Lake Trasimeno and Isola Maggiore

Lake Trasimeno is the fourth-largest lake in Italy and the green, watery heart of western Umbria, a shallow expanse ringed by gentle hills and medieval towns such as Castiglione del Lago, Passignano and Tuoro sul Trasimeno, the last famous as the site of Hannibal's ambush of the Romans in 217 BC. Three islands rise from its waters, of which Isola Maggiore is the only one still inhabited and the easiest to visit, reached by Busitalia ferries that cross from Tuoro Navaccia in about ten minutes or from Passignano in roughly thirty-five. Stepping ashore, visitors find a tiny car-free village of fishermen's and lace-makers' cottages along a single street, where the tradition of Irish-inspired lace, introduced in the late 19th century, is still kept alive in a small museum. A gentle footpath loops the island past the church of San Salvatore, the Franciscan trail and the spot where Saint Francis is said to have spent Lent in 1211, climbing to the hilltop church of San Michele Arcangelo for wide views over the lake. The flat shoreline paths and the absence of cars make it a relaxed half-day outing, easily combined with a swim, a lakeside lunch of carp or eel, or cycling the level routes around the shore. The lake is busiest in high summer when Italian families fill the beaches, while late spring and early autumn bring warmer, calmer water and quieter crossings. Birdwatchers come for the herons, egrets and migratory flocks of the surrounding wetlands. The ferries and towns lie west of Perugia, easily reached by car or train along the line towards Tuscany.