“Explore the unspoiled corner of Umbria”
8 Day Two Valley Trail Ride and an Ancient Mountain Railway in Umbria
La Somma, Frazione Montebibico, 40, Montebibico, Spoleto, Perugia, Umbria, Italy
Horse Riding Tour in Italy
Situated in some of the loveliest countryside in Europe, La Somma Equestrian Centre offers riding holidays exploring rolling mountains, hidden valleys, and medieval hill villages in this unspoiled corner of Umbria, where time has stood still. Paired up with one of their well-schooled horses, you will venture out on a series of memorable half and full-day treks, stopping for picnic lunches in shady groves and with plenty of time to drink in the breathtaking scenery. Food is high on the agenda in this part of the world and you will eat well and heartily during your stay, with home-cooked dishes prepared from the best Umbrian ingredients and accompanied by excellent local wine. The guides are trained to ensure your safety as well as your enjoyment. Great care is taken to match each rider to his or her level of confidence and ability and to a suitable horse.
Key information
- Rider weight limit: 100 kilograms / 220 pounds
- Horse height range: From 15 to 17 hands
- Tack type: English and Western
- Horse breed: Anglo-Arabs, Argentinians, Arab-cross, and sure-footed Maremannos
Meet the instructors
Clare, Andrea, & Agostino
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Highlights
- 4 trail riding days exploring Valnerina
- 2 half-day rides before and after the trail rides
- Stay in La Somma - Sant’Anatolia di Narco - Poreta
- Ride along part of the historic Spoleto-Norcia mountain railway
- Pick up/drop off from Spoleto rail station
- 7 nights accommodation
- 3 daily meals
Styles
6 days with instruction in English
The organizer also speaks: Italian
Group size: 5-9 participants
Airport transfer available:
Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (US$214 per person)
Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (US$214 per person)
Airport transfer available:
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (US$214 per person)
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (US$214 per person)
Accommodation
Guests can do the trail ride three nights away and four nights at La Somma (before and after the trail ride). The center has a range of sleeping accommodations available, including eight chalets/apartments and bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms and furnished to a high standard in traditional Umbrian style. Some have kitchen areas. All of them look out onto spectacular views of the surrounding woods and mountains and all have central heating in winter. Some have fireplaces.
The stables’ clubhouse is a large, airy room with beams and terracotta floors and magnificent views from the bar area. A huge fireplace provides the perfect spot to enjoy a drink after a long day’s ride.
While on trail riding, you will be staying at the former Benedictine monastery, now a hotel, in Sant’Anatolia di Narco for two nights and another night at a comfortable agritourism in Poreta.
Program
Saturday
Arrive at La Somma, dinner and overnight.
Sunday
Morning half-day ride followed by lunch. In the afternoon, join a lesson in manege or free afternoon to go to Spoleto, etc.
Monday
Today you leave on the first leg of the trail ride. You ride along wide paths, with opportunities for several canters along the old Flaminian Way, before turning off and heading down through a series of picturesque villages such as Ancaiano and Belvedere, through woods and another tiny hamlet and into the beautiful village of Ferentillo, with its ancient twin towers to guard against marauding armies and bandits.
Ferentillo spans the fast-flowing Nera river that gives this stunningly beautiful valley its name – the Valnerina. You cross over the bridge to the other side of the village, called Precetto, and have a picnic lunch by the river. Afterward, you ride along the riverbank, following the course of the Nera and passing through several villages, with canters along the way. There is also a chance to stop for a beer before you come to Scheggino, a pretty little town on the river’s edge that is famous for the trout that swim right through the town center.
You carry on your ride along gentle paths until you reach Sant’Anatolia di Narco, and the former Benedictine monastery, now hotel, that will be your home for the next 2 nights. The horses will be let out to graze nearby, fed, and settled for the night while you take showers, have dinner, and overnight. Your bags will have been delivered by car in the meantime.
Tuesday
After breakfast, you leave for a shorter full-day ride on trails around the scenic area with a picnic lunch en route. On your return, you settle the horses into their picturesque paddocks close to the river in the monastery’s grounds. You can watch them graze as you take an aperitivo from the hotel bar. Dinner is served in the monastery courtyard.
Wednesday
Today, after breakfast, you saddle up and ride along part of the historic Spoleto-Norcia mountain railway, which has recently been converted into a spectacular trail for walkers and horse riders, passing through some of the ancient tunnels, and with dramatic views at every turn. This was the railway line that linked the two valleys of Spoleto and the Valnerina before it fell into disuse.
You pass a number of picturesque old railway stations and through the beautifully restored village of Tassinare and another one called Forca di Cerro, which is the highest point that the old trains had to climb before heading down to Spoleto. There, you leave the old railway line and wind your way down towards the pretty little town of Poreta in the Spoleto valley. You will be having dinner and sleeping in a comfortable agritourism, and the horses will be settled in nearby.
Thursday
Poreta is famous for its olive oil production and after breakfast, you ride along gentle trails flanked by olive trees on either side. This is also where St Francis and his followers used to pass, and you ride past a monastery, with several canters along the way before stopping in an olive grove for a picnic lunch. In the afternoon, you meet up with the horsebox and cars, which will take riders and horses back to La Somma for dinner and overnight.
Friday
After breakfast, half-day ride followed by lunch in the clubhouse. In the afternoon, join a lesson in manege or free afternoon.
Saturday
Breakfast and depart.
Instructors
Clare Pedrick
Clare Pedrick is an experienced English guide, though she has lived in Italy for many years. She organises the horse riding holidays and will accompany riders on many of the rides.
Andrea Bevilacqua
Andrea Bevilacqua is in charge of riding tuition. With a string of show-jumping successes to his name, Andrea gives riding lessons to novices and experts alike. He is a FISE instructor and regional show jumping champion with years of experience teaching show jumping and dressage.
Agostino Bevilacqua
Agostino heads the trekking side of the business and was born and brought up in these hills. What he doesn't know about horses is probably not worth knowing.
Location
The stables are just a 15-minute drive from Spoleto with its Roman, medieval, and Renaissance treasures and an enticing array of shops and restaurants. The area is also an excellent base for walking, cycling, and even rafting. Rome is an easy train journey away, making it perfect for a day trip or as an add-on to your visit.
The La Somma riding stables are situated in some of the most spectacular countrysides to be found anywhere in Italy. Set upon a plateau overlooking the mountains and valleys around Spoleto, the scenery is stunning, with varied landscapes ranging from craggy rocks and peaks to soft rolling hills and cool and quiet woodland, home to porcupines, woodpeckers, and wild boars.
Distances
- Spoleto - 15 minutes
- Perugia - 30 minutes
Food
The following meals are included:
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:
- Regular (typically includes meat and fish)
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation
What's included
- All meals
- 7 nights accommodation
- All the riding sessions
- Pick up/drop off from Spoleto rail station
What's not included
- Airport transfers
How to get there
Recommended Airports
CIA
Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport
95 km
Transfer available for additional US$214 per person
FCO
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
103 km
Transfer available for additional US$214 per person
Driving directions from Spoleto
- Take the main road from Spoleto towards Terni / Rome.
- You will see a tunnel right on the brow of a hill after approximately six kilometers.
- Get into the left lane and turn left immediately after the tunnel and a bar called the Bar Belli.
- Find the turning which is signposted Montebibico.
- Take another sharp left immediately and then left again (following signs for Montebibico).
- Follow the winding road up the hill for about one kilometer until you see a stone house with wooden shutters on the left.
- Turn in left here.
- Drive up the unpaved road until you reach the stables (about 400 meters).
Arrival by train
Pick-up and drop-off at Spoleto railway station is included in the price.
La Somma offers a free pick up/drop off service to/from Spoleto railway station, an easy train journey from the Rome airports.
Airport: Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport
Airport transfer available:
Ciampino–G. B. Pastine International Airport (US$214 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Airport: Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
Airport transfer available:
Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (US$214 per person)
Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.
Cancellation Policy
- A reservation requires a deposit of 16.94% of the total price.
- The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
- The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.
For this organizer you can guarantee your booking through BookHorseRidingHolidays.com. All major credit cards supported.
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