Thinking of a trip to explore Tuscany and Umbria next year. Would someone with walking problems have trouble exploring Tuscan/Umbrian hill towns? Are some of them easier to manage than others? From some of the descriptions a lot of them seem to have steep hills to climb to see the major sites in the town. We've only been to Orvieto and that was relatively flat on top of the hill, but not sure if many other towns are like this or not. Thank you for your help and advice!

Thinking back for level town centers: Florence and Pienza in Tuscany, Bevagna and Trevi in Umbria. Also, Perugia, once you get to the top (probably via escalator).

Hi,<BR><BR>It diepends on the severity of your walking problem. Most of the hill towns I have been to are not that step once you get to them. It tends to be steep walking up to the towns. Therefore if you have a car and park inside the towns (if they let you) it will not be that steep. I do think the cobblestones can become slippery and are uneven. If that is a problem then rethink. Assiss (sp) can be hilly.

Assisi can be very steep, as well as, Monteriggioni and Cortona.

We will be travelling with my father in law who has one leg that can't bend. He can do hills and some stairs. But really steep and lots of stairs get to him after a while. Cobblestones are usually ok. (In Rome those huge ones leading up to the Forum and around it were kind of tricky) I was trying to find out if some towns would be much harder than others. Thanks for the responses..<BR>Any other advice or experience??<BR>Any other <BR>

Pitigliano, Poppi, and Radicofani, once you are in the middle of town, are pretty level. But almost all hill towns have some sloping streets even in the center. Avoid Montalcino also; their streets seem steep almost everywhere.

Orvietto is a gem and would be perfect for your needs. Once you take the funicular to the top, you then take a bus to the square where 70% or more of that entire area is flat.<BR><BR>Plus you get Orvietto Classico, great hand painted pottery, a magnificent Duomo and good food at Trattoria Etruscan and even better gelati at the store across from the Duomo.<BR><BR>US

Any other suggestions? We will probably be going in late Sept 2003. Two week trip. Thanks again!<BR>-Debi<BR>

Lucca is flat