One day trip to the heart of ITALY

This little medieval town lies at the border of two regions in the centre of Italy and it is home to only 50 residents. It was pretty much unknown until a few years ago when, thanks to social media and a good restructuring plan, it started attracting a huge number of tourists. HOW TO GET THERE: The only way to get here is by car or motorbike from the main road leading towards Foligno. You will need to exit at Colfiorito and then follow the signs to Rasiglia. WHERE TO PARK: Once you get here, there are two small parking spaces very close to the entrance. You should be able to find spots available in either one. They are both the same distance from the entrance. WHAT TO DO: Rasiglia is known especially because the river Menotre crosses through the town and creates breathtaking spots. There is not much to do except for walking around the small streets and visiting the Chocolate Store, the Museum and walk uphill until you finally reach the Sanctuary ( Il Santuario della Madonna Delle Grazie). If hungry, know that they have recently opened a few little bars and some good restaurants in town offering great homemade food. Otherwise, you can always stop outside town where some great food trucks offer typical Marche/Umbria food.

Spello is a medieval town erected at the top of a hill ( YES, you will need to be well prepared for the walk :) ) and commands a great view of the Umbrian plain. HOW TO GET THERE: From Rasiglia you can either go back to the main road and head towards Foligno or follow the old, twisty road towards Spello. I recommend using the latter one as you will enjoy a great ride within the mountains and it will take as long as the other one. WHERE TO PARK: There are 3 parking spaces, one at the back of the town and two towards the northern part of it (one of them is free but also usually full). The one at the back is the most useful one because it is closer but you will want to walk around the whole town so you will eventually reach the other parking spaces as well. WHAT TO DO: Start your journey from either side of the town and get lost! There are amazing small, hidden streets all around filled with flowers leading to breathtaking views. Stop and visit Santa Maria Maggiore church, the doors of the Town ( Porta Venere, Porta Consolare e Porta Urbica) and the Chapel. For food, opt for something small and typical, anything called Bottega or Osteria will do but if you want to eat some good food I recommend La Cantina di Spello

(http://www.lacantinadispello.com/)

The last stop of our small tour is only an hour away from Spello. You definitely want to include this in your trip to Umbria as it is hands down one of the most interesting and most stunning places to visit. Something like nothing else. WHERE TO PARK: There are two entrances to the park, one at the top of the waterfall and one at the bottom. At either one of them, there is a huge parking space available (it is not for free). You can buy the ticket to the park + parking spot at the website I will share at the bottom of this page. WHAT TO DO: I recommend starting the journey at the bottom of the waterfall. Get the ticket at the corner of the parking spot and start your journey from there. Once you enter, there is a small pub/bar where you can get something to eat / drink (usually panini, pizza, gelato..) but prices are slightly higher than usual. There are a few different tracks you can follow to visit the 3 main steps of the waterfall, I recommend doing all of them as it will not take long and you will make sure to visit all parts and get some great shots. Once you reach the top, make sure to stop and wait for the next gate opening and water flushing which happens at precise timings.