The Italian province of Umbria lies just south and east of Tuscany. Like Tuscany, Umbria contains many “hill towns,” charming, medieval places usually sitting above the overall landscape. They are certainly the main draw here, since there is no equivalent to the city of Florence.

     However, tourists who sample the region often like the region better than Tuscany since there are fewer crowds. Here are the best towns to visit in the province.

    Orvieto is one of the main draws, largely because of its glorious cathedral (duomo).

Orvieto's Duomo

    Perugia is the capital of the region and is often used as a base of operations for Umbrian explorations.

Perugia

 Spoleto is famous for its music festival but is also an interesting place to visit, with its fortress (Rocca) and Roman Bridge.

Roman Bridge & Rocca

  However, the most visited and most enchanting of Umbria’s hill towns is Assisi, the home of much-revered St Francis of Assisi. The Basilica of St Francis is absolutely breath-taking with its beautiful murals.

Basilica of St Francis