Perugia


Perugia, the most important of the Umbrian cities, has the vibrancy of a university city and a fascinating collection of monuments and museums (including the excellent Galleria Nazionale).  It also makes a great base for touring Umbria - leave your heavy luggage here and make shorter trips to Assisi, Gubbio, Todi, Città di Castello, Foligno, Bettona and/or Spello.

You can reach the city by train from Rome, although you might have to change at Foligno.  The station is about 20 minutes by taxi from the centre.  Alternatively, there is a bus (Sulga) direct to the city centre from the airport (Roma Fiumicino).  On my last trip, I flew directly to Perugia from Stansted with Ryanair.

In August 2006, I took a course in Italian at the excellent Università per Stranieri (University for Foreigners).  I enjoyed my stay in an apartment at the centrally located Hotel Priori, and have used the hotel itself in the past for a number of shorter stays.  I treated myself once to a couple of nights at the Hotel Brufani Palace - expensive but worth it.  Dinner on the terrace here is nice in the sumer.

There are lots of good restaurants in Perugia.  Those that I have enjoyed include:

  • Ristorante la Piazzetta, Via Deliziosa (off Via dei Priori);

  • Ristorante l' Opera, 6 Via della Stella;

  • Locanda do' Pazzi, 1 Via della Sposa (just through Porta Trasimena), which has a lovely terrace;

  • Trattoria del Borgo, 23a Via della Sposa;

  • La Bocca Mia, 36 Via Ulisse Rocchi ;

  • Il Cantinone, 4 Via Ritorta (to the left of the ex-church of the Maestà delle Volte);

  • Alter Ego, 2a Via Floramonti; 

  • La Rosetta, 19 Piazza Italia (next to but separate from the hotel of the same name); and

  • Ristorante dalla Bianca, 14 Via Piantarose (off Corso Cavour).

There are also a number of good wine bars, including:

  • Bottega del Vino, 1 Via del Sole; and

  • Frittole Vineria, 30 Via Alessi.

Caffé di Perugia, 10 Via Mazzini has a café and bar with an outside terrace, a restaurant and a wine bar. 

Other good bars include:

  • Bar Sandri, 32 Corso Vannucci (one of the oldest and one of the best);

  • Bar Centrale, 35 Piazza IV Novembre; and

  • Caffè Turreno, 15 Piazza Danti (with an Etruscan well under the floor - ask for the light so that you can see it).

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