🏖️ Rimini: everything you need to know about the popular resort in Italy
I flew to Rome because it is one of the most budget resorts in Italy. And plane tickets from Warsaw there cost pennies.
What did you expect? Warmth and sun every day, clear sea with sandy beaches, walks along the beautiful streets of the ancient city, delicious Italian cuisine and active party life in the evenings. This is not to say that I didn’t get it, but there were some nuances.
Weather in Rome
Tourists begin to come here in large numbers, as to other European resorts, in May. The peak season, according to the classics, is July-August. In September, there are fewer guests on the coast.
I arrived in Rome in the second half of August. For the first half of the holiday, the weather was beautiful: sunny and around +28-30°C. In the last couple of days we have been hit by a cyclone: gusty winds, rain and autumn coolness. I didn’t have warm clothes or a raincoat with me. Don’t make my mistake: always take something in case of bad weather – no one at European resorts is immune from this.
The sea off the coast of Rimini
Many people complain that from the Emilia-Romania region the Adriatic Sea is not as beautiful as on the opposite coast – Croatia.
Personally, I liked the Adriatic: the sea was warm and calm, with a beautiful greenish color. Even when bad weather came and a storm arose, the water was not cold, although swimming was not allowed. But I still managed to wet my feet while enjoying the beautiful view and the sound of the waves.
Beaches
The sandy coast near Rimini stretches for 15 kilometers. Sun loungers, umbrellas, changing rooms, toilets and cafes – the beaches are equipped as they should. Anyone can just walk along the coastline and swim in any place they like for free. You are allowed to lie down on your own towel only on two beaches: numbers 1 and 100. An umbrella with a sunbed at other points costs around 15 euros. I chose a hotel on the first coast with its own beach, where a sun lounger with an umbrella is included in the price.
Sights of Rimini
I'm not a big fan of smoking in the sun for hours. I shopped, read a book in the shade, shopped again – and was ready to move on. Rimini is not a resort village, but a city with a population of 150 thousand inhabitants and a history that begins before our era! This is also an important reason why I chose to come here.
I have compiled a guide to the most important attractions in Rimini. It is not necessary to see all locations in one day. Break the route into parts that are convenient for you.
Almost every hotel offers bikes for rent. My husband and I did just that. And we went to explore the city center.
The Tiberius Bridge (point A) spans the Marecchia River. It is considered one of the oldest in the world – it is already 2 thousand years old!
Behind it is the fishing district of San Giuliano. Small brightly colored houses, charming narrow streets – cute and photo- genic.
On the other side of the bridge is the historical heart of Rimini. Let's enter it by first examining Sismondo Castle (point B). It is also called Rocca Malatestiana. This fortress was built in the 15th century for the local ruler Sigismondo Malatesta. Once upon a time this place was surrounded by powerful walls. Now the castle is used for fairs and exhibitions. Here is the Museum of the famous native of Rimini – director Federico Fellini.
Nearby is the medieval Place Cavour (point C). Since then, the city hall has been located here. On the piazza, next to the palaces of the 12th-14th centuries, a fish market was built in the 18th century, and a theater was built in the 19th century.
You can still drink water from the ancient marble fountain, the beauty of which Leonardo da Vinci himself admired.
A few tens of meters from Cavour there are ruins from the 2nd century! The archaeological complex, with an area of about 700 sq.m., is covered with a huge glass dome. This is part of an ancient settlement in which many household items from those times were found. They are now kept in the Luigi Tonini Civic Museum, which is next door. And in the “House of the Surgeon” (point D) they discovered surgical instruments, vessels for making medicines and the impressive savings of a military doctor.
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Move further to the Square of the Three Martyrs, or Piazza Tre Martiri (point E). There was a Roman forum (market) on this site. Caesar spoke on it in front of his troops. It was here that he announced the decision to cross the Rubicon, the river that served as the border between Italy and the Roman province of Cisalpine Gaul.
Now on the square there is a monument to the great commander and a memorial pillar-tribune. Previously, the piazza was named after Julius Caesar, but after World War II they decided to dedicate it to the memory of local partisans who were executed by the Germans.
If you go straight, you will run into the Arch of Augustus (point F). These Roman city gates are the oldest surviving ones, dating back to BC. The arch served its function until the Middle Ages. True, in the 10th century it had to be restored, so battlements with loopholes that clearly stood out from the architecture appeared.
Not far from the Arch there are the ruins of a Roman amphitheater (point G). They date back to the 2nd century. There was little left of the arena—there wasn’t even anything to take pictures of.
I suggest you go to the amphitheater through the park. Then return to the green zone again and continue your route along it. If you are on a bicycle, this is definitely the best option – the park is green and there is a bike path. To be honest, it was not very comfortable for me to ride on a two-wheeler on the streets of Rimini: there are no special lanes, and the traffic is quite dense.
I have already mentioned that Federico Fellini was born and raised in Rimini. Having gained worldwide fame, the director, coming to his favorite city, began to stay at the luxurious Grand Hotel. The park near this place now bears the name of the cinema maestro. A huge sculpture of a camera was also erected here in his honor.
Another decoration of Federico Fellini Park (point H) is a fountain with four horses.
Next to the park is the Port of Rimini (point I). The harbor at the mouth of the Marecchia River is impressive. Berths for ferries, fishing boats, pleasure boats and cool yachts – look at this beauty both from land and from the 55-meter height of the Ferris wheel.
Rimini in the evening
Riding a Ferris wheel in the evening is a special thrill. The entire embankment is lit up – romance! Here is the hotbed of Rimini's nightlife. Crowded restaurants, bars and clubs start from the Ferris wheel and go far beyond the city.
It would seem that I should have found a cool place to hang out. But somehow I was unlucky: either there was not enough music, or the food was so-so. Hope you have better luck!
Food
I love pizza! But I didn’t like the ones I ordered in the local restaurants. But I liked the piadina flatbread with ham and mozzarella, which is so loved in this region. True, on the third day I was already tired of it.
They serve croissants and pies for breakfast, pasta for lunch, pizza for dinner – okay, extra pounds, more importantly, my stomach was unhappy. Finding eggs or porridge for the morning, and soup for lunch turned out to be unrealistic. It’s good that at least they cook fish and seafood here and there is yoghurt in the stores – I saved myself as best I could. I regretted that I didn’t rent an apartment with my own kitchen, where I could cook some broth.
In Rimini with children
If you are flying on holiday with your family, I recommend staying on the other side of the Marecchia River. It's quiet and calm there in the evenings, the beaches are well equipped for children's fun, the entry into the sea is smooth and slow.
Take your whole family to the ” Italy in Miniature” museum. It contains more than 270 replicas of landmarks from different parts of the country. My husband and I, like children, rode on all the attractions: on boats around mini-Venice, and on a train around the park – it was fun and interesting.
Along the main promenade of Rimini is the Fiabilandia park. It has more than 30 attractions, five themed fairy tale areas, a lake, water slides and is quite green. There is a seafood restaurant on site.
Near Rimini, in the town of Riccione, there is a large water park – “Aquafan”. It was opened in 1987 – they say it was the first in Italy. Attractions in the water park are for every taste, age and level of love for adrenaline. There is a cinema and food court on site.
Another 10 kilometers along the coast – and you will see the aquarium “Aquarium of Cattolica “. This is the second largest marine mammal park in Italy. Sharks, stingrays, jellyfish and other water inhabitants live in one hundred glass pools. You can also see penguins and otters here.
Additional information: just 20 km from Rimini is the small state of San Marino. You can take a bus tour to explore its main beauty. I did just that, but I’ll talk about it in my next article.