You can easily reach Magione, whose name derives from the Castle of the Knights of Malta, partly open to visitors on request, by leaving the E45. After a short stop at the Torre dei Lambardi, a former watchtower overlooking the town and offering a unique panorama over Perugia and Lake Trasimeno, head towards Monte del Lago.
Passing through Montecolognola and along Provincial Road 314, take the SP 316. Stop briefly in this charming fishing village to visit the Castello di Zocco, an imposing 13th-century military fortress whose massive walls and towers still survive, before continuing towards San Feliciano. The Museum of Fishing and Lake Trasimeno is well worth a visit: its four exhibition rooms follow the course of the sun, documenting fishing techniques, tools and even dialect terms associated with fishing, from prehistoric times to the present day.
If it is time for a tasty break, lake fish is a must: carp in porchetta, fried latterini or tegamaccio, a traditional Umbrian recipe made with lake fish.
The SP 316 leads directly to your destination, the “La Valle” Nature Oasis, on the outskirts of San Savino di Magione, in the heart of Lake Trasimeno Park. This environmental education and experience centre is an ideal place to visit with children. Before setting out to discover the most fascinating corners of the reserve in search of great crested grebes and little bitterns, you can make use of equipped educational rooms, a laboratory with stereomicroscopes and a documentation centre.
Don’t miss the bird-ringing station and the walkway extending into the reed bed, complete with a birdwatching observatory. And if you do not have your own equipment, don’t worry: binoculars and spotting scopes are available for birdwatching. Many species live and breed here, including coots, mallards, teals, pochards, wigeons, garganeys and gadwalls, as well as purple and grey herons, little egrets and great reed warblers. With a little patience, you may also spot marsh harriers, owls, peregrine falcons and many migratory species.
