Archive for the Children Category

Paddle Boarding On Lake Trasimeno

On August 29, 2017 / Activities, Children, Lake Trasimeno

Paddle boarding on Lake Trasimeno is a lovely activity on a hot summer’s day. There are several beaches around the Lake where you can hire boards, these photos are from Sualzo Beach which is located next to Passignano Sailing Club on the north shore of the Lake.

It doesn’t take long to get the hang of it and you’ll soon find yourself out in Lake looking back to the distant shore, if you find yourself overheating from the exertion you can always stop for a quick swim. It cost €10 an hour to hire a board.

You Can Always Sit Down If It Gets Too Much

The Waterfalls At Sasso, Città di Castello

On July 17, 2016 / Activities, Children, Citta di Castello

A great place to go on a hot summer day are the waterfalls at Sasso, a hamlet on the picturesque road between Città di Castello and Pietralunga. The waterfalls cascade through a series of large pools where you can swim and cool off from the heat. The pools are large enough for a decent swim, particularly if you face the current. At first, the cold water can be a bit of a shock but take the plunge and you won’t be disappointed!

There is a large children’s playground above the river and an open space where many of the young people from Città di Castello congregate in the summer months. The hamlet also has a bar that specialises in serving Torta al Testo, an Umbrian flat bread cooked on a flat stone left in hot ashes. The torta al testo is split, filled with a choice of roasted vegetables, greens, sausage and cheese and grilled before serving.

Saturnia Hot Springs

On February 15, 2016 / Activities, Children

Our Day Out In Southern Tuscany started out at the furthest point from our base on the Tuscany Umbria border, the hot springs near Saturnia. The hot water gushing from the spring has formed natural limestone basins that are perfect to relax in. The water at the top is quite hot but if, as it was when we visited, it is a chilly autumn day, you will soon find yourself moving up the basins to the hotter water. Experienced hot spring visitors bring dressing gowns and flip flops so that you can walk from the car park having got changed there. We started our trip here so that we had a shorter drive back in the fading autumn light, the disadvantage is that you may not want to have a sulfurous smell having around on your skin and hair for rest of the day. It looked like there were showers there if this might be a problem for you.

Read about another Hot Spring In Tuscany

Feeling relaxed we got back in the car, next stop Pitigliano.

The Fonti del Clitunno

On March 29, 2015 / Activities, Children, Trevi

Today we went to visit the famous Fonti del Clitunno, natural springs that have inspired poets since Roman times. In the 19th Century the springs were the inspiration for the line, “Umbria, green heart of Italy” that has since been used by almost everyone promoting the region.

The Fonti del Clitunno in Umbria

The spring water in the surrounding pools was remarkably clear and we took some great photographs. However, if you are expecting to commune with nature you might be disappointed at the manicured appearance of the area around the springs, it reminded me of a very pleasant public park except with a €3 entrance fee.

The crystal clear water of the Fonti del Clitunno

It only takes a few minutes to walk around the springs so definitely combine a visit here with something else in the area. We had a great lunch afterwards at a nearby trattoria that we had discovered on a visit to Pissignano Antiques Market.

Reflections in the water, Fonti del Clitunno, Umbria

I had been under the impression that the Tempio del Clitunno, an early Christian church built with recycled Roman materials was in the the same place as the springs but it turned out to be a kilometer down the road and required a separate €2 entrance fee.

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The Round Bell Tower in Città di Castello

On February 13, 2015 / Activities, Children, Citta di Castello

If you visit Città di Castello in the Upper Tiber Valley and look at the town from afar you will notice a circular bell tower that features prominently on the skyline. Once you get into the town centre you might wonder if you had imagined seeing it, the tower is down a narrow alley and from many angles the view is obscured by other buildings, particularly the Duomo.

The Circular Bell Tower in Citta di Castello, Umbria

The tower’s circular shape is quite unusual in Italy but it’s main point of interest for the visitor to the town is the view of the rooftops and surrounding countryside that you get from the top. To gain access the tower you usually have to get the key from the cathedral museum and leave a document there as a deposit.

The view from the Circular Bell Tower, Citta di Castello

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Monte Tezio Walk

On February 3, 2015 / Activities, Children, Perugia, Walking

Monte Tezio is a mountain just to the north of Perugia, the top of the mountain is very wide and rounded, once you are at the top it is relatively easy and you can enjoy views from several places.

Walking on Monte Tezio in Umbria

You can find instructions for a hike up Monte Tezio in my walking guide book, Circular Walks On The Tuscany Umbria Border (available as an e-book for the Kindle). The walk is relatively short but, if you take children, it will take longer (around three hours rather than two). We set off early on a summer morning in July to avoid the heat of the day. The walk involves a hard climb through woods at the start but after about twenty minutes you emerge from the tree line onto the pasture at the top of the mountain. From here the gradient eases off and it’s a relatively short walk to the summit marked with a short stone post.

On the summit of Monte Tezio

A short distance to the south and, still part of the mountain, is a lower summit known as Monte Tezino, this is made obvious by a cluster of communication antennae. From up on the summit of Monte Tezio there are marvelous views in every direction, you can see Lake Trasimeno to the west, the Apennines to the east and the centre of Perugia to the south. It was going to be a hot day but up here there was still a beautiful cool breeze.

The Nevicata, an old snow store, on Monte Tezio

The Nevicata on Monte Tezio

The next point of interest on the route is the Nevicata, a circular stone structure that was used to store compacted snow in the winter. Straw was used to insulate the snow and stop it melting, it gradually turned into ice and provided Perugia with a supply well into to summer. The blocks of ice were transported by mules to the city below.

A view from Monte Tezio

The route continues across the top of Monte Tezio to Croce della Pieve, a large iron cross at the northern end of the mountain. Nearby you have to find the route down, a narrow path with a easy gradient that cuts diagonally back along the side of the mountain to the start.

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Rafting In Umbria

On February 2, 2015 / Activities, Children, Rafting

There are two places where you can go rafting in Umbria, the Cascate della Marmore and a rafting centre on a tributary of the River Nera between Spoleto and Norcera. If you are a client of Gorgacce Rentals and would like us to book you a rafting trip we will be happy to do this, simply let us know which house you are staying at and the name of the person who booked it along with details of your rafting group, when you want to go etc..

Rafting at the Cascate della Marmore

There are two sorts of rafting at Cascate della Marmore, the high level white water rafting is for people aged between 18 and 55 (16-17 year olds can also go with an adult, ID required) and who weigh less than 100kg. They also offer “rafting soft” along a gentler 5km course of the River Nera, this is open to pretty much anyone.

Rafting

Rafting Umbria

We have been to the second place, “Rafting Umbria” which has a relatively two part easy course that takes around 2 hours travelling 7km down the River Corno and an activity park with rope bridges. You can buy combinations of tickets, we did both parts of the river and our children went on the rope bridges afterwards.

Rafting on the River Corno

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Chianti Sculpture Park

On January 31, 2015 / Activities, Art, Children

I love going to sculpture gardens and the Chianti Sculpture Park near Siena in Tuscany is one of my favourites. Set in 7 hectares of woodland and, positioned along a path through the woods, the sculptures are made by different sculptors who each had the opportunity to choose the exact site for their work.

Sculpture at the Chianti Sculpture Park, Tuscany

I thought the sculpture in the photo above may have been influenced by one of the many Etruscan Tombs that can be be found in central Italy. The works are generally large in scale and several are interactive, some in a surprising way – I’ll leave you to find out how when you visit. The trail is not long but you can easily spend more than an hour here stopping to admire the sculptures.

Combine a visit to the Chianti Sculpture Park with a wine tasting at a Chianti Vineyard, a trip to a Spa at Rapalano Terme or a Visit to Siena for a full day out.

Cascate della Marmore

On January 29, 2015 / Activities, Children

The Cascate delle Marmore are man made waterfalls originally created when the Romans decided to drain an unhealthy swamp by diverting the River Velina into the River Nera in the valley below.

The Cascate delle Marmore waterfalls in Umbria

Today the water is used to power a hydroelectric plant and the falls are switched on and off – a little planning is required to see the falls in action, the times are published on the official website. The falls are 165m in height and the longest of the three drops is at the top, 83m in height. You can walk up a path beside the falls right to the top but be warned, you might will get wet at some of the viewing platforms so go on a hot day or take waterproof clothing. You can combine the Marmore waterfalls with a visit to the Roman Ruins of Carsulae.

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Carsulae, A Roman Town

On January 28, 2015 / Activities, Children

The town of Carsulae in Umbria lay on the route of the Via Flaminia, the Roman road that connected Rome with the Adriatic town of Ravenna. Many towns in Italy survived through the middle ages and on to the present day, often recycling or preserving the Roman buildings but Carsulae is an exception, the site is now noting but ruins. The extensive archaeological remains that are all that remain of the town are evidence that in it’s heyday it was thriving As the Roman empire declined it is thought that there were several factors that led to the site becoming abandoned.

An arch and some of the runs of Carsulae

An earthquake is thought to have ruined much of the town and much of the traffic that supported the town’s economy had started to use a quicker branch of the Via Flaminia that led from Narni to Spoleto and eventually on to the town of Foligno where the two routes joined. In addition the position of the town on the Roman road made it particularly vulnerable to attack as barbarian tribes started to invade the Italian peninsular. A small Christian community used the site for a while and there is a church dating to the 4 or 5th Centuries CE.

The ruins of the Roman town Carsulae

I recommend a visit to Carsulae, it’s a good spot for a picnic too and you can, with a bit of forward planning, combine it with a visit to the Marmore Waterfalls.

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