After the Rimini Marathon: The Old Town

The Route: Seafront → Arch of Augustus → Piazza Cavour → Tempio Malatestiano → Ponte di Tiberio → Borgo San Giuliano Logistics: The old town is a short walk or bus ride inland from the beachfront hotels, and almost all of it is flat. Check museum opening days, since some sights close on Mondays. Marathon Month: April Duration: Day trip

Grand Hotel / Marina Centro ──(taxi or bus)──> Arch of Augustus
                                                     │
                 Piazza Cavour ── Tempio Malatestiano ── Fellini museum
                                                     │
                             Ponte di Tiberio ── Borgo San Giuliano

Rimini has two faces and a distance of about two kilometres between them. On the coast, a long line of hotels and beach clubs faces the Adriatic. Inland sits an old Roman town, where the Via Flaminia ended in an arch that still stands. The arch dates from 27 BC, and it is generally described as the oldest surviving Roman arch of its kind. The bridge at the other end of the old town, the Ponte di Tiberio, was begun under Augustus and finished under Tiberius, and cars still cross it on the road beside it.

The walk from one to the other is flat and short, which is the best sort of walk the day after a marathon.

April in Rimini: spring in the Romagna riviera is mild, bright and breezy. Beach clubs are being set up for the summer, and some hotels reopen around the Easter period, so check that yours is open. The sea is cool. Mornings can be fresh, and a light jacket is useful.

Getting there

From the seafront hotels, a taxi or a city bus to the old town takes about ten minutes. On foot, it is a walk of about half an hour on flat ground. Rimini station is a few minutes from the beach and the old town, and a good hub for onward trips.

The Arch of Augustus

The arch stands at the end of the Corso d'Augusto, a handsome pedestrian street running down to the centre. It is free to look at, and the area around it has cafés. The view of the arch at dusk is a good one.

Piazza Cavour and the temple

Piazza Cavour is the town's central square, with a medieval town hall, a theatre and a fountain. Close by, the Tempio Malatestiano is an unfinished church remodelled in the fifteenth century by Leon Battista Alberti for Sigismondo Malatesta, a local lord. It is a Renaissance building with a Roman-arch facade, and a rare example of Alberti's work. Check the opening hours, and note that it is a working church.

The Fellini museum

Rimini was the home town of the film director Federico Fellini. A museum dedicated to him, spread across several sites in the centre, has opened in recent years, and the Grand Hotel on the seafront features in his films. Check the opening times and the ticket arrangements, since the museum has several parts.

The Ponte di Tiberio and Borgo San Giuliano

Cross the bridge to the Borgo San Giuliano, a former fishermen's quarter of small, brightly painted houses, many with murals of film scenes. It is flat, pedestrian and good for a coffee. Several trattorias sit along the canal.

Lunch

Piadina, a flat bread of the Romagna, is the standard snack, filled with ham and a soft cheese called squacquerone. For a seafood lunch, look for brodetto, a fish stew, or grilled fish from the Adriatic. Check which places are open outside the summer, as some beachfront restaurants are closed until May.

Getting back

Return by bus or taxi to the seafront, or walk. If you are staying near the Grand Hotel, a gentle walk along the Parco del Mare promenade is a pleasant way to end the day.