Lake Trasimeno

Lake Trasimeno: Surrounded by history and fertile countryside, discover Italy’s fourth largest lake in Northern Umbria.lake trasimeno

You will find Lake Trasimeno in Italy’s Umbria region, in the province of Perugia, Umbria’s capital. It lies on the edge of this region, almost spilling into Tuscany at its northwestern corner. The lake covers a surface area of 128sqkm and is Italy’s fourth largest lake.

In its surroundings you will find olive groves, oak and cypress trees, fields of sunflowers, and vines intertwining the buildings and trees. Reminiscent of Tuscany, this lake enjoys a calmer ambiance than some of the region’s more touristy areas. All around the lake you can spot medieval towns with fortresses and castles. These are remainders of a time when Lake Trasimeno was exploited for its advantageous positioning. For instance, this is the area where Hannibal defeated the Romans all the way back in 217 BC.

Though Trasimeno has known a colorful and violent past, today it is a seat of tranquility and calm idyl. The decidedly relaxed atmosphere sees locals go about their business in an unhurried, level-headed manner.

The lake also houses three islands, the maggiore, minore, and polvese. None of these are extremely large. In fact, a nice day trip is the roughly 4 hour-long walk around the peripheries of Isola Maggiore.

Water sports can be found, though they are not as popular as gentle passeggiate in this part of Italy. That said, the surrounding countryside makes for great hiking territory, and many more energetic activities are on offer, depending on where on the lake you choose to reside. The majority of towns on the lakeside are thoroughly charming. For example, Passignano offers an Ancient center, surrounded by medieval walls, as well as a beautiful wander up to some ruins that also offer great views. Alternatively, Castiglione del Lago exhibits a bizarre town construction, built up the side of a cliff on the lake’s eastern shores.

Lake Trasimeno has several connections to its bigger towns by train. The majority can also be reach by road. Moreover, there are shuttle boats across the lake and to its islands.