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Indice

1. Roman Itinerary                     
2. Itinerary from the middle ages to the renaissance                     
3. The Felllini Itinerary                     
4. Museo della città                    
5. Bicipolitana, Rimini on two wheels                    
6. Rimini Top Ten + one                    
7. Buy like a local                    
8. Trip & Tip Around                    
9. Insta-Rimini: Rimini in ten selfies                    
10. Playlist. The calendar of events

YOU ARE HERE!

Rimini, or rather Ariminum, was founded by the work and brilliance of the Romans in 268 BC. The two thousand years plus from its foundation to the present day have seen it change many times: Roman Ariminum, a medieval municipality, city and ‘Signoria’ belonging to the Malatesta family, a therapeutic and seaside resort with the first bathing establishments in the 19th century, holiday capital, place of Fellini’s memory and dreams. 

Since 1843, the year in which the first bathing establishment was officially opened by the Count Baldini family and Doctor Tintori, Rimini has invented the seaside holiday: what used to be seawater therapy, in Rimini is transformed into a pleasant escape from the rigour of everyday life. On holiday, basically! A true revolution that created the largest, most efficient organised beach of our times, with the Rimini of the Belle Epoque and Villas as a part of its past.

Much of its popularity derives from its 250 bathing establishments, the over one thousand hotels overlooking the sea (from Fellini’s Grand Hotel to design hotels, family-run hotels and the mansions scattered throughout the San Giuliano district), its theme parks, its huge variety of entertainment possibilities, and its good food, starting with the famous piada (flat bread) and ending with its award-winning restaurants.

A rich, colourful imagery into which filmmakers, intellectuals, writers and songwriters have all dipped their pen. Fred Buscaglione, Fabrizio De André, Ligabue, Vasco Rossi, Pier Vittorio Tondelli, Marco MIssiroli. And, of course, the genius of Federico Fellini who, more than any other, succeeded in elevating his birthplace to the place of universal poetics.

TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF HISTORY

Rimini is a city of art with over 22 centuries of history. In 268 B.C., the Senate of Rome sent six thousand citizens and founded the city that was destined to be strategically central and continue to develop to the present day. History was changed here: on 12 January 49 BC. Caius Julius Caesar assembled the troops of the 13th legion in the forum of Ariminum (today’s Piazza Tre Martiri) to give a speech about what they had just done (cross the Rubicon river, the sacred boundary of Rome’s Pomerium, while armed, making the phrase Alea iacta est immortal) and about what they would have to face shortly afterwards, a real civil war. Thus, in Rimini, began the future triumph of Gaius Julius Caesar, the man who still today personifies the very concept of power.

It was the emperors Augustus, Tiberius and Hadrian who signed off on the construction of the grand works and monuments that can still be admired today. History has passed under the Arco di Augusto: two of the most important roads of ancient Italy, the Via Flaminia, which runs from Rome to Rimini, and the Via Aemilia, which runs from Rimini across the entire Po Valley to Milan, joined together here. Together with the Via Popilia, which follows the northern coast to Aquileia, these consular roads made Rimini the primary Caput Viarum of the Roman Empire. From here, after crossing Piazza Tre Martiri, we reach the bridge that, between 14 and 21 A.D., first Augustus and then Tiberius built in Istrian stone over the River Marecchia, that gave its ancient name (Ariminus)to the city. An emblematic representation of such ancient heritage is the Domus del Chirurgo, the archaeological site located in the central Piazza Ferrari, where you can admire a 3rd century dwelling. Prestigious mosaics and frescoes portray a residence for private use intended for the practice of medicine, surgery and pharmacy. The Domus offered up the richest surgical equipment from the Ancient Roman world: this exceptional collection of no less than 150 iron and bronze instruments is on display at the nearby Museo della Città.

The medieval city developed within the Roman city: the scenic Piazza Cavour, with its fountain (described by Leonardo da Vinci when he visited Rimini in 1502) and the city’s most important public buildings; the frescoes of the 14th-century Rimini School, in the tradition of Giotto, which represent one of the fundamental chapters in the history of painting. The church of Sant’Agostino and the Museo della Città, the civic museum with its new exhibition from the early Middle Ages to the 15th century, preserve many of the works, while in the Malatesta Temple, Giotto ‘s Crucifix remains as a testimony to the artist’s work in the city. The world cannot speak of the Renaissance without mentioning Rimini, the cradle of this European artistic movement, which has two emblematic monuments in its Castel Sismondo, on which Filippo Brunelleschi also collaborated, and in the Malatesta Temple, the work of Leon Battista Alberti. Both were commissioned by Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, the lord whom Piero della Francesca portrayed praying in front of Saint Sigismondo in the fresco signed and dated 1451, which is kept and admired in the Malatesta Temple.

It recently celebrated its first 400 years: the Biblioteca Gambalunga considered to be one of the most beautiful libraries in the world, and one of the first civic and public libraries opened in Italy. Founded in 1619 thanks to the legacy of Alessandro Gambalunga, and housed in his glorious family palace with its beautiful inner courtyard adorned by an 18th-century well in Istrian stone, it holds jewellery, illuminated manuscripts, and globes. Just enter the ancient 17th-century Halls with their austere walnut shelves and the 18th century Hall, to admire the precious globes of the Dutch cartographer, W.J. Blaeu and the illuminated codices from the 11th century.

Rimini is the city of Teatro ‘Amintore Galli’, a neoclassical masterpiece by Luigi Poletti, an Italian-style theatre that is one of the most significant and innovative examples of 19th-century theatre architecture. It was inaugurated by Giuseppe Verdi, who wrote Aroldo especially for its official opening in 1857. Damaged by the bombing in 1943, it was reopened in 2018 after decades of neglect, thanks to a functional philological reconstruction. A historical wealth that Rimini has recovered in recent years with a great undertaking of the redevelopment of its artistic, architectural and monumental heritage, returning places of great cultural value to the community.

In chronological order after the theatre, the Palazzi dell’Arte Rimini was inaugurated in 2020, the new museum site that brings together the permanent location of the eclectic collection of contemporary artworks donated to the San Patrignano Foundation in two historic buildings in Piazza Cavour. The latest addition is the Fellini Museum, inaugurated in 2021 and included by Mibac as one of the major national cultural heritage projects. The largest museum in the world dedicated to a filmmaker: 2 indoor venues (a 15th-century castle and an 18th-century palace covering more than 2,500 square metres) and an open-air space, almost 5 hours of films, over 30 installations, a constant flow of images and sounds to immerse oneself in Fellini’s cinema and discover the power, poetry and magic of the most imitated, admired and awarded director of the 20th century.

10 TIMES RIMINI

Ten like the seaside districts that, from flow from north to south, each with its own characteristics that make it unique and special. They start with Torre Pedrera, the northernmost location named after a Saracen tower that can be seen close to the beach.

The next one is Viserbella, where you can visit the Museo della piccola pesca e delle conchiglie ‘Escaion’ (Via Minguzzi 7, www.escaion.it), which houses everything that has been part of Rimini’s history and of that of this small town that has been transformed from a fishing village into a seaside resort.

One of the most popular locations north of Rimini is definitely Viserba. The characteristic of this first tourist resort to the north of Rimini is that it is a queen of the waters. This is where you can find the Sacramora spring that has water with diuretic and digestive properties, all of which can be freely accessed. The village is also known for hosting one of Italy’s most unique and famous theme parks, Italia in Miniatura. Not far away, we find Rivabella, a destination mainly chosen by families because of its wide beach and the sea sheltered by cliffs. It is a destination for those who want to drink fine diuretic water from the same water vein as the Sacramora spring. San Giuliano Mare, famous for its seafood restaurants, its innovative beach organisation and its Darsena Marina di Rimini, one of the most beautiful and high-tech docks on the Adriatic, lies between the harbour and the mouth of the River Marecchia . Don’t miss a stroll along the Lungofiume degli Artisti, an unusual place full of poetry that you can discover while walking among the murals that tell the history of the place and the trabucchi, the characteristic fishermen’s shacks standing on stilts over the sea. Further south we find Marina Centro, the seaside heart of Rimini that includes the Grand Hotel and Parco Fellini, and also Bellariva, a location that offers many services, a vast amount of accommodation facilities to satisfy every need, and many opportunities for fun. Further south is Marebello: from here the coastal promenade goes behind the bathing huts, along the pedestrian walkway dotted with dozens of bathing establishments, which in this stretch also include several areas for areas for playing sports. Rivazzurra is a must-visit destination for children. It is home to Fiabilandia, one of Italy’s longest-running and best-loved theme parks, which offers dozens of fairy-tale attractions set around a lake. Further south is Miramare, a regional train stop, and home to Federico Fellini International Airport and the thalassotherapy spa, Rimini Terme. The Parco del Mare runs along these 15 kilometres, overlooking the sea. This infrastructure is changing the face of Rimini’s waterfront, creating a traffic-free area and turning it into a wooden promenade close to the sandy shore, winding among the iconic ‘functional sardines’, green areas with Mediterranean vegetation, inclusive playgrounds and ornamental fountains, spaces dedicated to exercise and wellness, and a cycle path.

ROMAN ITINERARY

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1. Arco d’Augusto This Arch, the oldest one still preserved in northern Italy, marks the entrance to the city for those coming from the Via Flaminia, the road created by the consul Flaminius in 220 BC to connect Rome to Rimini. It is both a city gate and honorary arch, and was erected in 27 B.C. at the behest of the Senate in celebration of Octavian Augustus, as shown by the inscription above the archway. Perhaps not everyone knows that today’s Via del Corso in Rome is the ancient Via Flaminia, which starts in the capital and ends in Rimini.
2. Porta Montanara The construction of Porta Montanara, also known as Porta di Sant’Andrea, dates back to the 1st century BC. The semi-circular arch, made of sandstone blocks, was one of the two openings of the gate that allowed access to the city for those coming from the Via Aretina. The double arch facilitated the traffic flow.
3. Piazza tre Martiri (il Foro) The Forum, the heart of public and economic life in ancient Ariminum, stands at the junction of the cardo and decumanus, in what is now called Piazza Tre Martiri. In the centre is a 16th-century memorial stone recalling the tradition according to which Julius Caesar climbed onto a stone and addressed his soldiers lined up in the forum of Rimini after crossing the Rubicon river bearing arms, before heading into civil war.
4. Rimini Caput Viarum (Visitor Center) A multimedia, interactive itinerary that introduces the discovery of Ariminum, offering the unique experience of reliving its history accompanied by an exceptional guide, Julius Caesar himself. Located in the deconsecrated church of Santa Maria ad Nives, the Visitor Centre is a ‘magnifying glass’ on the area’s cultural attractions, ideal for an initial introduction to the many cultural itineraries in ancient Rimini, a true Caput Viarum. The visitor centre is also a tourist information office (IAT) and the meeting point for guided tours organised by Visit Rimini, the company in charge of promoting tourism in the municipality of Rimini.  The centre is currently awaiting the move to the City Museum. The information office is instead relocated to 152 Corso d'Augusto.
5. Ponte di Tiberio This bridge, made of Istrian stone, was begun by Augustus in 14 A.D. and completed by Tiberius in 21 A.D., as recorded by the inscription on the inner parapets. It is over 70 metres long with five arches resting on huge piers. The bridge, which is the starting point of the Via Emilia and the Via Popilia, stands out for its engineering project and architectural design that combine functionality, harmony of form and exaltation of the Emperors. An unmissable stop-off point is the new Piazza sull’Acqua, which overlooks the river and offers a charming view of Ponte di Tiberio and a pedestrian walk along the water’s edge. Right next to it, the archaeological park ‘Le Pietre Raccontano’ allows you to discover the bridge’s long history. A new floating footbridge connects the left and right quays of the old port in front of Ponte di Tiberio, considered to be one of the most beautiful in the world.
6. Museo della Città Archaeological Section and Domus del Chirurgo.
7. Domus del chirurgo An archaeological area transformed into a public museum, with over 700 square metres telling 2000 years of the city’s history. The most important discovery concerns the imperial-age dwelling (now called ‘The Surgeon’s House’, after the profession of the last owner) that housed a ‘taberna medica’, as revealed by the discovery of the extraordinary surgical equipment comprising more than 150 instruments, exhibited in the nearby civic museum, Museo della Città.
8. Anfiteatro Romano The construction of the Amphitheatre in the 2nd century A.D. by the Emperor Hadrian interprets the strategy of panem et circenses in seeking the widest consensus and the easing of social tensions by granting moments of collective escapism. The ruins of the grandiose construction that housed the gladiator games are the most significant in the entire region. The structure, the north-eastern sector of which still stands today, had an earthen-floor arena slightly smaller than that of the Colosseum.

ITINERARY FROM THE MIDDLE AGES TO THE RENAISSANCE

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9. Il Tempio Malatestiano Around the middle of the 15th century, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta profoundly transformed the pre-existing building into the imposing forms designed by Leon Battista Alberti that make it a Renaissance masterpiece. Inside you can admire Giotto’s Crucifix. Matteo de’ Pasti and Agostino di Duccio worked with an almost pictorial attention to the marble cladding of the six side chapels. The fresco of the prince kneeling before St Sigismund in the last chapel on the right is by Piero della Francesca.
10. La Chiesa di Sant’Agostino The Church of Sant’Agostino is one of the most important in the city in terms of size and the art treasures it houses. In the apse and bell tower chapel of the church, we find the best examples of the 14th-century Rimini school of painting, which marked a fundamental chapter in the history of art. The exterior of the church reveals its original Gothic layout.
11. Castel Sismondo o Rocca Malatestiana The fortress-residence (1437) of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, on which Filippo Brunelleschi also worked. Today, the central part of the original building remains, which we can see depicted in Sigismondo’s medals and Piero della Francesca’s fresco in the MalatestaTemple. An inscription and Malatesta family coat of arms including an elephant, rose and chessboard, can still be seen over the entrance portal. After the recovery of the perimeter of the ancient moat and the city walls, the construction of the Francesca da Rimini Arena and the redevelopment of the square opposite the castle and bearing the same name, the Rocca and Piazza Malatesta, together with Palazzo del Fulgor, will become the centre of the innovative Fellini Museum, the museum dedicated to Federico Fellini that was inaugurated in 2021.
12. San Fortunato The church of San Fortunato, dating back to 1418, stands on the hill of Covignano. Formerly known as Santa Maria in Scolca, it was a wealthy abbey belonging to the Olivetan Benedictine Order, built on the ruins of a castle donated to the monks by Carlo Malatesta. It represents one of the most important ecclesiastical, historical and artistic sites in the city’s history. Scolca’s golden age was the 16th century: starting with the still clearly visible frescoes by Benedetto Coda. In 1547, Giorgio Vasari came to Scolca to have the manuscript of his ‘Celebri Vite’ converted to fine copy. It was here that Vasari executed the splendid panel with the Adoration of the Magi.
13. Piazza Cavour, Palazzo dell’Arengo e del Podestà, Fontana della Pigna From the Middle Ages, Piazza Cavour took on a primary role. Three palaces overlook the square, the oldest of which is Palazzo dell’Arengo, built in 1204: justice was administered under the large portico, while the Municipal Assembly convened in the huge hall on the first floor, with its polifora windows. In the 14th century, a residence for the Podestà was erected next to it. The entrance, on the short side, was emphasised by the arch with the symbols of the new Lords, the Malatestas. Today the two palaces are home to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art - Palazzi dell’Arte Rimini that house an exceptional collection of contemporary art from the San Patrignano Foundation. At the end of the 16th century, work began on the building known as Palazzo Garampi, now the Town Hall. The square’s unifying element is the fountain: the image reproduced in Agostino di Duccio’s bas-relief in the Malatesta Temple is what remains of its mediaeval forms. When passing through Rimini in 1502, Leonardo da Vinci was enchanted by the harmony of the different waterfalls. From the square, you enter the eighteenth-century fish market, one of the most characteristic corners of the city and a meeting point for Rimini’s ‘movida’.
14. Museo della Città Section from the Early Middle Ages to the 15th Century.

THE FELLINI ITINERARY

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15. Piazzale Fellini The Grand Hotel, symbol of ‘forbidden’ desires.
16. Piazzale Boscovich The pier or ‘palata’, winter destination of the Vitelloni and scene of the shenanigans of Scureza, the motorcyclist from Amarcord. Boats leave the pier to meet the steamship Rex.
17. Via Dardanelli Fellini was born at home, at number 10 Via Dardanelli, on 20 January 1920. The house numbering was different then than it is today.
18. Piazzale C. Battisti The railway station, the train, a metaphor for every departure, which was very dear to the maestro.
19. Via Clementini n. 9 Palazzo Dolci, the Fellini family moved here in 1929.
20. Via Gambalunga Palazzo Gambalunga, the old ‘Ginnasio’, the setting of a thousand schoolboy pranks.
21. Corso d'Augusto il Cinema Fulgor, the eye on the world and the encounter with American cinema, immortalised in ‘Amarcord’. Set designer and three-time Oscar winner Dante Ferretti designed the furnishings and interior fittings that breathed new life into the world’s most famous movie theatre. Palazzo del Fulgor, whose neoclassical façade was designed by Giuseppe Valadier, is one of the two sites of the Fellini Museum, and which can be accessed from the entrance in Piazzetta San Martino.
22. Piazza Cavour The Fontana della Pigna, the snowballs at Gradisca, the raids of ‘Scureza’, the enchantment of the peacock: famous sequences from Amarcord were filmed in the reconstructed Piazza Cavour at Cinecittà.

15.  Fellini Museum The place where you can encounter and rediscover the inimitable universe of Federico Fellini, the largest museum project in the world dedicated to a film director. It combines the poetry of Fellini’s cinema with the most innovative technologies and urban planning choices, thanks to a museum spread between Castel Sismondo, Palazzo del Fulgor and the outdoor area of Piazza Malatesta (www.fellinimuseum.it)
16. Borgo San Giuliano There are murals on the walls of the old village depicting characters and scenes from Fellini’s most important films.
17. Cimitero di Rimini "La Grande Prua", Arnaldo Pomodoro’s monument dedicated to Federico Fellini and Giulietta Masina.

MUSEO DELLA CITTÀ “LUIGI TONINI” Via Tonini 1, tel +39 0541 793851

The museum, housed in the eighteenth-century Jesuit college, tells the story of Rimini, offering visitors both wonders and curiosities. Beginning with the pebbles chipped by man 1 million years ago, the Archaeological Section then proposes a journey through all the stages of civilisation up to the Roman era and the threshold of the Middle Ages: sumptuous mosaics, amphorae and bricks, the exceptional collection of surgical instruments, the largest in the Roman world, and splendid glass painting from the Surgeon’s House, along with everyday objects and even small tokens used as tickets for the Amphitheatre. The new section from the early Middle Ages to the 15th century brings together more than 170 works including sculptures, paintings, medals and ceramics in fourteen themed sections, 4 multimedia stations, to tell the story of the early Christian churches in the area, the Rimini of the Pentapolis and the Municipality, the great season of the 14th century Rimini up to the 15th century Malatesta period with Giovanni Bellini’s Pietà. Bearing witness to the local art history from the year 1000 to the beginning of the 20th century, the Museum also offers exciting works by Agostino di Duccio and Ghirlandaio, as well as 17th-century testimonies and extraordinary paintings by Cagnacci, Centino and the great Guercino. Info: www.museicomunalirimini.it

MUSEO DEGLI SGUARDI – RACCOLTE ETNOGRAFICHE DI RIMINI                    
Via delle Grazie, 12 - Covignano di Rimini - tel +39 0541 793851                    
On the hill of Covignano, inside the 18th-century Villa Alvarado, it is possible to visit, upon request, the Museo degli Sguardi, one of Italy’s leading museums dedicated to the cultures of Africa, Oceania and pre-Columbian America. Built in 2004 to a design by Marc Augé, the museum exhibits more than 600 works collected by various travellers and collectors.

BICIPOLITANA, RIMINI ON TWO WHEELS

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The cycling and pedestrian network in the city of Rimini stretches for approximately 135 kilometres and provides a thousand opportunities for discovery for those who decide to leave their cars at home or at their hotels. In recent years, the area has increasingly equipped itself to become ‘bike-friendly’, with numerous cycling paths and dedicated services.

Don’t miss the ‘sea view’ ride along the entire seafront from north to south, passing from the port of Rimini, through sections of the new Sea Park to the border with Riccione. You can skirt round all the bathing establishments in both directions and get your fill of iodine while in the saddle.

Those who prefer to cycle in the shade can choose the route along the ‘Anello Verde’, the green ring which, from Piazzale Kennedy, leads to the ultra-modern Palacongressi and Giovanni Paolo II Park, with its evocative lake inhabited by ducks and swans, until, via the embankment of the River Ausa , they reach the green lung of Rimini, Ponte di Tiberio and characteristic Borgo di S. Giuliano.

For lovers of nature trails (preferably on mountain bikes), the most beautiful itinerary is the one along the Marecchia River bed, which, starting from the mouth, allows you to cross the splendid river landscape of the Marecchia Valley leading to Novafeltria. Looking up, you can admire the ancient villages of Verucchio, Torriana, Montebello and San Leo, which can easily be reached on your bicycle if you make a few detours. Many hotels and operators have bicycles available for their guests. Alternatively, there are bike and scooter sharing services available in the city.

The Bike Park is located near the central railway station. It offers various services all dedicated to those of us who get around on two wheels: manned parking, bicycle rental, electric bikes, cargo bikes, equipped cycle workshop, electric bike charging, luggage storage and much more. Don’t forget that travellers can take a bicycle with them on regional trains if they purchase a cycling supplement. In addition, the free transport of one suitably closed folding bike per traveller is permitted (provided that the dimensions do not exceed 80x110x40 cm). Scooters, hoverboards and monowheels are also allowed on board regional trains. (Info: trenitalia.com)

With the Metromare Rapid Coastal Transport service, Rimini offers an extra opportunity for those who wish to travel by bike. On the coastal metro, which connects Rimini and Riccione by means of electrically powered vehicles and on its own track alongside the railway track, it is possible to bring folding bicycles and have scooters in tow (info: startromagna.it)                 

 

RIMINI TOP TEN + UNO

1. THE BEACH & THE SEA PARK  
   Rimini’s beaches are the realm of relaxation, but also of active holidays. Along the 15 km of beaches, from Torre Pedrera to Miramare, there are 250 bathing establishments, dotted with beach volleyball, beach basketball, beach soccer and beach tennis courts and children’s playgrounds. There are also well-equipped gyms and spinning bikes. And if the lure of the sea is irresistible, there are nautical centres where you can learn to sail, or go wind and kite surfing, or SUP. The beach in Rimini is full of life day and night. It starts at dawn with walks along the shoreline. It ends in the evening with an aperitif in one of the many seaside chiringuitos, or a fish dinner while your feet touch the sand. There is fun on the beach all day long, and not just in summer: yoga classes, sandcastle competitions, piada classes, water aerobics, zumba, capoeira, pilates, functional training, Nordic walking. The bathing establishments are all organised with facilities for children and adults: everything is included in the daily cost of a parasol or sunbed. Today, the beach is bordered by the Parco del Mare, which is changing the face of Rimini’s waterfront. Fifteen kilometres along the sea, on a beautiful route through Mediterranean vegetation and open-air gyms. Designed by Barcelona-based studio Miralles-Tagliabue, it advances the infrastructure that is freeing up the seafront from car traffic and transforming it into a wooden promenade close to the sandy shore, winding between the iconic ‘functional sardines’, green areas, inclusive playgrounds and ornamental fountains, spaces dedicated to physical exercise and wellness, including a basketball court in the heart of Marina Centro, sea forests and fountain-trees inspired by Gianni Rodari’s fairy tales, and the long cycling path connecting Torre Pedrera to Miramare. A truly multifunctional space, where you can experience Rimini at any time of the year. One of the most important aspects of the project is that of combating marine ingression by raising the level of the waterfront.

2. THE VILLAGES                    
   The tradition of Rimini draws sap from the very life of its ancient villages, Borgo San Giuliano, Borgo Sant’Andrea and Borgo San Giovanni. They are a part of the city’s identity, where authentic traditions still live on, where illustrious Rimini personalities have lived, where you can still enjoy traditional Romagna food. Borgo San Giuliano, established around the year 1000, was the ancient fishermen’s quarter. The atmosphere here is full of poetry and charm. All you have to do is walk through its narrow alleys, low houses, pastel-coloured walls, flowered balconies and colourful murals to realise this. The walk is peaceful (the area is pedestrian) and you can still feel that anarchic, creative spirit that characterised its inhabitants. A small ‘rive gauche’, connected to the city by Ponte di Tiberio. This district is also an ideal place to enjoy an aperitif and the good food offered by its many characteristic restaurants and taverns. Every two even-numbered years, in September, the village spirit takes shape in the ‘Festa de’ borg’: an unmissable event. In October, the Festa del Borgo Sant’Andrea is held, which invites everyone on a journey back in time to rediscover the roots of this place, on the feast of the village’s patron saint, San Gaudenzo. The village stands outside Porta Montanara, between the ancient washhouse, the Forum Boarium, and the ancient Fabbri furnace. In the month of July, it is the turn of Borgo San Giovanni to celebrate the feast of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, an ideal time to discover the village that developed outside the Arco di Augusto, along the Via Flaminia. Borgo Marina is the entrance to the city from the sea with its ancient Porta Galliana, which was recently unearthed and redeveloped, the walls on the Canal Harbour and Via Gambalunga.

3. TEATRO GALLI AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL AREA                    
   Inaugurated by Giuseppe Verdi, who wrote Aroldo especially for its official premiere in 1857 and 75 years after the bombing that destroyed it in 1943, Teatro Galli was returned to its former glory after a thorough philological restoration in 2018. Today, it is not only a temple of music, whose very forms are inspired by the solemnity and sumptuousness of Roman temples, as desired and designed by Luigi Poletti, an architect and engineer of the Papal States linked to the Roman purist neoclassical school, but it is also a place of creation and production of culture. A cross-section of ancient and modern Rimini, from the 4th century B.C. to the 19th century, is revealed beneath the Theatre. Excavations conducted for the reconstruction of the theatre have gifted the city valuable pages of history connected to one of the blocks looking onto the medieval square. The Roman way of living is recounted here: from the first houses made of wood and clay, to the homes of the imperial age, embellished with mosaics, marble and frescoes.
4. FELLINI AND THE CITY OF MEMORY                    
   Rimini is the city of Federico Fellini. It is a well-known fact that Federico Fellini’s cinema is, to a great extent, built on memories of Rimini from his childhood and youth. “Rimini is a dimension of memory,” wrote Fellini. And memory is the track to follow to savour the Fellini soul of the city. Fellini maintained powerful ties with his city, so much so that he expressed his wishes to rest there forever. The city of Rimini has dedicated a large museum to Fellini’s universe, the Fellini Museum, which welcomes and promotes the vastness of Fellini’s work, in a constant dialogue between various artistic forms. It is a brand new museum complex that includes: Castel Sismondo, Palazzo del Fulgor and Piazza Malatesta. The castle houses the most emotional part of the museum, in an immersive itinerary of multimedia installations that evoke fragments of Fellini film sets and filming techniques, as well as the Rimini director’s favourite collaborations and his fruitful relations with 20th-century Italian history. The ground floor of Palazzo Fulgor houses the legendary Fulgor cinema immortalised in Amarcord and now refurbished with sets designed by Dante Ferretti. It is the venue for temporary exhibitions, information, study and research, equipped with visual, technological and interactive tools. The outdoor area of the Fellini Museum is Piazza Malatesta, where Fellini’s dreams are projected in the renovated urban layout with its circular bench citing the famous final sequence of the film 8½, its veil of water and its fog, recalling the ancient moat, and the forest of names, conceived by the poet Tonino Guerra, a set of stone flowers lit by three lanterns dedicated to the writer Lev Tolstoy, recalling the countryside of the film Amarcord.
5. EAT LIKE A LOCAL                    
   You cannot leave Rimini without first tasting a real piada from Rimini. There are dozens of kiosks in the city that are hard to resist. A piada in Rimini is thinner than in the rest of Romagna. Everyone fills it with what they like: with ham and squacquerone cheese or with field herbs, vegetables au gratin, or even - but don’t tell the purists! - with chocolate. The other protagonist of Rimini’s typical cuisine is the Adriatic blue fish. Mackerel, mullet, squill fish, sardines grey gurnards and the legendary sardoncino. And what about the most famous wine? Everyone knows: it’s Sangiovese, the red wine that warms the heart. For the past few years, Rimini has also had its own white wine, Rimini Rebola, made from an ancient vine. The olive oil from the Rimini hills is one of the best in Italy. For those who want to embark on a journey of flavours, we recommend starting from the Ponte di Tiberio and crossing the entire region: in fact, the Via Emilia, the Roman road founded by Consul Marcus Aemilius Lepidus in 187 B.C., starts here and continues on to Milan through Italy’s most famous food valley. Along the way, you will encounter food and wine heritages of the highest value, from Prosciutto di Parma to Culatello di Zibello, from Modena’s traditional balsamic vinegar to Parmigiano Reggiano, with the possibility of tastings, the presence of internationally renowned chefs, starred restaurants, visits to production and processing sites, and cooking courses for all.
6. THE “MOVIDA” LOCATIONS                   
   There are many beating hearts of Rimini’s ‘movida’ that liven up the nightlife, depending on the season: the port area and Marina centro, with its street bars and live music. The seafront promenade from Torre Pedrera to Miramare, with its numerous clubs as well as chiringuitos on the beach. The small squares and alleys of the old town behind the ‘Vecchia Pescheria’, with its cantinas: every evening, thousands of young people gather for an aperitif, a snack, a concert or just to meet up. The small squares of Borgo San Giuliano, where stopping at one of the many bars and taverns is a must. The charm of these locations lies in the perfect combination of history and trendy meeting places.
7. MARINA CENTRO                    
   The first tourist establishment was built here in 1843. Today, Piazzale Fellini, with its park and Fontana dei Quattro Cavalli, is a central meeting point in the summer, a corner of the town that is always full of life and is the scene of top summer events. The emblem of Marina Centro is the Grand Hotel, a national monument in Art Nouveau style and a legendary place of Fellini’s adolescence, immortalised in ‘Amarcord’. Before becoming a holiday capital, for many centuries Rimini was an important port. Today its ‘palata’ - as it is called in the local dialect - is the most popular promenade, especially at sunset, when the fishing boats return, chased by flocks of seagulls.

8. THE DOCKYARD                    
   To the left of the port is the Marina di Rimini dockyard. It is one of the most beautiful and state-of-the-art marinas in the whole of the Mediterranean. With more than 600 moorings and an area of water exceeding 100,000 square metres, surrounded by restaurants, trendy clubs and the beach of San Giuliano Mare, this is an ideal place, not only for sailing and yachting enthusiasts, but for all those who wish to take a unique stroll from a natural viewing point overlooking the sea. The elevated footpath, over one kilometre long with its continuous ups and downs, provides spectacular views. Fun fact: not far from the marina (in Via Fante) there is a small fishermen’s shack entirely covered in shells.
9. RIMINI TERME                    
   Rimini Terme is for those who want to relax and regenerate, as it offers a thermal bath area, and a modern, state-of-the-art Spa The wellness centre offers the possibility of using numerous services and treatments such as saunas, Turkish baths, a wide variety of massages and applications of aesthetic mud and sea packs that form the essence of the thalassotherapy treatments. The thermal swimming pool, including a shell-shaped bio-marine pool, has a seawater temperature of 34°C with waterfalls, seats, water jets, whirlpools, for treatments of the entire body while enjoying a splendid view of the beach and the sea. The various thermal pools - with temperatures ranging from 29 to 34° - all filled with seawater, are ideal for aqua aerobics, vascular paths, relaxing in the whirlpool, and treating oneself with balneotherapy and hydrokinesitherapy. Info: www.riminiterme.com
10. TRADE FAIR COMPLEX AND CONGRESS CENTRE                    
    Rimini is the capital of major trade fairs and congresses. Completed in 2001 and expanded in 2017, the Fiera di Rimini Complex, designed by Hamburg-based Studio Gmp, is one of Italy’s largest exhibition centres. Organised on a single level, it offers 189,000 square metres of usable space, 129,000 square metres of which for the organisation of events and 60,000 square metres for other services, and includes 24 modular conference rooms, as well as a dedicated railway station on the Milan-Bari line. Info: www.iegexpo.it/it/venues/rimini/quartiere. Located near the city centre, Palacongressi di Rimini is one of the most versatile, elegant and state-of-the-art facilities in the world. With its 39 halls, capable of accommodating 9,000 people, Rimini Palacongressi can host several events at the same time. The facility overlooks the area with installations for physical well-being and is set in a large outdoor park, criss-crossed by cycling lanes and pedestrian paths that connect it to Rimini’s historic centre and seafront. Info: www.riminipalacongressi.it
11. CHILD-FRIENDLY RIMINI  
    The Rimini Riviera is the theme park district. Starting with the peninsula’s first theme park, Italia in Miniatura, a journey of discovery of the most famous monuments with 300 scale reproductions. Totally different, but still in Rimini: the world of fairy tales is the protagonist at Fiabilandia, the theme park for the whole family with more than 30 attractions surrounded by greenery and engaging live shows. Riccione is home to Oltremare and Aquafan, Europe’s most famous water park. The Aquarium in Cattolica houses 400 different species of fish from seas all over the world. There is also the possibility of watching feeding time for sharks, penguins, otters and stingrays. For those with a taste for adventure, why not try Skypark in Perticara di Novafeltria and the Adventure Parks in Rimini, Riccione and San Marino. In summer there are water parks in the open sea, ask the lifeguard where you can find them. Today, with the new Parco del Mare, Rimini’s seafront is the ideal place for children amidst water games and the many new play areas inspired by the imagery created by Gianni Rodari’s nursery rhymes, where little ones can enjoy themselves with swings, luminous sardines, suspended climbing tunnels, portholes, play panels, slides... and much more.          
     

BUY LIKE A LOCAL

Corso d’Augusto, Piazza Tre Martiri, Via Garibaldi and Via Gambalunga are some of the streets in the historic town centre where any Rimini shopping ‘tour’ must start. The streets, squares and alleyways along the axis of the ancient cardo and decumanus, as well as along the red ring of the new squares ‘embracing’ the old town centre, are filled with designer labels, but also with handcrafted creations and unique pieces ‘handmade’ by local designers. There are also cafés, meeting places, bookshops and historic shops.

Throughout the year, traders in the historic town centre organise events and late openings during the ‘Rimini Shopping Night’ event. Shop opening hours in the town centre are generally: 9 a.m. to 12.30/1 pm and then 3.30/4 to 7.30/8 pm. Shop closing day, although no longer compulsory, is Tuesday in the city centre and Thursday in the seaside area.

Every Wednesday and Saturday morning there is a weekly market in the centre, in the area around Piazzale Gramsci, Santa Rita car park, Clementini car park, Via Castelfidardo, Via Dante, Piazza Tre Martiri and Arco d’Augusto.

Every Wednesday in July and August, (from 6pm to 11pm), a colourful and crowded children’s market takes place in Piazza Cavour: it is called ‘Ricordi in Soffitta’ and the young vendors offer for sale games and items they no longer use, straight from the chests in their bedrooms.

On Friday evenings in the city centre, from June to mid-September, Piazza Cavour is filled with stalls selling antiques, art objects, vintage, arts and crafts, curiosities from the past and collectors’ items.

Every last Sunday of the month (except July and December), Piazza Tre Martiri hosts Rimini Antiqua, the antiques, modern antiques, and vintage fair, where you can find a wide selection of ceramics, glass, books, furniture, costume jewellery, silverware, and various items, all strictly dated or antique (opening hours: 8am – 7pm).

Shoppers can continue their stroll in the seaside area: especially in summer, the waterfront offers many temptations to purchase for all tastes. There are many summer markets: every evening you can find one dedicated to children, a craft market, and ones dedicated to antiques, modern antiques, and vintage items, organised by the tourist committees of the various hamlets, from Torre Pedrera to Miramare, that take turns hosting colourful stalls just a short distance from the beach every week. There are markets planned in Marina Centro in Viale Vespucci, in Marebello, in Rivazzurra in the small gardens in front of bathing establishments 120 - 128, or in Miramare on the new Spadazzi Promenade, or in Via Oliveti, and again on the northern coastline, in Rivabella in Piazza Adamello, in Viserba in Piazza Pascoli and in Torre Pedrera in Via Tolmetta.

In and around Rimini, there are outlets and shopping centres to be visited, such as the new San Marino Outlet Experience, and the footwear districts, such as the one in San Mauro Pascoli, where the high-end Italian footwear industry is concentrated with its most famous brands.

An address not to be missed for shopping lovers to immerse themselves in the aromas and flavours of local products is the Mercato Coperto (Indoor Market), in the heart of the city, a stone’s throw from the Malatesta Temple (via Castelfidardo, open Monday to Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.). Not only inside the indoor market, where there are more than 100 stalls with fish, fruit and vegetables, bakeries and butchers, but also in the outer perimeter, where there is a high concentration of traditional shops, ideal for a quality food and wine tour.

TRIP & TIP AROUND

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COVIGNANO: THE OTHER RIMINI

This is the hill of Rimini, just a few kilometres from the historic town centre, full of panoramic viewpoints and springs, ideal for walks or bicycle rides in the countryside to discover its magnificent historical-religious sites and the high quality products that this oasis of tranquillity offers. An ‘alternative’, lofty Rimini, a quiet Rimini, which includes some of the must-see places in the Sanctuary dedicated to the Madonna delle Grazie, the Museum of the Glances and the Church of Santa Maria in Scolca. The many bed & breakfasts, typical restaurants, wine cellars, agritourism establishments and farms with zero-kilometre products are one of the strengths of this hillside area overlooking the sea.                 

VALCONCA AND VALMARECCHIA BETWEEN MALATESTA AND MONTEFELTRO

Behind the sea, a few kilometres inland, a completely different landscape opens up between the valleys containing the Marecchia and Conca rivers. Fortified villages alternate with real fortresses and castles. An itinerary that reveals the history of two ‘Signorie’ that reached their peak with Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino, and Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Lord of Rimini. The journey along the Marecchia starts in Santarcangelo, a charming town famous for its well-kept district, dominated by a Malatesta-era fortress, and its restaurants and taverns. We continue on to Verucchio: Rocca Malatesta stands out on this rocky outcrop that is home to a mediaeval village, amidst fine palaces and ancient churches. But there is a much older history here, the cradle of the Villanova civilisation that we can learn about in one of Italy’s most beautiful archaeological museums. The journey continues towards two rocky spurs with two castles: Montebello and Torriana, as far as Poggio Berni. Another must-see destination is the beautiful San Leo, where an ancient Romanesque parish church stands next to the cathedral and Palazzo Mediceo, the austere fortress where the famous Count Cagliostro was imprisoned. The journey continues in the upper Marecchia Valley from Novafeltria to Talamello, famous for its chestnuts and Fossa cheese, to the home of Maiolo bread, Pennabilli, a place of the soul amidst woods, mountains and rivers, where the poet and screenwriter Tonino Guerra chose to live, Casteldelci and Sant’Agata Feltria, town of the prized white truffle that ends the Rimini valley with its monumental fortress.

The entire area along the River Conca is dotted with fortresses and fortified villages guarding the dangerous border with the Duchy of Urbino, so much so that Sassofeltrio is called the ‘Terrace of Montefeltro’. The emblematic town of the valley is Montefiore Conca, with its large, beautiful medieval fortress on top of its hill. San Giovanni in Marignano, once known as the ‘Malatesta granary’, preserves a small jewel, the 19th century Teatro Massari. Not far away is Mondaino that enchants with its Palio del Daino and medieval charm and where you can visit its prestigious Palaeontological Museum, full of fossils, and Saludecio, which was once the capital of the valley and where a church was built that is still considered a small cathedral. One of Italy’s most beautiful villages is Montegridolfo, which has kept its medieval structure intact thanks to careful restoration. In this valley you can still find Morciano di Romagna, the ancient commercial capital of the valley, San Clemente, a village rich in vineyards and good wine, Montecolombo, with evidence of the Malatesta period and beautiful surrounding hills, Montescudo with its splendid fortified village of Albereto, and Coriano, at the centre of the Marano Valley. You can find excellent DOC wine and PDO oil production in each of these villages and hills. One unspoilt oasis in the Riminese Apennines is Montecopiolowhose territory is partly included in the Sasso Simone and Simoncello Regional Natural Park.

TONINO GUERRA AND THE PLACES OF THE SOUL

Pennabilli and the Upper Marecchia Valley are the places of the soul where Tonino Guerra, poet and screenwriter of films by, among others, Federico Fellini and Antonioni, left a large museum space, a journey into the spirit and dreams. Along the route, one encounters installations, almost all outdoors, presenting seven themes: the garden of forgotten fruits, now-lost species of fruit trees; the road of sundials, façades embellished with artist’s sundials; the petrified garden, in the hamlet of Bascio; the angel with a moustache, in the Chiesetta dei Caduti; the sanctuary of thoughts, seven enigmatic stone sculptures and a single bench for meditating; the refuge of abandoned Madonnas, a collection of sacred images that adorned the little cells at the crossroads of country roads; the Madonna of the snow rectangle, a little church in the middle of the woods. Alongside these works, as you walk through the historical centre of Pennabilli, you can see numerous other traces and ‘words on the walls’ that the master’s poetic genius decided to imprint. Magical places include Petrella Guidi, where a tribute to Fellini and Masina can be found in the ‘field of names’, and the CAI trails amidst rivers, woods and mountains.

THE REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO

Situated between the provinces of Rimini and Pesaro and Urbino, the State of San Marino has such ancient origins that it is considered to be the oldest republic in the world still in existence. A trip to the city centre, clinging to the western slope of Mount Titan, is not to be missed. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of ancient squares, alleyways, palaces and breathtaking views, all surrounded by mighty medieval walls. Its cultural tradition and its values of authenticity, freedom and identity have remained unchanged over the centuries: these are the reasons why UNESCO has included the historic centre of San Marino, Borgo Maggiore and Mount Titan in its list of Protected Heritage Sites. San Marino is also the ‘home of shopping’, with its many souvenir shops that fill the historic centre and its shopping centres and Fashion Outlets.

PAOLO E FRANCESCA, A DIVINE PASSION

Rimini is linked to the most famous love and death story of all time. That of Paolo and Francesca da Rimini, the best-loved characters in Dante’s Divine Comedy and a symbol of eternal love, but also the literary anticipation of female emancipation that is one of the great themes of contemporary times. Documentary and literary sources on the adulterous relationship and murder of Francesca, daughter of Guido da Polenta, and Paolo, brother of Gianciotto, the sons of Malatesta da Verucchio - Dante’s ‘Mastin vecchio’ - are mixed. The ‘location’ of the adultery of ‘the brother- and sister-in-law’ and their murder at the hands of the betrayed husband (and brother) is contested, with varying degrees of solid arguments, by Rimini, Pesaro, Gradara, Santarcangelo, Verucchio and other localities. However, most of the sources point to Rimini as the place where the most famous kiss in history may have taken place, probably not in the ‘case del Gattolo’, where Castel Sismondo was to be built, but in the ‘red houses’ of Porta Sant’Andrea, the first Rimini residence of the Malatestas.

THE GROTTE DI ONFERNO

The Onferno Caves complex, discovered in the 19th century, is considered to be one of the most important in Italy. The cave, located in the municipality of Gemmano, is 400 m long and is formed by a river that passes through a chalky cliff from side to side.

From the valley, along the river, you pass through tunnels with walls carved out by water, encountering the typical limestone concretions of the chalk caves, until you reach the fossil environments. One of the characteristics of this cave is the presence of sizeable colonies of bats, over 8000 individuals, with as many as seven different species. The beauty of the caves is a part of an equally interesting natural context, now protected by the establishment of the Nature Reserve. Since 2023, the Onferno site has been recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Open: all year round, with varying days and times.

          
Info: +39 389 199 1683 www.facebook.com/grotte.Onferno/

INSTA-RIMINI: RIMINI IN DIECI SELFIE

• It is possible to enjoy a unique view of the two-thousand-year-old Ponte di Tiberio from the new floating footbridge that connects the left and right quays of the old port.
• In the garden of the legendary Grand Hotel, so loved by the director Federico Fellini, with what, since 1984, has been a national monument in pure Art Nouveau style (Parco Fellini, Marina centro) behind it.
• In front of ‘Fellinia’, the large camera on the Piazzale Fellini roundabout.
• From a height of 60 metres, with a breathtaking view of the beach, from Cesenatico to Gabicce: only from the Ferris wheel that rises above the harbour every summer.
• In front of one of the many scenic Fellini murals painted on the colourful fishermen’s houses in Borgo San Giuliano.
• From the elevated promenade overlooking the yachts moored at the Darsena Marina in Rimini (San Giuliano Mare).
• Next to the ‘stone flowers’ and ‘magic lanterns’ in the forest of names in Piazza Malatesta. A triangle of green and poetry, inspired by Tonino Guerra, near the entrance to the Fellini Museum.
• In a gondola? Not in Venice, but at the Italia in Miniatura theme park in Viserba.
• Rimini at sunset, with an aperitif in your hand and your feet in the water, in one of the many chiringuitos on the beach.
• In front of a fishing ‘trabucco’ or a mural on the Lungofiume degli Artisti in San Giuliano Mare.

PLAYLIST - THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS             

JANUARY  
SIGEP (International Trade Show of Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Bakery and the Coffee World) Rimini Trade Fair

FEBRUARY  
BEER ATTRACTION (the trade fair dedicated to beer specialities, craft beers, food and technology) Rimini Trade Fair

MARCH  
GIARDINI D’AUTORE (gardening exhibition with top Italian gardening experts)

APRIL/EASTER  
PAGANELLO (beach frisbee championship)

MAY  
MIR (Music Inside Rimini) Fiera di Rimini, TCHOUKBALL FESTIVAL on the beach in Viserba, LA SETTIMA ARTE (Film Festival)

JUNE  
RIMINI WELLNESS (fitness, wellness and sport on stage, Rimini Trade Fair), MARE DI LIBRI (festival for teenagers who love reading, historic town centre), BIGLIETTI AGLI AMICI (the festival with important guests from the world of literature, music, cinema, entertainment and photography)

JULY  
NOTTE ROSA (the New Year’s Eve of summer), CARTOON CLUB (international festival dedicated to animated films and comics)

FESTIVAL DEL MONDO ANTICO

AUGUST  
MEETING PER L’AMICIZIA FRA I POPOLI (the summer festival of encounters, exhibitions, music and shows) Fiera di Rimini

SEPTEMBER  
SAGRA MALATESTIANA (symphonic music festival), SAN MARINO AND RIVIERA DI RIMINI GP (Misano Circuit), GIARDINI D’AUTORE (gardening exhibition with the best Italian gardening experts)

OCTOBER  
TTG - SIA GUEST - SUN, the most important B2B trade fairs dedicated to Tourism and Hospitality, Fiera di Rimini

NOVEMBER  
ECOMONDO, fiera internazionale della green economy (Fiera di Rimini)

DECEMBER  
RIMINI, THE WORLD’S LONGEST NEW YEAR’S EVE          

 

www.riminiturismo.it

MAIN PARTNER

TOURIST INFORMATION AND RECEPTION OFFICES                
Infoline: tel. +39 0541.53399 info@visitrimini.com                    

ANNUAL  
Rimini Marina Centro                    
Piazzale Fellini 3 - tel. +39 0541.56902 fellini@visitrimini.com                    
Rimini Centro Città presso Stazione FFSS                    
P.le Cesare Battisti, 1 - tel. +39 0541.51331 stazione@visitrimini.com                    
Visitor Center Rimini Romana                    
Corso d’Augusto 152 -  info@visitrimini.com        

SUMMER  
Viserba Viale G. Dati 180/a - tel. +39 0541.738115 www.visitrimini.com                    
 

Edited by: Municipality of Rimini, Tourism Department - Coordination Errica Dall’Ara  
Art Direction and Graphics Stefano Tonti, Maps and Monument Icons Ilaria Montanari  
All rights reserved Municipality of Rimini, Tourism Department