Hill towns
Inland settlements on ground that would not let them spread.
119 lists
Alternatives to San Gimignano: every hill town in Tuscany, in one listThe complete list of Tuscan hill towns in our catalogue as alternatives to San Gimignano. Towers, walls and a Wednesday market, without the coach park.
Alternatives to Assisi: every hill town in Umbria, in one listAll the Umbrian hill towns in our catalogue as alternatives to Assisi and Orvieto. Spello, Montefalco, Trevi, Bevagna, Norcia and the rest of the green heart, best-recognised first.
The best hill towns within 75 minutes of VeronaNorth and west of Verona the plain breaks up into moraine hills, Valpolicella terraces and the first slopes of the Trentino valleys, where towns sit on high ground above vineyards, olive trees and lake water. Amarone cellars, brick and river-stone houses, cherry orchards and Friday markets, all within an easy drive or train ride of the city.
The best hill towns within 75 minutes of TrentoTerraced vineyards, chestnut woods and stone villages on high ground between the Adige valley and the Valsugana, all within easy reach of Trento by train or road.
The best hill towns within 90 minutes of TriesteInland from Trieste the karst gives way to vine terraces, oak woods and stone villages on high ground, where the cooking runs to prosciutto, frico and Friulian white wine. Hill towns close enough for a morning drive, with the Slovenian border never far off.
The best hill towns within 90 minutes of BolzanoVineyard terraces, porticoed streets and church towers on high ground between the Adige valley and the Valsugana, within easy reach of Bolzano by train or car. Speck, canederli, Lagrein and Teroldego, apple orchards below and larch forest above.
The best hill towns within 45 minutes of UdineNorth of the Friulian plain the ground begins to lift into moraine hills, vineyards and beech woods, and the towns up there deal in prosciutto, Friulano, mosaic and Longobard stone. All are within easy driving distance of Udine.
The best hill towns within 90 minutes of PaduaWest and north of Padua the Veneto plain breaks into volcanic cones, prosecco terraces and Valpolicella slopes, with towns of trachyte and warm brick standing above the flat land. Vineyard walks, thermal water, radicchio and Amarone, all within easy driving reach of the city.
The best hill towns within 75 minutes of BresciaHill towns rise out of the Lombard plain within easy driving distance of Brescia, built in limestone and brick, with moraine ridges above Lake Garda, Valpolicella vines and Franciacorta cellars close at hand.
The best hill towns within 75 minutes of ParmaSouth of the Via Emilia the plain buckles into the Apennine foothills, where sandstone ridges carry castles, cherry orchards, chestnut woods and porcini, and the culatello cellars sit in valley damp. These are the towns on high ground, all within easy driving of Parma.
The best hill towns within 90 minutes of CataniaInland from Catania the roads climb fast, into black lava stone and honey-coloured limestone, olive terraces, chestnut woods on Etna's flanks and towns built on ridges where the air cools by late afternoon. Baroque staircases, ricotta, thyme honey and sheep's cheese, within easy driving distance of the coast.
The best hill towns within two hours of CagliariInland Sardinia rises fast behind Cagliari, into basalt plateaus, limestone walls and villages built of dark trachyte where the cooking runs to suckling pig, sheep's cheese and Cannonau. These are the towns on the high ground, reachable in a morning's drive from the capital.
The 10 smallest villages in LiguriaLiguria packs three hundred kilometres of coast and mountain into the narrowest region in mainland Italy, and some of its villages have fewer residents than a single Milanese apartment block. These are the smallest of them, including two you have almost certainly heard of.
The best hill towns in the province of NuoroInland Nuoro is Sardinia at its steepest: granite and limestone villages stacked on slopes above the Barbagia and Ogliastra, with Cannonau vineyards, sheep's milk cheese and stone streets that climb rather than spread.
The best hill towns in the province of AstiHill towns in the province of Asti, where Barbera vineyards climb slopes too steep for anything else and the villages sit on the ridge lines above them. Six inland places built of brick and tufo, best in autumn.
The best hill towns in the province of TrevisoHill towns in the province of Treviso, where the Prosecco vineyards climb slopes too steep for tractors and the villages are built of river stone, brick and Istrian marble. Asolo, Cison di Valmarino, Follina, Valdobbiadene and more.
The best hill towns in the province of CosenzaInland Cosenza is a province of steep stone villages set above river valleys, between the Pollino massif and the Sila. These hill towns sit on ground too sharp to build wide, and they eat, drink and keep time accordingly.
The best hill towns in the province of FirenzeHill towns in the province of Firenze, from the Mugello ridges to the Elsa valley and the Chianti road south, where stone villages sit on ground too steep to build out. Olive oil, Sangiovese, brick towers and long views.
The 9 best hill towns in the province of MateraHill towns across the province of Matera, from the clay badlands around Aliano and Craco to the wheat plateaux above Irsina and the oak woods of Accettura, where houses are cut from the same tufa and sandstone they stand on.
The best hill towns in the province of PisaInland from the Arno plain, the province of Pisa rises into ridges of sandstone and clay where towns sit on ground too steep to spread. A guide to the hill towns worth the drive, from white truffle country above the Arno to the alabaster ridges and geothermal valleys of the Val di Cecina.
The 6 best hill towns in the province of AlessandriaSix inland hill towns in the province of Alessandria, from the pale stone cellars of Cella Monte to the cherry orchards of Garbagna, the white wine slopes of Gavi and the peach country around Volpedo.
The 6 best hill towns in the province of ChietiInland Chieti is a province of stone hill towns wedged between the Maiella and the Adriatic, built on ridges too steep to spread. Archi, Casoli, Crecchio, Fara San Martino, Guardiagrele and Pretoro are the ones worth the climb.
The best hill towns in the province of L'AquilaHill towns in the province of L'Aquila, built in stone on slopes above the Peligna valley and the Tirino: Balsorano, Capestrano, Castelvecchio Subequo, Corfinio, Morino, Ofena, Roccacasale and Sulmona.
The best hill towns in the province of PescaraInland from the Adriatic, the province of Pescara rises into steep ridge towns of brick and river stone, olive groves, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo vineyards and hermitages cut into the Majella. These are the hill towns worth the drive up.
The best hill towns in the province of ImperiaInland from the Riviera dei Fiori, the province of Imperia rises into steep valleys of olive terraces and slate-roofed stone villages. Six hill towns above Sanremo and Ventimiglia, where the bread, the oil and the mule tracks are the point.
The 7 best hill towns in the province of FermoHill towns in the province of Fermo, in southern Marche, where brick and travertine villages sit on ridges between the Sibillini mountains and the Adriatic, built on slopes too steep to sprawl.
The best hill towns in the province of LecceInland Salento, where the ground rises just enough to matter: baroque limestone towns, Griko-speaking villages, olive country and menhirs between Lecce and the Adriatic. A guide to the hill towns of the province of Lecce, from Specchia and Martano to Copertino and Nardò.
The best hill towns in the province of ArezzoHill towns in the province of Arezzo, from the Casentino and the Valdichiana to the ridges above the Arno, built in sandstone and brick on ground too steep to build flat. Where to go for Piero della Francesca, Chianina beef and antique markets without the crowds of the Val d'Orcia.
The 9 best hill towns in the province of AnconaInland from the Adriatic, the province of Ancona rises into brick-walled hill towns set on ridges above vineyards, wheat and river gorges. Nine of them, from wine villages to paper towns, worth the drive away from the coast.
The best hill towns in the province of RomaHill towns in the province of Roma, on volcanic ridges and limestone spurs above the Aniene and the Campagna: porchetta counters, papal villas, chestnut woods and stone streets too steep to build wide.
The 6 best hidden hill towns in the province of LecceInland Salento, where small towns sit on rises of soft limestone above the olive plain: baroque doorways, Greek-speaking villages, pittule fried in bar kitchens and courtyards cut straight out of the local tufo.
The best small hill towns in the province of Pesaro e UrbinoSeven small hill towns in the province of Pesaro e Urbino, inland from the Adriatic, where the Metauro and Candigliano valleys run up into the Apennines. Truffle country, brick and sandstone walls, and fewer visitors than the ducal city downriver.
The 10 best small hill towns in the province of SienaSmall inland hill towns across the province of Siena, built in travertine and brick on ground too steep to spread, from the Val d'Orcia and the Crete Senesi to the Chianti ridges and the woods below Monte Cetona.
The best hill towns in Friuli-Venezia GiuliaFriuli-Venezia Giulia's inland hills carry ham cellars, Ribolla Gialla vineyards, Lombard stonework and mosaic schools, all on ground too steep for a town to spread. A guide to the hill towns worth the drive north of the Adriatic.
The best hill towns in MoliseMolise's inland hill towns sit on limestone ridges between the Apennines and the Adriatic, built of pale stone and stacked on slopes too steep to build wide. A guide to the best of them, from Roman Larino to the olive terraces above the Trigno.
The best hill towns in Trentino-Alto Adige/SüdtirolSix inland hill towns in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, built on slopes too steep to spread, where vineyards, apple terraces and porticoed streets sit below the rock. What to see, when to go and how to reach each one.
The 9 best hidden hill towns in BasilicataBasilicata's inland hill towns sit on sandstone ridges and clay badlands, built tight because the ground gave them no other option. A look at the smaller ones, from the Bradano valley to the Tyrrhenian slopes, where fewer visitors go.
The best hidden hill towns in LombardiaInland Lombardia builds its villages on slopes too steep to spread: stone towers in the Oltrepò Pavese, walled hamlets above the moraine hills near Mantua, terraced ledges over Lake Garda. These are the hill towns fewer travellers reach.
The best small hill towns in PugliaPuglia's inland hill towns sit above the olive plains, built in tufa and local limestone on slopes too steep to build wide. Biccari, Giurdignano, Nociglia, Pietramontecorvino, Poggiorsini and Specchia are the smaller ones, where the streets climb and fewer people go.
The best small hill towns in SiciliaInland Sicilia is a landscape of towns built on rock too steep to spread, with tufa lanes, ricotta pastries and views across wheat country to Etna. These are the smaller hill settlements, in the Madonie, the Nebrodi and the sulphur hills, where fewer visitors go.
The 9 best hidden hill towns in VenetoVeneto's inland hills run from the Colli Euganei to the Prosecco ridges above Treviso and the Valpolicella slopes north of Verona, and the towns built on them are small, steep and easy to reach. Trachyte and limestone villages, hillside vineyards, abbey cloisters and long autumn lunches.
The best hill towns in the province of Ascoli PicenoInland from the Adriatic, the hills between the Tronto and the Aso carry towns of travertine and brick set on ridges too steep to spread, with stuffed fried olives, Pecorino and Passerina wine, and long views to the snow on the Sibillini.
The best hill towns in the province of FrosinoneInland Lazio between Rome and Naples, where limestone towns sit on ridges above the Sacco and Liri valleys, with cyclopean walls, olive terraces and winter tables of gnocchi and lamb.
The best hill towns with a food festival in the province of PerugiaInland Umbria eats by the calendar: black truffles in winter, wild asparagus in spring, new oil pressed in the cold weeks before Christmas. These hill towns of the province of Perugia each build a recurring festival around one local ingredient, in stone squares above the olive terraces.
The best hill towns inside a national park in CalabriaInland Calabria is mountain country: beech and silver fir on the Pollino and Sila ridges, stone villages built on rock spurs, wild boar ragù and Caciocavallo Silano. These hill towns sit within the national parks, high above the coast road.
The best hill towns with a serious restaurant in the province of PerugiaInland Umbria eats seriously: black truffle, torta al testo, Sagrantino from the vineyards below the walls, and hill towns of pink limestone where a kitchen worth booking sits inside the medieval gate. These are the places in the province of Perugia where the restaurant is the reason to stay the night.
The best hidden hill towns that eat well in the province of ViterboInland from Lake Bolsena and the Via Cassia, the hill towns of the Viterbese are built from grey-black volcanic tufo and cook accordingly: chestnuts, hazelnuts, lentils, wild boar, pecorino and the flat bread they still bake for the acquacotta. Each of these towns has a table named by a national dining guide.
The best hill towns inside a nature park in PugliaInland Puglia rises off the coastal plain into limestone ridges, oak scrub and the deep ravines of the gravine, and these towns sit in the middle of protected parkland, with whitewashed streets, grilled bombette and roads that empty out by mid-afternoon.
The best hill towns worth staying overnight in PugliaInland Puglia, up on the Murgia and the Salento plain, where the houses are whitewashed limestone, the evening passeggiata is a real event and the towns keep hotels good enough to hold you past dinner. Hill settlements for staying rather than stopping.
The best hill towns on a walking route in LazioInland Lazio is walking country: tufa ridges above the Via Francigena, volcanic lakes, chestnut woods in the Ciociaria, and hill towns where pilgrims and walkers still arrive on foot. These are the stages worth stopping in rather than passing through.
The 9 best hill towns you can reach by train in the province of BariInland from the Adriatic, the province of Bari rises into limestone hill country of trulli roofs, whitewashed lanes and olive groves, all of it stitched together by the regional railways that run up from the coast. These are the hill towns you can reach without hiring a car.
The 8 best hill towns inside a national park in CampaniaInland Campania keeps its hill towns inside protected land: the Matese and the Cilento, where limestone gorges, chestnut woods and stone villages sit within national park boundaries. Autumn brings truffles, mushrooms and cold clear rivers running under old bridges.
The best hill towns with a food festival in LazioInland Lazio runs to volcanic ridges, chestnut woods and hill towns built from tufo, where the autumn sagre are organised around one ingredient: the hazelnut, the chestnut, the bean, the local wine. These are the towns where the festival is still a village affair rather than a coach stop.
The best hill towns with a World Heritage site in SiciliaInland Sicilia builds in honey-coloured limestone and black lava stone, on ridges above the Val di Noto, where baroque churches went up after the earthquake and the cooking runs to chocolate, ricotta and almond. These are hill towns carrying World Heritage status, reached on winding roads from the coast.
The 9 best hidden hill towns on a walking route in ToscanaInland Toscana measured on foot: travertine and brick hill towns strung along the old pilgrim road, with olive terraces, pecorino and Brunello between them, and the long light of late spring on the Val d'Orcia.
The best hill towns that live slowly in UmbriaUmbrian hill towns built from grey travertine and pink Assisi stone, where the olive harvest runs into November, lentils and black truffle turn up on the same plate, and the towns themselves have signed an international charter promising to keep life at walking pace.
The best hidden hill towns you can reach by train in the province of PerugiaInland Umbria rises in olive terraces and pink limestone, and much of it is served by the slow regional lines that thread the Tiber and Topino valleys. These hill towns in the province of Perugia can be reached without a car, from ceramic workshops on the plain to stone villages above the Nera.
The 6 best hill towns that eat well in CampaniaInland Campania cooks differently from the coast: buffalo mozzarella from the Volturno plain, Aglianico from volcanic slopes, wood-fired pizza judged by people who have eaten it all their lives. These hill towns sit above the tuff valleys, and a dining guide has named a table in each.
The best hill towns you can reach by train in Emilia-RomagnaInland Emilia-Romagna rises quickly once you leave the Via Emilia, into chestnut woods, gypsum ridges and vineyards of Lambrusco Grasparossa. These are hill towns with a station or a bus link from one, reachable without a car.
The 6 best hill towns with a food festival in AbruzzoInland Abruzzo eats by the calendar: porchetta, arrosticini, saffron, black truffle, mountain lentils and Montepulciano, each with a town and a weekend attached. These hill towns in the provinces of Teramo, Pescara and Chieti build a festival around a single local ingredient and cook it in the street.