It is winter in Umbria and very quiet indeed. Many shops in Castiglione del Lago are closed until Carnival, or even until the end of February. My home town is semi deserted now. During the weekly market there are less stalls, many stay at home because of the colder weather. Fortunately my fruit and vegetable stall from Cortona, and my chicken stall from Montepulciano are always there!
La vita quotidiana, daily life continues, we work, I run and meet up with friends. Ever since I live in Castiglione del Lago I run with the Athletic Association of Castiglione del Lago “Filippide”. I made some friends out there, as you may already know from my previous blogs.
We meet for a pizza, a training or just for a simple appetizer. Last time we had dinner at home with friends. I took Dutch cheese and a typical soup from our country: Erwtensoep, a pea soup. It was a great succes!
Though we are all sportive people, we absolutely love a glass of wine or a beer. During every dinner or lunch my friends always choose a good wine like a Brunello di Montalcino, a Chianti or a Nobile. Living in Italy means being spoiled with quality food and quality wine… After dinner we often take a digestive and a coffee with pure chocolate.
Winter hasn’t finished yet. It is still January and cold in Umbria. Secretly I already look forward to spring …
-post by Sylvia van der Male-
Hi Sylvia, a quick question. We were thinking of visiting the areas of Montefalco / Bevagna or even further up in Assisi, would you say that every place is dead quiet at this time of year in Umbria? When would life pick up again? Just trying to plan some time off 🙂
Hi Graziella, maybe now in the weekend Assisi, Montefalco, Perugia etc. will be more visited. But during the week everywhere you go it is very quiet.. Maybe less quiet in Perugia and Terni (two cities). I live in Castiglione del Lago, close to Montepulciano. Even Montepulciano is semi deserted in this period. Imagine the small hamlets in Umbria. Shops, restaurants etc. are closed at this moment. Even until Carnival. Maybe at the end of March, April when it is getting a bit warmer and the people plan weekends in Umbria! Enjoy 🙂
Thank you 🙂
Hello there, I read your interesting blog and saw that you do not recommend to go to Umbria in winter. We will arrive on February 6 and sleep in Spoleto. What do you mean the area is quiet? Is there going to be less tourists? Or don’t we even find open restaurants and be hungry? Is it better to stay in Perugia? We really love Italy and it will be our third time in February. I would love for any help on this topic. Thank you very much. Ety
Hi Ety, in the winter it is cold in Umbria. February is not a busy month with many tourists. But you’ll find some shops and restaurants open. We love Spoleto and If you want I can recommend you a restaurant nearby. Do you have a car? I lived in Castiglione del Lago and in small villages you might be a bit disappointed about the quiet area, but it is still a wonderful gem to visit. In Spoleto, Perugia, Assisi, Foligno and Todi for example you’ll find lots of shops and restaurants open. Don’t worry, enjoy! PS: Check also our page for markets in Umbria. You’ll love Orvieto 🙂
Thanks so much for the quick and detailed answer. We are three couples, we will arrive from Rome in the car we rented. I am glad to hear that there are not many tourists, but you can still travel and enjoy the sites and restaurants. We may change the accommodation to Perugia, but I would love to recommend a restaurant in Spoleto.