Appropriately referred to as the green heart of Italy, apartment and villa rentals in Umbria will show you a region of the country whose economy is largely driven by agriculture - while the towns of Spoleto and Trevi are olive-oil hot-spots, wine is big business in Lake Trasimeno and Montefalco, and with chocolate sitting firmly at the fore-front of food production in the capital city of Perugia, holiday apartments and villas in Umbria will put you in situation where you are guaranteed to enjoy a truly memorable experience of a region of Italy that has a world-beating gastronomical reputation.

Despite being one of the smallest regions in Italy, Umbria is big in character and charisma and has such a huge diversity of topographical and archaeological features, abundance of sites of historic interest, and range of rural and urban environments that you'd need to choose a villa rental in Umbria for more than one holiday if you intend planning a thorough investigation of the hills, mountains and rivers that dominate a landscape scattered with medieval castles, Roman ruins, ancient market towns and sleepy rustic villages. Several large cities demonstrate the true essence of Umbria's unique identity, many having been born in the Etruscan period and have yet managed to retain a deep sense of the history and legend that has formed the basis of everyday life ever since, even though more contemporary attitudes and an atmosphere of cosmopolitan vibrancy has crept in over recent years.

Held in a loving embrace by Lazio, Le Marche and Tuscany, holiday apartment and villa rentals in Umbria are seldom going to prove a popular choice for those with a passion for the sea, but you'll never be too far away from a peaceful lake or a picturesque river wherever you are in the region if the opportunity to fish, sail or simply be close to the relaxing influence of water will enhance your vacation. Outstanding natural beauty aside, a wealth of history and culture will give you more than enough reasons to rent a holiday villa or apartment in Umbria, but when you can find such a rich blend of breathtaking scenery, magnificent architecture, fabulous restaurants and a truly authentic Italian atmosphere in either a traditional rustic hamlet nestling on the verdant slopes of a hillside or at the centre of a bustling metropolis like Terni, Spoleto or Perugia, you'll soon discover that every inch of Umbria can offer you a taste of the real Italy.

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