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The Best Tips for Lake Trasimeno: From Lamborghini Wine to Undiscovered Paciano
Around Lake Trasimeno, in addition to visiting the surrounding villages and art cities, you can also sample the delicious cuisine and wines. Here are 5 tips you won’t want to miss if you love good food and wine—and a beautiful walk.
1. Don’t drive—taste wine at Tenuta Lamborghini
Ferruccio Lamborghini was originally from Ferrara and wanted to become a mechanic rather than a farmer. After World War II, he successfully began building tractors. Ferrari challenged him to build a better race car, and that is exactly what he did.
Since he happened to be in the area in 1968, Lamborghini purchased a piece of farmland near Lake Trasimeno. He wanted to return to the countryside, and this area had the ideal microclimate for wine. After his death, his daughter Patrizia continued the winemaking business, focusing on small-scale production and high quality.
In 2015, it was acquired by a Milan-based company. They have continued to produce top-quality modern wines while retaining the Lamborghini name.
In addition to apartments and an excellent restaurant, the estate also features a golf course. In the shop, you can see a number of vintage Lamborghini tractors, buy wine and accessories, and take a look at the production process.
The wines produced using the traditional method are organic; the rest are produced in accordance with strict European standards.
Lamborghini wine is widely exported to Asia and the United States, and in addition to its high quality, the bottle’s design has made it a status symbol. For example, the “DJ” bottle features a changing color, and the other bottles also have eye-catching designs, all bearing the Lamborghini name, of course.
2. Cooking workshop or a delicious meal at Azienda Agricola Bittarelli
A short drive inland from Castiglione del Lago, you’ll find Azienda Agricola Bittarelli. A must-visit for lovers of organic and Umbrian cuisine.
A completely organic farm with lots of delicious products like jam, vegetables, olive oil, various types of flour, sauces, wines, cookies, and so on. They export all over the world, but of course it’s much more fun to browse around the little shop yourself and find your favorite products. They’re only open on weekends, and you’ll need to make a reservation.
Head chef Patrizia Marcelli is half Tuscan and half Umbrian, and she creates the most delicious dishes using only ingredients from her own farm. In addition to delicious food, you can also enjoy a guided tour of the estate, a picnic, a tasting, or a cooking demonstration. You can also take a cooking workshop.
For someone like me who’s not exactly a whiz in the kitchen, it turned out pretty well under the chef’s guidance. I made the most delicious tagliatelle and gnocchi from pasta.
The ancient Via Germanica, a 2,000-kilometer medieval walking route from Germany to Rome, runs alongside the estate.
Dishes Prepared
La torta al testo: a type of piadina, but from Umbria
Wheat gnocchi: 750 grams of flour to 750 grams of boiled water, a pinch of salt; knead with a food processor, roll out, and cut
Tagliatelle: 75% Senatore Cappelli wheat, 20% Verna wheat, 5% farro, 65 grams of egg per 250 grams of flour, and a pinch of salt. Knead and stretch thoroughly. Roll up from both sides, cut into 0.5 cm-wide strips, and cook for 5 minutes.
The delicious ragù served with the tagliatelle was made by Patrizia.
3. Olive Oil Tasting at Baldeschi
At Baldeschi in Tuoro sul Trasimeno, you can taste their various types of olive oil. The olive groves are all located in the hills surrounding Tuoro, near the town of Vernazzana. The extra virgin olive oil is of high quality, and you can taste it by appointment. Baldeschi holds certifications for the sustainable production of its olives.
You can sample the oil for free and purchase it if you’d like
For a fee, you can take part in an oil tasting featuring local products
You can take a cooking workshop to learn how to make local dishes using traditional methods or vegetarian recipes.
You can also stay overnight at Baldeschi. Apartments with a lovely pool.
4. Hiking from Panicale to Paciano
Here’s an interesting hiking tip: take a walk along a quiet, paved road from Panicale to Paciano. This stretch is part of the “Route Perugino.” It’s only about 7 kilometers. Along the way, you can stop by Agriturismo I Frati, a former monastery that’s now a beautiful place to stay.
About halfway through the walk, you’ll see a white farmhouse on your right. If you follow the gravel path slightly to the right and downhill shortly after that, after about 100 meters you’ll see a beautifully hidden church—the Chiesa del Ceraseto—with stunning frescoes and a rich history, including an important work by Giovan Battista Caporali.
On the way to Paciano, you’ll first pass through Paciano Vecchio. Here, in addition to a section of the city wall, you’ll see a beautifully preserved house with a watchtower. It’s now rented out as a vacation home. An interesting fact about Paciano is that Ed Sheeran bought a place here. You can’t see it, but it makes sense.
We walked the route with our guide, Oriano, from The Garden of Peace. It’s a real bonus if you want to learn more about the history, the rivalry between the two villages, and interesting stories about the area. He knows the area like the back of his hand and has a clear preference for one of the villages.
5. Wine Tasting at Berioli, an Organic Winery
And last but not least: go wine tasting at Cantina Berioli in Magione. Roberto Berioli is passionate about producing only organic wines. Last year, part of the harvest was ruined by wild boars that had trampled through the vineyard.
The family produces white wine from the Grechetto grape and red Merlot on about 12 hectares. They also produce Trebbiano and a small amount of Sangiovese. The spumante is named after his wife, Cristina. The grapes are hand-picked under strict supervision. You can participate in various tastings, preceded by a visit to the vineyard. They also produce a delicious Vin Santo.
With a passion for travel and photography and over 30 years of experience in the travel industry, I love to share my special nature travel tips. Travel is wonderful and important, you meet new people and cultures and it opens your view of the world.
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A really beautiful six-day hike from Bologna to Florence. Communication with NatureTravelLab and the local agent was excellent. The information packet was waiting for us at the hotel in Bologna, and the app with the route worked great. Luggage transport was well organized every day, and our bags were waiting for us each time we arrived at our new room! We covered more than 1,400 meters of elevation gain, but unfortunately didn’t always get the views we’d hoped for due to cloud cover and some drizzle. Most days had great hiking weather. It was wonderful to walk into Florence on foot and stay there an extra day.
We experienced the Walk of the Gods as a great adventure. Our start in Bologna didn’t go quite as planned because our app wasn’t working yet and we couldn’t find a single sign for Via degli Dei in the square. Fortunately, we were quickly able to join two young hikers from Florence who were also doing the hike. After a wonderful night’s stay at the beautiful Rio Verde agritourism farm, Day 2 went much better with the help of the hiking app. Along the way, we enjoyed stunning views, met some great fellow hikers, and sampled delicious local dishes. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t always on our side, and we had a day of heavy rain, which made the trail very slippery and required us to be careful. It’s a real treat when, on the last day, you can already see Florence in the distance and walk into this beautiful city a few hours later. Thank you so much for your quick and friendly responses to all our questions.
We enjoyed the trip. We also made some changes to our itinerary, and the email correspondence went very smoothly. We started in Mantera; the next day, our first and only hike was a really beautiful one. The taxi picked us up right on time. Unfortunately, the second day’s route was almost the same when we cycled to Ostuni. The bikes were well-maintained, including panniers and helmets (these were simply included). You could even bring your own water bottle!!! We found the route very scenic and varied. There were charming little villages where we could stop for lunch or coffee. The app worked great. All the hotels ranged from good to excellent, though we didn’t think the hotel in Leuca was worthy of 4 stars. We followed your advice for the two nights we stayed there. We found Leuca a bit underwhelming for a two-day stay. We would have preferred to stay in Gallipoli or Lecce for two days. We took this trip in April and were very lucky with the weather. It’s still a quiet time of year, but we didn’t mind that. We definitely recommend it!!!
Thanks to a great tip from Nature Travel Lab, we had a wonderful week in Italy. Fattoria di Maiano, just outside Florence, was a beautiful and peaceful place. And the suggested road trips were a great guide for exploring the region. We’ll definitely check here for tips for our next vacation, too. Highly recommended!
We spent a divine week in Italy: we walked the Path of the Gods, from Bologna to Florence—about 135 km spread over 6 days of hiking. Challenging distances and climbs, amazing views, nature, and a warm welcome every time we arrived at the agriturismo or albergo/hotel. All of this was perfectly organized by the Italian company Slow Active Tours, entirely in line with Nature Travel Lab’s itinerary proposal: upon arrival in Bologna, an information packet was waiting for us, complete with a hiking map, a booklet, and passports for the stamps. And the hiking app was very practical for along the way! Our luggage was transported every day and was always waiting for us when we arrived at the next location. Communication was smooth and clear. In short, highly recommended, well worth it, and well-organized.
In September, I walked the Cammino Materano. Communicating with Madelon about the booking was a pleasure. To be honest, I was quite nervous because it was my first time doing a multi-day hike—alone and in a region I wasn’t familiar with—but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hike to Matera was beautiful, and I was able to complete it without any trouble thanks to the clear on-site signage and the routing and advice provided by the GPS app. The rest of the organization was top-notch as well. My luggage always arrived on time at the right destination, and the hotels and B&Bs were of high quality. In addition, the organizers were easy to reach via WhatsApp if I had any questions. Highly recommended!
Slovenia was absolutely amazing. A beautiful country, friendly people, lovely hiking trails, and truly top-notch hotels. The staff at the local organization were also very easy to reach and helpful. The hiking was manageable. As Dutch people, we’re not used to high altitudes, of course, so it was pretty tough at times. But it was also a lot of fun.
We had a wonderful trip. Everything was well organized. Due to an unfortunate fall, I ended up traveling with my luggage for a day, but that was handled well, too. We really liked all the accommodations. Only the Hotel Hebe in St. Piero a Sieve was a little less impressive, but it was still okay.
Looks fantastic! I'm definitely going to book a trip with this company... they're committed to sustainability and personalized advice. Definitely worth it.
Madelon and her team are true experts. Thanks to their years of experience and passion for travel, they manage to surprise us time and time again.
Beautiful hikes, the most picturesque spots—it’s a real treat.
I highly recommend them!
Nature Travel Lab provided us with very helpful and honest assistance!
If you’re looking for travel itineraries, the most beautiful hikes, and destinations, you can find it all here. You’ll find endless inspiration for your next trip. Beautiful cities are interspersed with nature. You’ll find everything you need to know about practical matters. Plus, there are plenty of tips for sustainable travel. That way, you’ll get the most out of your trip.
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