Italy’s Fabled Seaside Resort Is so Much More Than a Beach Town

If you consider Rimini in any respect, you in all probability image the seashore. This lengthy strip of sand on the Adriatic Sea was the primary place on the continent that basically outlined the thought of a seashore trip as we consider it right now: days spent below solar umbrellas or splashing within the surf, lunch and dinner alfresco, disco dancing till daybreak, then getting up and doing it once more the following day.

“For Italians and plenty of Europeans, Rimini is synonymous with journeys to il mare [the sea], these annual, archetypal summer season seashore holidays,” says Rebecca Winke, a customized journey advisor with Italy Beyond the Obvious. “And whereas its 9 miles of seashores are good and well-equipped, there’s a surprisingly wealthy cultural facet to Rimini that you simply’ll solely discover in case you head inland, to town’s historic middle.”

“Rimini doubtless isn’t the primary place most individuals consider visiting in Italy, however because the hometown of famed filmmaker Federico Fellini, it’s a should for cinephiles,” says Journey + Leisure contributor and Italy resident Laura Itzkowitz. “And it’s straightforward to mix a couple of days in Rimini with different locations in Emilia-Romagna like Ravenna, Parma, Modena, and Bologna.”

So, take a better have a look at this pleasant metropolis on the ocean that has a lot extra to supply than only a seashore scene.

Greatest Motels & Resorts

Grand Lodge Rimini

Time stands nonetheless — in a great way — at this five-star, Liberty-style palace steps from the ocean. As soon as he may afford to remain right here, Fellini grew to become a daily — it options in his Oscar-winning “Amarcord,” and the lodge leans closely on its cinematographic ties. Rooms and suites mix airiness and old-style allure, and there’s merely not a extra posh tackle in Rimini.

DuoMo Lodge

There’s not a lot subtlety in this modern design hotel, an outlier in that it’s situated in Rimini’s historic middle, fairly than on the beachfront. Modern rooms have padded vinyl flooring that coddle naked toes, and the buzzy foyer degree bar is all DJ units and mixology.

Baia Imperiale

This long-standing beachfront hotel is mere steps from Rimini’s mushy sands. Rooms are basic, ethereal, and purposeful; there’s an indoor pool and spa space when the solar is only a bit too sizzling; a seashore membership is reserved for visitors; and the fifth-floor terrace is very tempting for a cocktail. 

Greatest Issues to Do

Hit the seashore.

Visiting a Rimini seashore membership in the summertime is among the most quintessentially Italian experiences you possibly can have. For the worth of a solar lounger and an umbrella, you get entry to a personal seashore space, in addition to bogs, showers, altering rooms, and, normally, a playground, a restaurant, and a bar. Marina Lido operates a number of simply south of Rimini’s panoramic wheel.

Go to the Fellini Museum advanced.

Rimini’s favourite son is well known over three places within the centro, and one ticket will get you entry to all. “I particularly love the installations within the Castel Sismondo, the place a larger-than-life Anita Ekberg in that well-known black gown from ‘La Dolce Vita’ reclines in one of many rooms,” says Itzkowitz. The Fellini Museum additionally hosts frequent screenings and different cultural occasions.

Trip a motorcycle.

Given its location throughout the pancake-flat Po river valley, Rimini is very suited to getting round by bike. There’s an 81-mile community of clearly marked paths, in addition to broad avenues and loads of locations to lock up a motorcycle. Many resorts, just like the DuoMo, hire or mortgage bikes, or you possibly can one from AleBike or considered one of dozens of distributors on the town.

Discover Borgo San Giuliano.

Cross the traditional Roman Ponte di Tiberio to candy Borgo San Giuliano, a former fishing village. “In the course of the day, guests come to admire the borgo’s colourful avenue artwork,” says Winke. “However as soon as the solar goes down, there’s an open-air celebration scene right here.”

Spend a day overseas.

If in case you have a automotive, make a day journey to San Marino, the nation inside a rustic situated about half-hour from Rimini. The fifth-smallest nation on this planet, San Marino is huge on visible enchantment, with a jutting fortress, slender pedestrian-only lanes, and plenty of memento outlets.

Greatest Nightlife

Darsena Sundown Bar

Barhop your approach alongside the beachfront, however ensure you embrace a cease at this Rimini hot spot, which packs in crowds from sundown to final patron standing. If the celebration scene is not for you, reserve a spot for dinner, however stick round lengthy sufficient to observe the partiers descend.

Rose & Crown

Opened in 1964, Rose & Crown claims to be Italy’s first pub, and has the beer-soaked woodwork to show it. The vibe right here is conventional British-pub-meets-Italian-beach-party, and the outcomes are enjoyable, if a bit chaotic. The celebration and pub grub churn till 3 a.m. nightly.

Lilliput Cafe

This tiny spot within the centro storico packs quite a bit right into a small house, with a menu of wine, craft beers, and cocktails, in addition to some wholesome lunch choices and a beneficiant aperitivo unfold. There’s a neighborhood really feel right here, and in good climate, tables on the sidewalk outdoors. 

Greatest Eating places

Ristorante Dallo Zio

With a plum location proper close to the first century B.C.E. Arch of Augustus — the oldest Roman arch in Italy — Dallo Zio provides what Winke calls a “up to date tackle conventional Romagnola dishes, with nice consideration paid to sourcing native seafood and components from the Emilia-Romagna heartland.” The menu is heavy on seafood, however with loads of non-fish choices, too.

La Terrazza della Dolce Vita

“Fellini all the time stayed on the Grand Lodge Rimini when he returned to his hometown,” says Itzkowitz. “And dining on the terrace on a heat night appears like touring again in time to his dolce vita heyday.” Supplied solely within the summertime, these dinners don’t come low-cost, however it’s laborious to place a price ticket on the atmosphere.

Cà Miriam

Piada, the signature flatbread of Emilia-Romagna (referred to as cassoni after they’re stuffed earlier than cooking), is a go-to avenue meals alongside Rimini’s beachfront. Cà Miriam is a well-liked spot to pattern it a block from the seashore, and vegetarians ought to notice it is historically cooked with lard.

Greatest Time to Go to

In case you’re coming to Rimini for its legendary seashore scene, you have got little alternative than to go to from mid-June to early September. Crowds will peak in July and August, and hit a crescendo round Aug. 15, Italy’s nationwide Ferragosto vacation. In case you go to on this interval, you’ll need to reserve your lodge, in addition to seashore loungers, nicely prematurely. Be aware that in peak season, many resorts will impose minimal keep insurance policies.

Climate and temperatures are additionally largely dependable in April, Could, late September, and into October, however many seashore resorts, bars, and eating places could observe shorter seasons. Within the late fall, winter, and early spring, the sidewalks of Rimini seashore roll up, although some resorts, like Grand Lodge Rimini, stay open. These are prime months to discover Rimini’s historic and cultural choices with out the summer season crowds — simply don’t come in search of a seashore celebration.

Methods to Get There

Rimini has a small airport with connections inside Europe, however for worldwide flights, the closest choices are airports in Bologna, Florence, and Venice, the latter of which is about three hours to the north. In any other case, Rimini sees frequent Trenitalia trains to and from Bologna Centrale, the most important rail hub in Emilia-Romagna.

In case you’re driving in, Rimini is on the coastal street that stretches the size of Italy’s Adriatic coast, and it is also linked to Bologna through the E45 Autostrada Adriatica.

Methods to Get Round

Rimini’s centro storico, together with Borgo San Giuliano, can simply be explored on foot, and from there, it’s a 30-minute stroll to the seashore. Bikes are an optimum method to cowl Rimini’s flat terrain, and plenty of resorts present free loaners. There are additionally e-scooter sharing providers by the Lime or Bit Mobility apps.

From Rimini practice station, the Metromare shuttle hyperlinks coastal stops between Rimini and Riccione, and there’s additionally a seasonal seashore shuttle. The Start Romagna site has details about all public transportation modes within the space.