Rocca Malatestiana, Santarcangelo di Romagna
Just 12 kilometres inland from Rimini's beach strip, the small hill town of Santarcangelo di Romagna crowns a ridge with a perfectly preserved 14th-century Malatesta fortress. The view from its battlements — Adriatic on one side, Apennine foothills on the other — is the best panorama in the entire province.
Climbing to the battlements
The Rocca sits at the top of the old town and is reached via a steep but short lane from the main Piazza Ganganelli. The fortress was built by the Malatesta lords of Rimini as a military stronghold and later served as a prison; its cylindrical tower is visible from miles around.
From the top, on a clear day, you can pick out the white stripe of Rimini's beach, the tower blocks of Riccione to the south, and the dark green wall of the Apennines rising behind San Marino. Bring a wide-angle lens.
The town below the fortress
Santarcangelo itself rewards an hour of wandering: the main street is lined with butchers, wine bars and ceramics shops, and the town has a lively Thursday morning market. Don't miss the underground Grotte Tufacee — a labyrinth of man-made caves carved into the sandstone beneath the town, used variously as wine cellars, wartime shelters and, according to local legend, pagan ritual spaces.
Combine a fortress visit with lunch at one of the osterie on Via della Costa, where the menu runs to hand-rolled passatelli in brodo and local Sangiovese by the carafe.
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