Visiting Assisi in Two Days

Visiting Assisi was something I went back and forth on as I planned our trip to Italy.  On one hand, Rachel (and one of my staff members) kept telling me that it was a magical place.   On the other hand, most books talked about how it has become too touristy.  We could do it as a day trip from Rome or Tuscany, but it didn’t seem convenient.  I wanted to book a tour of the city and the cathedral to better understand the history of the area.  Eventually, I came to the realization that visiting Assisi would only be worth it if we could spend at least one night there.  As the other details of our trip were locked into place, I decided that we would spend two nights visiting Assisi before heading to Rome.

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What to Do in Assisi

Assisi Walking Tour

Visiting Assisi would not have been as enjoyable if we had not started with this tour.  Alessandra met four of us in the parking lot across from our hotel and led us on a three-hour adventure.  We started at the top of the city, worked our way through three (major) cathedrals and ended at the Basilica of St. Francis.  The tour covers the Roman ruins (can you imagine living in the colosseum??), the origins of the Poor Claires and the Franciscan Order, as well as the more recent rebuilding of the Basilica.  Alessandra knows so much about the history and the art of the region that three hours passes rather quickly.   To say that Alessandra is captivating is an understatement.

Since I basically planned our stay around this tour, I was not surprised when Alessandra mentioned that groups are usually small.  She explained that the train from Rome doesn’t get in early enough for the tour and it’s only offered a couple times a week.  MAKE TIME FOR IT.  This one is worth it.  Without this tour, I feel like visiting Assisi would be like visiting Pienza. You would see a postcard and not experience the history of the city.  (I’d love to find a guide for Pienza next time!)

Visit all the Basilicas

Confession:  I don’t always find churches to be spiritual places in Europe.  (I think I posted about this on instagram stories while I was in Rome.)  The crowds overwhelm my spirituality, questions plague my mind, and I am lost on how any of this fits with what I read in the Bible.  I don’t tell you to visit all the basilicas while you are visiting Assisi because its any different, but because there are a lot of lovely side chapels, crypts, and art to appreciate.  And, in an attempt towards solemnity, there are a lot of places where camera are not welcome.

Even as a photographer, I’m completely okay with that.  (Also, to my fellow travelers, respect the rules.  Don’t be the jerk that takes photos/videos when there are signs everywhere that say not to.  It’s kind of like the spa thing – it disrupts the experience for everyone. The guards *will* yell at you and you’ll ruin it for everyone.  It’s. Not. Just. About. You.)

I enjoy people-watching and Assisi had no shortage of people to watch.  Franciscan monks.  Sisters.  People on pilgrimages.  Watching other people experience these places provoke my own thoughts and lead me to explore my thoughts on religion.  Understanding the role of women (particularly the less-celebrated “poor Claires”) and how the church downplays them helps me understand more about how we got here today.  Realizing that the church was in a precarious position before Francis came along makes me wonder “what if.”  There’s a lot to see and contemplate in Assisi.  It’s not just a church to visit and Francis is not just a man who loves animals.  To truly understand Assisi, its history, and the church, you need to visit all the basilicas.

Wine Tasting in Assisi

In 2021, we enjoyed an incredible wine and olive oil tasting near Assisi.  While we had a car, they do option an offer for pick up.  The views from this winery are absolutely incredible.  The winery is family-run, and we enjoyed the witty banter between the mother and daughter.  The tasting included a couple of local dishes made with fresh, seasonal ingredients.  It was all absolutely delicious!

Where to Stay in Assisi

I did not know what to expect when I booked the Nun Relais Assisi.  I thought the spa aspect of the property would be nice, and it meets my criteria of staying in the middle of town.  Beyond that, I didn’t have many expectations so I was truly blown away.  Our standard room overlooked the castle (magical view at blue hour) with windows that let the fresh air inside.  Fluffy robes and spa sandals made it super convenient to shuffle down to the spa (more on that!) for relaxing treatments.

Rooms are bright with comfortable beds and linen comforters.  It definitely feels as calming as a spa.  There are modern amenities like a flatscreen TV, but we skipped that.  (One of my favorite things about our vacations is how we basically disengage from watching anything for two weeks.)  Our room offered a small table and chairs and we had a picnic dinner overlooking the town one night.

A pocket door separates the room from the bathroom, which is large by European standards.  The stand-up shower has great water pressure; it isn’t quite as small as the shower at La Torretta.  (Side note: I LOVE the way the amenities smell.)  Our bathroom also had a single sink along with a window overlooking the town.  It was nice to be able to open it and keep the bathroom from getting too stuffy after a hot shower.

(Breakfast is typically included, but we tend to opt for a spa visit over a meal.)

The Spa

As I mentioned, the Nun Relais is actually a hotel, a spa, and a museum.  The spa is housed in Roman ruins, which is actually *really* cool to see!  (You can read more about the ruins as you journey through the spa.)  The best part about it is that the saunas, the steam rooms, the ice room, and the pools (baths?) are free for adult hotel guests to use.  The spa staff is so friendly and helpful.  We were greeted with warm, fluffy towels every time we shuffled in for a steam and a soak.

Despite only being there for two days, I lost track of how many times we went down there.  I recommend following the full Nun Spa Path at least once or twice for ultimate relaxation.  The rooms are designed with different temperatures and humidity levels.  It was a great way to help our bodies recover from all the walking we do on vacation (and before heading to Rome, lol).  The massage pool is wonderful; I recommend looking for every single jet you can find.  There are buttons all over that pool to treat different areas with varying intensity.  I’m generally pretty dubious about wellness, but I found tension leaving my body in different ways.  Whether it was relaxing my back while laying on hot stones or letting jets lift my entire body, it felt really good to just relax.

Note:  As I’ve mentioned previously, I don’t take pictures at spas because I feel like it disrupts the relaxation experience.  You can see photos on their website.  Let me know if you have any questions about the facility though!  I’m always happy to share more.

Where to Eat in Assisi

Before we arrived in Assisi, we had tagged several restaurants that were in the valley below.  We could have driven to any one of them, but we opted to stay on the hill instead.  By the time we finished our first (of many) spa visits, we realized that most restaurants and grocery stores were closed.  (It was almost unnerving how empty the city is after seeing so many people during the day!)  In retrospect, I wish we had driven down the hill to the town to check out a few places, but we found a few decent meals while visiting Assisi.

Il Baccanale

Il Baccanale is less than five minutes from the hotel.  My husband was enticed by the menu and I was enticed by the fact that it is housed in Roman ruins, which mirror Assisi’s stone walls.  (It reminds me of the first restaurant I ever visited in Paris that I’ve never been able to find – or recall the name of – since.)

We started our meal with a bread basket and a charcuterie board filled with salamis, cheese, and bruschetta with different pates, truffles, and more.  I could have stopped there.  My husband ordered the tagliatella al cinghiale (wild boar pasta). I ordered the torta al testo with prosciutto and mozzarella.  Portions were large (okay, mine was HUGE.  I couldn’t finish it.) and the food was tasty.  Torta al testo is an Umbrian flatbread speciality, which we learned from our guide the following day.  We finished off our meal with a homemade chocolate mousse cake with crushed hazelnuts.  It was delicious, but it was so rich.  I finished it to be polite.  😉  You can (and should) definitely share dessert with your travel companions.

The service is fantastic. Service is diligent but not overbearing.  Our server seemed proud when he could tell that we enjoyed the food.  (He also had the patience of Jobe; even we were annoyed by the loud Americans complaining about their 18-hour travel day to get to Assisi.  1.  Nobody cares.  2.  You’re here now.  Enjoy it!)  After we paid, we realized the restaurant had closed a bit earlier, but we never felt rushed to finish our meal.  There were several other patrons in the restaurant when we left as well.  We travel in shoulder season so I can’t speak to how crowded it might get. All said, our experience was very pleasant.

da Andrea

Ah, Andrea.  Our tour guide pointed you out as we passed and I knew I would return.  You remind me of everything I love about study abroad.  Fresh, delicious, and cheap.  Andrea is not a restaurant, but Andrea does have tables inside (a fact that did not come up in my husband’s search for food).  It is self service and cheap.  Come for the pizza al taglio (by the slice), stay for the torta al testo, if you want.  Leave with a meal for less than 10 euro.  (I think we spent 8 euro because I bought a coke.)  I could say more, but there’s no need to.  Andrea is good, cheap eats.  Nothing more, nothing less.

For more inspiration on Visiting Assisi & Umbria:

For more Umbria Itinerary Ideas:

Things to Do in Assisi // Two Nights in Assisi // Borgo dei Conti resort // Bocale Wine tasting in Umbria // Hill Towns in Umbria // Wine tastings in Umbria // Roccafiore Wine Resort in Umbria