San Marino is, perhaps a bit surprisingly, one of the first countries I visited, probably somewhere around the top 5. We were still here with the “school in nature”, and I saw the sea for the first time on this trip. Well, I don’t remember much more of it than that I was here then, so I went again after many years, this time during an autumn stay in Rimini.
In a nutshell:
- You can get around San Marino in one day on foot, in fact, apart from enjoying the atmosphere of an almost fairytale city, you will have nothing to do here after a few hours.
- To get here from Rimini, the Bonelli bus runs about every hour.
- If you take your passport, you can get it stamped as a souvenir at the tourist information centre for €5.
Tip: If you don’t want to explore San Marino on your own or want to learn more, take a guided walking tour.
Where to stay in San Marino
If you don’t want your visit to San Marino to be just a trip of a few hours, you can stay right in the historic centre of San Marino. Accommodation here may be a little more expensive, but the reward is that you get to experience San Marino in the evening and first thing in the morning, when there are no more “day-trippers” and the city takes on a different atmosphere.
Another option is to stay just below San Marino in Borgo Maggiore. It’s a bit cheaper than up in San Marino, but you’re still close to the walk (or cable car ride). If you really just want to do a day trip to San Marino, Rimini would be the best choice, somewhere nice by the beach.
Tips for accommodation in Rimini and San Marino
- Hotel Rosa – one of the few hotels right in the historic centre of San Marino. Simple, but the location is unbeatable.
- Homie Hotel Rimini – a modern design hotel in the centre of Rimini with an excellent rating. A great base for excursions and the city itself.
- DuoMo Hotel is a boutique hotel in Rimini’s historic centre with a rooftop terrace overlooking the city.
Tickets and experiences in San Marino
San Marino is small and you can walk the whole thing in a day. A few things are worth booking ahead though, especially in high season, when it gets surprisingly busy.
- San Marino: tour with an interactive guide on your phone – a nice option if you don’t want a live guide but don’t want to just wander around without context either.
Things to see in San Marino
San Marino is small but full of beautiful places! The biggest attraction is its medieval historic centre with its beautiful views, castles and narrow streets. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
You’ll enter the city through the St. Francis Gate, which is kind of the main entrance to San Marino, and find yourself in the Piazzetta del Titano, where there are small shops and historical monuments. The narrow cobbled streets will almost literally transport you back to the Middle Ages.
Mount Titano offers breathtaking views, whether from the Cantone Panoramico or the Passo delle Streghe. On a clear day you can see the Adriatic Sea and the more distant Italian regions.
Porta San Francesco
Historical gate and main entrance to the old town. If you come by bus, you will pass through here. The gate is from the 14th century and just beyond it the main street full of shops and restaurants begins. There is also a tourist information center at the gate where you can get a passport stamp (for fun, you don’t need a passport to enter the city).
The Three Towers of San Marino
The three towers are the symbol of San Marino and offer spectacular views of the Adriatic Sea and the surrounding countryside.
- Guaita (La Rocca) – the oldest of the towers, dating back to the 11th century and used as a prison and fortress.
- The road – it is on the highest point of Mount Titano, harbours a museum of weapons and offers breathtaking panoramic views.
- Montale – the third tower, not open to the public, but completes the iconic look.
Piazza della Libertà and Palazzo Pubblico
The main square of the city with the beautiful government palace. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch the changing of the guard (every 30 minutes from spring to autumn). In the evening, the square is beautifully illuminated.
The palace with its neo-Gothic façade and bell tower serves as the seat of government. However, there are dedicated hours when visitors can explore the interiors and get a closer look at the workings of the historic Republic of San Marino.
Basilica di San Marino
The most important church in San Marino, dedicated to its founder St. Marino. Inside is his tomb and the interior is majestic.
The basilica is also an important pilgrimage site, with pilgrims heading here most often on 3 September, which is the feast of St. Marino and also the national day of San Marino.
Sentiero della Rupe
A beautiful panoramic trail along the cliff of Monte Titano. It offers amazing views of the surrounding area, especially at sunset. The trail starts at the P9 parking lot (Via Gino Giacomini), which is just below the historic center of San Marino (the parking lot where the bus from Rimini arrives).
You can also hop on the trail at the Montale Tower, the third of the legendary three towers. From here you can continue downwards.
What to taste in San Marino
San Marino cuisine combines Italian-Mediterranean influences with its own traditions. Popular dishes include Piadina, which is a bread (pancake) with various fillings, and Pasta e ceci, a thick soup of chickpeas and pasta. You can also try Nidi di rondine, baked pasta with smoked ham, beef and cheese, or Coniglio in Porchetta, rabbit meat flavoured with fennel.
San Marino also boasts its own wine , San Marino Moscato, which pairs well with local food. Traditional liqueurs include aniseed Mistra and truffle Tilus. And for something sweet, try the Torta Tre Monti – a chocolate wafer cake with hazelnuts inspired by the three towers of San Marino. It’s also sold in boxes and is a popular souvenir.
Where is San Marino
San Marino, the oldest republic in the world, is a small independent state on Monte Titano surrounded by Italy. It is near the city of Rimini on the east coast, in the region of Emilia-Romagna. The area of San Marino is only 61 km² and it is the third smallest country in Europe after the Vatican and Monaco.
How to get to San Marino
From Prague and Brno it is about 1000 kilometres to San Marino. The nearest airport to San Marino is Federico Fellini Airport in Rimini (RMI). You can also easily get here by flying into Bologna Airport (BLQ). From Bologna it is an hour by train to Rimini.
San Marino is rather not for a separate holiday (you can get through the whole place in less than a day). If you are hesitating whether to combine it with Rimini or Bologna, Rimini if you prefer the sea and the beach, Bologna if you want a gastronomic paradise and historical monuments.
How to get from Rimini to San Marino
From Rimini, the Bonelli bus runs approximately once an hour every day, more frequently in the summer season. The ride costs 7 euros and you can buy your ticket online or from the driver. The ride takes less than an hour. The destination in San Marino is in the car park just below the entrance gate to the historic centre.
In Rimini, you can get on either at the station directly opposite the main train station (Rimini FS) or at Arco d’Augusto.
Cable car to Città di San Marino
If you take the bus, you will pass by the cable car station, but you don’t really need to use it because the bus will take you up. However, it can be useful for those who arrive by car and park “down town”, in Borgo Maggiore. The cable car(Funivia di San Marino) connects just Borgo Maggiore and Città di San Marino.
The cable car takes 2 minutes and runs every 15 minutes. Tickets cost 3 euros one way, 5 euros return.
