Assisi sits at the centre of one of the densest concentrations of medieval hill towns in Italy. Any of the following make excellent day trips:
Perugia — the Umbrian capital, 25 km west, with the splendid Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria and the warren of medieval streets that climb up to the Rocca Paolina. Trains run every 30–60 minutes.
Spoleto — 50 km south, an even older Roman city with the dramatic Ponte delle Torri spanning a wooded gorge. The Festival dei Due Mondi in late June and early July is one of Italy's most important music festivals.
Gubbio — 40 km northeast, a pink-grey stone town built up the side of Monte Ingino, with one of Italy's strangest annual festivals (the Corsa dei Ceri) in May.
Trevi — 35 km south, a smaller and quieter hill town surrounded by the silver olive groves of the Spoleto valley.
