Long: Lake Trasimeno

This route is almost entirely on paved roads (except for the last few kilometres) with the destination being Lake Trasimeno and the lovely hilly countryside between the Chiana Valley and Lake Trasimeno. You first cycle towards Montepulciano, and then head east. The roads then become quieter in terms of traffic. You cross the Chiana Valley, with a few kilometres of busier main roads. You cycle into the Umbria region via quiet roads and enter Castiglione del Lago: a beautiful town on the large shallow Lake Trasimeno, with a beautiful historic centre. There are also delicious delicacies for sale, such as strange-looking sausages with names such as cojoni di mulo ('donkey balls') and palle del nonno ('grandfather's balls'). The route then continues through the lovely Umbrian hilly countryside on quiet roads. Many world stars seem to have a villa here (because nearby Tuscany is overrun by tourists in the summer, unlike the Umbria region where it is much quieter). Then you cycle towards the higher hills and we pass through Panicale, a miniature town built from 3 concentric circles on a rock. The landscape here is heavily wooded. Between Tavernelle and Piegaro you unfortunately cycle a few kilometers on a strade regionale, so a busier road. Then you dive back into the wooded hills of this part of the Umbria region. You then remain at an altitude of 500 m for a long time and pass another beautiful town: Citta della Pieve. Then you descend to the Tuscany region, you arrive in the valley of the Chiana and in the town of Chiusi, which was a very important place in Etruscan times. This town is also worth a visit. Please note: in Chiusi the route goes through a pedestrian tunnel under a busy street.

The route then heads west towards Montepulciano, through an area with few paved roads. This means that you often cycle on provincial roads that can be busy. However, the last few kilometres you go via a gravel road towards Montepulciano (this gravel road is very easy to cycle on with a racing bike and has a steep section of several hundred metres long).

Please note: the roads in the Umbria region are often quite bad (potholes, longitudinal cracks, patched asphalt)!