rarely been affected historically by the earthquakes and geology that affect the mountains of the Umbrian/ Marche border.
And Umbria borders Tuscany, so the Tuscan cities of Florence (Firenze), Siena and Pisa are all within striking distance of a day trip or an overnight trip. Rome is also a fairly short train journey away, and without doubt, worth a visit.
