degas

A link to an interesting article about walks to sacred places around Assisi is found below. Other good walking/hiking info is in my thread on Spello.

I'd love to hear from you about walks or views you liked in or around Assisi.

http://goeurope.about.com/cs/italy/a...si_walks_p.htm

elaine

Hi
I haven't been there yet, but I have often used a book called Daytrips Italy by Steinbicker (he writes a series of Daytrip books for several cities), and he includes a suggested walking tour with a small map of the highlights of Assisi.

quebec

Hi. I'm not sure what the hill was actually called but I did some nice hiking above the city a couple years ago. I followed the path past a church and got a good 2-3 hour hike. Beware that the temp drops fast. It was close to 95 degrees on the street level but the temp dropped and the wind picked up a great deal up top. But it was stunning and one of the highlights on my trip to Europe.

italyss

The views are gorgeous. I have done the walk to San Damiano several times. Last visit, I started walking up the hill to the LEFT as you come out of the Basilica, as recommended by my hotel concierge. I saw a sign pointing to a church that I had never heard of. It was a gorgeous day, so I kept walking, and I was passed by several serious German hikers. From a distance, I saw a gorgeous view of the Basilica from the other side. I finally arrived upon a tiny little church with a bridge over a stream and old mill. There was no one else there except for a lovely woman from Assisi who said that she came out there to reflect. The church also had something to do with St. Francis.

degas

Hi, thanks for the inputs. Here's another article on walking around Assisi:

http://www.ricksteves.com/news/archive/0400assisi.htm

degas

Topping

platzman

If you plan on walking around a hill town like Assisi, better make sure you're in shape for the job.
On the town map, you might see something interesting just 4 or 5 blocks away. But the map might not indicate it is ALL uphill.
Also make sure you are wearing good slip-proof broken-in shoes, especially if going in winter.
As for walks, I remember a beautiful hike up to Rocca Maggiore, a fortress with great views of all Assisi and the valleys below. We started near the Basilica. I remembered referring to the map often as the pathways became more confusing the farther we went.

degas

Platzman, are we talking steep as in SF - Pacific Heights or Nob Hill area?

That was bad, real bad. Now I know why they ride busses all the time - maps don't give you a clue as to what you are facing!

platzman

I went there in Nov'94, so its been a number of years. If you're in reasonably good shape, no serious heart or joint problems and not seriously overweight, you should be okay. I do recall my pregnant 2nd trimester wife (then age 30) having a rough time, though. After the trip, she confessed she did not enjoy herself there.