La Dolce Vita in Rimini
The Adriatic resort combines seaside charm with history and more besides, as I found to my delight when visiting the Italian seaside resort…
I am 55 metres above the ground floating in a gondola over the picturesque harbour in Rimini, soaking in the breathtaking views of the Adriatic shoreline from the Gabicce headland to the fashionable swimming resorts of the Ferrara Lidos.
The seaside sounds below are just a distant clatter as children splash, car horns blare and all the chitter-chatter of shops and restaurants and holidaymakers merge into one. Slowly though, the world comes back into focus as the giant ferris wheel turns and gently carries me to earth.
I step out onto the harbour of this small city that’s simply packed with everything a visitor could ask for – sandy beaches, hotels, art, history, quirky streets lined with chic shops, ancient buildings and old churches... and this is the home town of Federico Fellini.
For holidaymakers, it is probably preferable to stay in a hotel facing the Rimini beachfront rather than picking one in the quaint town centre, which is only a couple of minutes’ stroll away. The majority of the hotels along the coast have their own exclusive sections of the fabulous sandy beach reserved for guests.
We stay at Le Meridien, a fine four-star hotel with excellent amenities on its section of the beach. There is a good play area for children and a restaurant and bar looking out over the calm sparkling blue sea. Along the ten miles of coastline there seems to be an endless line of hotels suitable for all tastes and budgets.
As someone who is a passable swimmer at best, I dip a toe into the Adriatic – then a lot more of me. The water is really salty, so it seems to be far easier to swim or float compared with the rougher, bigger waves of the Algarve. It’s easy to imagine that children will enjoy the gentler swimming conditions here.
The sea, apparently, is also not as deep here as in other parts of the Mediterranean, according to locals, who tell me that a tall enough person could swim out quite far and still be able to touch the seabed with their feet.
Apart from an almost endless row of parasols and recliners stretched out along the entire seafront [for rent of course], there are many other activities such as beach ball and a wide variety of boats of all shapes and sizes can be hired without a licence.
But it’s not all about the beach here for families. The average weather during the summer is in the low to mid 30s, making the local Aquafan water park, one of the largest in Europe, an ideal place to cool down with the children.
Other activities close by include the ‘Delfinario Rimini’ where there are regular dolphin shows, and there’s plenty of fun with the rollercoaster rides and paddleboats at the Fiabilandia theme park.
A great family day out is ‘Le Navi’ aquarium, near Cattolica, where you can see over 400 hundred species of marine life including sharks in a really fabulous 1930s building shaped like a naval ship.
The historic centre of Rimini is a walled town in which you can stroll around and check out the fashionable shops [there are some fantastic outlet stores too], cafés and little piazzas.
But Rimini really comes alive when the sun goes down with the many late night shops thronged with tourists. There’s a real buzz around the local bars and clubs and the many fabulous restaurants here offer traditional Italian fare at very reasonable prices.
The beach promenade and its surrounding chic shopping streets and piazzas have a fantastic carnival atmosphere.
We are here during the ‘Notte Rose’, or Pink Night festival in which the town itself and revellers are decked out in pink attire for this annual party and fireworks display, which tops Italy’s list of summer festivals.
There may be more than 100 nightclubs in the location – with some late night bars and clubs situated right on the beach itself – but thankfully, unlike in some resorts in the likes of Spain or Portugal, there is no lager-yob culture to be found.
Yes, it’s certainly a place that you can party away the night – either in the clubs or drinking cocktails on the beach until the sun rises – but it feels far more congenial and safe than other holiday package destinations, making it perfect for a family-orientated sun holiday.
For those who get bored by doing nothing but soak up the sun, this is no vacuous purpose-built resort. It is a city once visited by Julius Caesar and has centuries of history and culture to flaunt to visitors, including several noteworthy landmarks. Sismondo castle, which dates back to the 15th century, and the ancient remains of an enormous Roman amphitheatre are two of the best.
There are also many museums and art galleries, including a huge aviation museum with more than 40 aircraft on display, some of which were used in wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War and Yugoslavia. Even Hollywood star Clark Gable’s plane is here – intriguingly it used to host JFK and his Marilyn Monroe.
Those interested in Formula One racing probably won’t want to pass up the opportunity to visit the new museum dedicated to Ferrari, which is just an hour’s drive away in the city of Modena.
The ‘Museo Casa Enzo Ferrari’ stands on the site of the house in which Enzo Ferrari was born and has a futuristic exhibition gallery, painted in the yellow that was cho- sen as the background for the horse on his famous logo.
And then, of course, there is Fellini. Any self-respecting cinemophile will certainly want to visit the Museo Fellini, which celebrates the work of Rimini’s hometown hero and incomparable director, best known for his 1960 comedy-drama La Dolce Vita.
Away from the coastal resort, the entire region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy is also steeped in history. We took a day trip to the picturesque city of Ravenna, the former capital of the Roman Western Empire.
Today it’s a sleepy little city, into which busloads of tourists pour to marvel at the 1,500-year-old churches. As you wander in and out of the basilicas, all you can do is stare at the rich collection of Byzantine mosaics that decorate these ancient buildings, now included by UNESCO on the World Heritage List.
After a few hours of sightseeing in Ravenna, it’s worth dining here at the Ca de Ven restaurant on Via Corrado Ricci to sample the local dishes, particularly their cold cuts and dairy products, including one white creamy cheese that only has a shelf life of a single day. Ravenna was one experience.
Another is San Leo, a tiny hilltop fortified settlement that dates back to the eighth century that has been awarded the title of one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The fortress, set high on a craggy hill, dominates the valley below and is infamous for being a papal prison.
Nearby, the deeply religious town of Assisi, made famous by St Francis patron saint of animals, is also worth visiting. Here you will discover its pink stone buildings as well as the Basilicas of St Francis and St Chiara and the Cathedral of St Mary of the Angels.
Also nearby is San Marino, which is the world’s oldest republic and is only 24 square miles in size – making it one of the smallest countries in the world after the Vatican and Monaco.
What are you waiting for? Go sip coctktails as the sun rises on the sun…