Hills and forests, meadows and fields, Umbria “green heart of Italy.” This is all true, but there is much more! The gentle hills are gradually replaced by mountainous conformations such as Mount Subasio, Mount Cucco with its caves, Mount Tezio, the Martani Mountains and the Sibillini Mountains chain.

Thinking of the Sibillini Mountains National Park, it is inevitable to mention Castelluccio di Norcia, one of the highest population centers in the Apennines. Here, the famous Castelluccio bloom lights up the basin, located at an elevation of 1452 m, with red, yellow, purple, blue and green. The peaks of the Apennines rise further to the highest, dominating the region, belonging to Mount Carrier (2,476 m).

Dense, lush forests alternate with verdant meadows, and then give way to lands of rocky composition, given among others by travertine or tuff, which impart mineral flavors to the wines made from the vines that grow there.

The fertile fields are cut by rivers that venture gangly through the dense vegetation and traverse numerous drops, jumps and rapids, enlivening the environment with sounds. The Tiber River flows through the Upper Tiber Valley, where it descends in elevation, generating a lush river park that stretches for about 50 km. Umbrian tributaries such as the Paglia and Chiascio, but especially the Nera and Velino, increase its flow.

An ancient legend recounts the birth of the Marmore Falls, a leap of about 80 meters symbolizing eternal love: the Velino, in despair, throws himself off the cliff to rejoin his beloved, transformed by divine wrath into the Nera River.

The Valnerina area, also crossed by the Corno River, is an ideal place for those who love breathtaking views, adventure, and sports in symbiosis with Nature such as rafting and fishing. These rivers, among other species, are populated by Fario trout, which live in clear, highly oxygenated waters with a swift current.

When they are not running frantically down mountain slopes, Umbrian waters give rise to crystal-clear stretches of water surrounded by enchanting sights, such as the Fonti del Clitunno or the Mole di Narni, or beautiful lakes.

Diving into the horizon, the sun tints the surface of Lake Trasimeno, the largest in central Italy, with breathtaking colors. This spectacle can be appreciated from the shores, but it becomes unique by plying the water by ferry or small boats, which takes on the silver reflections of mercury with the hues of warm sunset colors. Polvese, Maggiore and Minore are the islands that dot this large body of water rich in flora and fauna. 
Another lake area in Umbria is Piediluco, in the province of Terni, which is surrounded by forest and was once an obligatory stop on the Grand Tour. The small village of Piediluco overlooks the shores of the lake with colorful little houses. Typical restaurants serve eels and trout piedilucana style or accompanied by the delights of the forest, mainly mushrooms and truffles.

In Umbria it is possible to admire, discover and experience a Nature that is the undisputed protagonist, sometimes gentle and sometimes wild, certainly abundant in vegetation and varied in fauna. Man here inevitably enters into connection with it and can become passionate about a slower way of life, as during trekking, walking or horseback riding, but no less exciting, as in paragliding, rafting or in the fun adventure parks. 
It will then be possible to discover that the scents of the forest, the lapping of water and the chirping of birds have something to tell, you just have to take time to listen.