Umbria

Umbria is often described as Tuscany without the tourists, and while that does a slight disservice to a region with its own magnificent identity, it captures something true: this is the green, hilly, deeply authentic heart of Italy, where family life revolves around food, festivals and the rhythms of the farming calendar, and where visitors with children are genuinely made to feel at home. Lake Trasimeno, the largest lake in central Italy, is perfect for family holidays — warm, shallow-edged, dotted with islands and surrounding beaches — and the hill towns of Assisi, Spoleto, Orvieto and Gubbio each offer a day's worth of exploration without any of the crowds of Tuscany's major cities. The agriturismo tradition is strong here, meaning accommodation on working farms where children can see olive oil being pressed, pigs fed and vegetables harvested is easy to find and consistently excellent. Umbrian cuisine — black truffles, hand-rolled pasta, Norcia cured meats, lentils from Castelluccio — is some of the most serious and satisfying in Italy, and the slower pace of life throughout the region gives family holidays here a restorative quality that is increasingly hard to find. Photo courtesy of Isabel and Paul - Pian di Cascina: Umbria with Kids