ericjdaniels

So, as I am planning, I know that we will take the funicular to get to the top.

What I can't find out, in my travel books, or on the forum, is how "hilly" it is once you are there. I just had ankle surgery, and walking hills may be tough. We are going to Orvieto primarily to just stroll and enjoy ourselves.

Will we be strolling up and down big hills?

Thanks for the help. I haven't been able to find this anywhere.

kenderina

I haven't been in Orvieto, I saw it from a distance...but I cannot think on it not being hilly. As every city on the top of a hill..it has to be a lot of ups and downs..I think it should be hard with a recient ankle surgery. I really won't do it.

tcreath

I was just there last month and I don't really recall any "hills" once actually in Orvieto. The town itself is perched more on a plateau than an actual hill, like most of the towns in the area, so it was fairly flat, give or take a few areas, and I don't think you will have a problem. Hopefully I'm remembering correctly!

That being said, it was about a 10 minute walk from the funicular station to some of the tourist attractions, and a little bit further to the duomo. There may be buses (not sure) but that may be something to consider if you just had ankle surgery.

Tracy

tcreath

sorry...that was supposed to read "The town itself is perched more on a plateau than an actual hill, UNlike most of the towns in the area"

Eloise

I've been to Orvieto twice. Once you get up to the town with the funicular, it is pretty flat. It is not <b>entirely</b> flat, but it is nothing like, say, Siena, which is really all up-and-down.

It's a different geology: Siena is built on a hill; Orvieto is built on an outcrop of tufa, like Perugia, for example. Once one gets up into the town of Perugia, it's pretty well flat as well.

Here's what one poster on another board, who has spent over 14 months in all walking through Umbria, says about &quot;accessibility&quot; in Orvieto:

&gt;&gt;Orvieto, hilltown.
Once within the town, you'll find the essential sights flat.
Train: at the foot of the hill, with very frequent bus and cablecar connections.&lt;&lt;

PalQ

Buses also meet the funicular at the top to go to the Centro - as i remember walking from the funicular to the main square was somewhat an uphill slope but i think not very steep.
Orvieto is a volcanaic plug i believe and thus is kind of flat on top. The hill Orvieto crowns is laced with tunnels - i,m sure the popular tours of those is not for physically challenged knees - so many tunnels have been honeycombed out below the town thru the years that there were once fears that it all could collapse like a house of cards. I think those have been dispelled by modern analysis.

mojodave

orvieto is almost completely flat once you are up town.
once u get the funicular from the station, u r uptown. there, just walk on the plateau or catch a bus which stops right in front of the Duomo.
u can do it even with your ankle troubles.
cheers !

ericjdaniels

Thank you all so much. It seems like there is a consensus.

I am really glad about that. I am looking foward to just strolling.

Thanks again for helping with this question...these boards are wonderful!

Poohgirl

Eric - although I don't have an answer to your question, I just have to chime in anyway.

Your question is NOT silly. Have you seen some, or maybe one, of the questions posted today? Now, that is silly.

Neopolitan

If you do the underground tour, the ramp down to the entrance into the side of the hill is rather steep, but that's the only major &quot;hill&quot; I can think of that you'd encounter once you're at the top.

CharlesIII

Mrs. Charles and I just came back from Orvieto (I know, trip report due, but Mrs. Charles and I are arguing about who is going to do it). The part from the funicular is a bit steep, but most of the town is easily walkable. As posters above have noted, you always have the shuttle bus.

We did the taxi, and here's why...

My wife has a severe problem now with her right foot. We were going to use the funicular from the train station, but the location of our hotel was almost the furthest point in the town from the funicular. I was intent on taking the little shuttle (there's an &quot;A&quot; and a &quot;C&quot, but some advisors here and the hotel staff didn't think it was worth the hassle.

So we took the taxi. As we were told, it was easy: Walk out of the train station and there's a taxi rank.

The ride cost? 12 Euros. Best 12 Euros I ever spent. The ride up was spectacular, and Mrs. Charles was light of foot (literally one foot) the entire stay.