San where? Few people have heard of the tiny landlocked microstate of San Marino, even though it’s been clinging precariously to the hills and high places of the Appenine Mountains in north-east Italy for more than 1,700 years.
But staying below the parapet seems to have been a tactic that’s generally worked for the Most Serene Republic of San Marino; it’s the oldest republic and the oldest surviving sovereign state in the world, getting its start back in 301AD, when tradition has it a monk named Marinus settled on Mount Titano with a community of Christians fleeing persecution.
As if all that wasn’t enough to pique our interest! On discovering the medieval capital, Città di San Marino, was also a World Heritage site, the matter was settled. We were going there. We even decided to stay overnight; this was, after all, another country. Even if you could drive across it in twenty minutes.
A good thing we did too. Because, well, views.
At 750 metres in the sky, the ancient citadel of San Marino towers above the surrounding landscape. By all accounts, the resulting panoramas are spectacular. So after a nail-biting turn on the switchbacks up the mountain, we finally parked, dragged our bags up the hill to our hotel and went in search of some vistas.
Only to find this.
And this…
And in the other direction, this….
Not to be thwarted, we set off on a walk along the mountain ridge to visit the town’s three defensive towers, which have been standing sentinel over the rugged landscape since the 13th and 14th centuries. Maybe the views would be better from there.
The fortresses themselves were very impressive.
But we wouldn’t be spotting any armies marching on us from these ramparts.
We went for coffee instead.
Abandoning our quest for views, we made for the town’s main square, Piazza Libertà, and the small but stately neo-gothic Public Palace, where San Marino’s distinctive form of government is still carried out today.
In a hark-back to the customs of the ancient Roman republic, San Marino has two heads of state called Captains Regent, each council-elected from opposing political parties to maintain the balance of power. At the end of their six-month term, the people have three days to file any complaints about the Captains’ performance.
Despite its size, some two million tourists visit San Marino each year, most of them day-trippers, and most of them heading to the Città. The steep streets were thronging with people throughout the day, eating gelato, touring the torture and vampire museums (a feature of any medieval town worth its salt), and shopping up a storm in the leather and jewellery stores.
By the time the sun started to dip towards the misty horizon though, most of the day-visitors had trickled out the city gates, and a suitably serene ambience had moved in.
Of course, the day of our departure we awoke to brilliant, clear skies. We set off immediately back up the hill in search of some vistas.
And found this.
And this…
And in the other direction, this…
Barely an hour later (during which time we packed, ate breakfast and made our way back down the mountain switchbacks), we farewelled the world’s fifth smallest nation and drove back into Italy. But we had our views.
Fast Facts
Getting here: Buses to San Marino leave from Rimini, where you can also get a train to and from other cities such as Bologna. If you’re driving, there are various car parks on the slopes of the Città di San Marino, or you can park near the funivia and take the cable car up to the city.
Tip: There’s a Combined Museum Pass for €10.50 that gives you access to the Città’s five state museums, including the First Tower, Second Tower, Public Palace, State Museum and St Francis Museum. If you’re staying in San Marino, be sure to pick up your free TuttoSanMarino Card as well from your hotel to access a range of discounts and special savings, including a €3 discount on the combined museum pass.
Tip: The Città di San Marino is small and while you can see most of it in a day, if you’re after views, consider staying overnight, just in case. Accommodation is limited so book ahead if you can, especially in peak season. Read John’s review of our San Marino stay here.