A busy lakeside town with ferry links to the islands, Passignano can get very crowded, however if you avoid weekends it is a lovely place to stop for lunch and a look around. There are several restaurants here and a maiolica (ceramic) shop or two. The hills behind the town have some great walks.
Tuoro sul Trasimeno
A pleasant town on the North shore of Lake Trasimeno. Tuoro has a lovely central piazza with a couple of bars, there are also several restaurants in the town. The site of the Battle of Lake Trasimeno is nearby and every summer there is a re-enactment of Hannibal’s decisive victory over the Romans. There are plenty of walks in the surrounding hills and the Lake is a short distance away. You can also catch a ferry to the islands from the lakeside below Tuoro and children will enjoy the beach there. The town makes an ideal base for exploring the area , having good road and rail links.
See
http://www.tuscanyumbria.com/delporto.html
for good value apartments with a swimming pool in Tuoro.
Castiglione del Lago
Castiglione del Lago (Castle of the Lion of the Lake) is named after the imposing castle that stands guard over Lake Trasimeno. It has a well preserved and busy centro storico, full of shops and restaurants catering to the Lake’s tourism industry. If you buy a “museo aperto” ticket for the castle and Palazzo della Corgna, you can also use it in Panicale and Città della Pieve. To rent houses in the countryside near Castiglione del Lago see:
http://www.tuscanyumbria.com/vitellino.html
http://www.tuscanyumbria.com/castiglione.html
Città della Pieve
Although not on the Lake, you can just see it from several places in the town. Città della Pieve is notable for the brick construction of it’s buildings and for being the birthplace of the painter Pietro Vannucci (Perugino). It’s a reasonable size for a stroll around and has lots of good restaurants. Several of the town’s churches have paintings by Perugino.
Paciano
South of the Lake, Paciano is a beautiful walled village with Lake views and a restaurant.
Panicale
Panicale is larger than nearby Paciano and is worth stopping for a stroll and lunch in one of several restaurants. Art lovers go there to see Perugino’s Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian in the church of San Sebastiano. Many of Perugino’s paintings feature Lake views as seen from a nearby ridge.
San Feliciano
A lakeside fishing village now dependent on tourism and the busy marina. Lots of restaurants serving fish.