“No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle,” Winston Churchill maintained, well aware of how beneficial a horseback ride could be.

This itinerary offers an idea for a horseback ride with a particularly evocative view of Lake Trasimeno. Lake Trasimeno Park

Set off from Romitorio di Pozzuolo, a small hamlet of Castiglione del Lago. Castiglione del Lago Stop to visit the small 17th-century church dedicated to Saint Anthony the Abbot, known as the Romitorio. Take the avenue towards Piana and, looking to your right, you cannot fail to admire the magnificent view of Lake Trasimeno. If you are lucky enough to visit on a particularly clear day, you may even see the peaks of Monte Tezio. Monte Tezio Natural Park

Continue for another 600 metres, then turn onto a downhill road running between two small lakes, where, depending on the season, you may spot waterfowl and wading birds. Begin climbing again and, at a certain point, you will leave the Pozzuolo cemetery on your left. Take either of the two narrow roads ahead of you: both lead onto a wider road. Here you will come to a house with a road on its right. Follow it and continue along the beautiful tree-lined avenue: from here, the waters of Lake Trasimeno stretch out before you.

You can clearly make out the historic centre of Castiglione del Lago. After crossing a small bridge, cross the paved road and take another farm track leading to the Church of Piana. If you need a break or would like to enjoy a sandwich filled with local cured meats, stop at the bar near the church. Then set off again and enjoy a landscape that changes with the seasons: the area is home to numerous plant nurseries, whose production cycles give the surrounding countryside distinctive and ever-changing colours.

Get back in the saddle and follow Viale di Pallareto. The road leads through an area of Mediterranean scrub towards open fields, where you are quite likely to spot roe deer. Continue along the main track until you reach Località Scopi, where a country road will take you straight back to the Romitorio di Pozzuolo, your starting point.

Allow around three hours for this itinerary: don’t miss the opportunity to discover a magical corner of Umbria from an unusual perspective!