Italy Less Traveled: Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria

Italy Less Traveled: Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria

I hinted before that we’re still not done writing about our time in Europe. This post in particular, about Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria, has been brewing for some time. During our two months backpacking through Italy earlier this year we were able to see a lot of the country. We hit the main stops like Rome, Venice, Florence, and Cinque Terre but also many less visited places. Three especially—Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria—captivated us in a way that the busier more tourist-centric areas didn’t. These were places where we could imagine living. Places where you can settle into the daily flow of life. Whether you’re looking to get away from the throngs of tourists, or just like to visit more off-the-beaten path places, these three areas amaze with their history, culture, food, and beauty.

Pin this post for later >
Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.

3 Amazing Places in Italy that aren’t on your Itinerary: Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria

Aosta

Tucked into the Italian Alps, the Aosta experience begins with the journey. Whether you go by bus, train, or vehicle, the views are breathtaking. Winding roads pass through forested hills that give way to snow-capped peaks.

We traveled here by Flix bus. Word of advice: If you’re taking a Flix bus, give yourself 2-3 hours of wiggle room on your arrival time. We were supposed to get to the transit center at 8:30 pm, yet didn’t arrive until after 10 pm. Fortunately, our kind guesthouse host still gave us a ride to our apartment.

It was dark when we reached Aosta, but that made waking up to the majestic mountain views even more impressive. The main large piazza is in the heart of the historic district which is filled with picturesque shops and restaurants.

We met up with a friend in Aosta who was generous enough to show us around his hometown. The city contains numerous Roman ruins. For 7€ you can get a ticket to the ancient theater, underground ruins of the old city forum, Basilic of San Lorenzo, and Archaeological Museum. Some of the ruins including the old city gate have been incorporated into the current architecture.

The communes surrounding Aosta also offer incredible scenery and history. There’s a restored Roman aqueduct that you can walk through and many small villages with traditional mountain architecture dotting the landscape. Each area has its own castle that defended the communes. It looks like something out of a fairy-tale.

Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.
Views of the Alps from the Ancient Roman Theater in Aosta.
Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.
Exploring the underground ruins of the old forum.
Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.
You can walk inside this Roman Aqueduct that crosses a steep canyon and rushing river.

Food

Last but certainly not least is the food in Aosta. I still dream about the cheese here! Not even kidding. It was the best we had in all of Italy and France, which is really saying something.

My favorite cheese was made from cows that, as our server put it, are kept on the highest hills. Our friend explained that in winter the cattle are brought down to the valley but come spring, they’re moved to high elevations where they spend their summers grazing. He said it makes their milk and cheese taste different (better in our opinion). We found the cheese to be creamier and tangier than usual. And yes, I could go on for quite a while longer about cheese, but I’ll just leave it here. If you visit Aosta, you must try the cheese!

Bologna

While we’re on the subject, let’s keep this food frenzy going. Food was our motivation for visiting Bologna. Tom wanted to stay in the city that one of his favorite sausages is named after. While he did get his fill of sausages and the fresh pasta here was insane, we found so much more than just foodie heaven in Bologna.

There are loads of opulent churches, historic buildings, a library reminiscent of Hogwarts, one of the oldest universities in the world (Dante even studied here), spacious parks, and famous leaning towers. There used to be as many as 180 different towers dotting the city landscape. Originally built for defense, they became a status symbol for wealthy families. The taller the tower, the richer the family. Only 20 of the towers still stand today and some of them have developed a slant. You can even climb all 498 steps of the Asinelli Tower, which is the tallest in the city.

Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.
One of the many lovely parks in Bologna.
Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.
Strolling through the halls of the Archiginnasio of Bologna is like being transported straight to Hogwarts. Detailed murals and family crests cover the walls.
Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.
Bologna is known for its many arched porticoes.
Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.
The city is full of little surprises like this semi-hidden canal that can be viewed through a small window on a side street.

Umbria Region

This final location is a region, not a city. Umbria borders Tuscany on the east. Much like its neighbor to the west, Umbria offers rolling hills filled with vineyards, but fewer people. There are historic small cities with magnificent castles, glittering lakes, and grand mountains. Oh, did I mention the wine here is phenomenal too?

I highly recommend renting a car for exploring Umbria. We didn’t have one and consequently walked 3K from our farmhouse rental to the nearest village every few days for groceries. We were ready for a little stationary time, so didn’t mind staying put at our countryside rental (which just happens to look like paradise). However, unless you’re trying desperately to counteract your gelato and pasta consumption (like us), you’ll want some transportation of your own to explore the magnificent sights, history, and eats in this region.

Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.
Nothing better than delicious wine and rolling hills filled with vineyards as far as you can see.
Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.
Farmhouse rentals in the Umbria countryside are not only affordable but feel like paradise.

When you travel, do you prefer to hit the popular places or seek out less visited areas? Let us know in the comments below.

Related Posts

Pin this post for later >Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria are three amazing less traveled places in Italy. You can walk through ancient roman ruins, climb a famous leaning tower (spoiler: not the one in Pisa), and watch the sunset over vineyard lined hills. Find out how to avoid the tourist crowds in Italy by visiting these stunning places in this post.

4 thoughts on “Italy Less Traveled: Aosta, Bologna, and Umbria”

  2. Hey guys nice post! You’re welcome back anytime 🙂 Hope we can catch up again sooner or later.
    Cheers
    Pietro

    1. Thank you so much for showing us around Aosta, Pietro. We had a great time (seriously still dreaming about the cheese there) and would love to visit again. Hope all is well and keep in touch! Best wishes!

Comments are closed.

Comments are closed.