3 beautiful summer days in the city Rimini

The city Rimini is a quiet town with many bikes and bicycles perfectly aligned in parking lots, tasty food, kind people and a relaxing atmosphere — a town, we will always remember for activities like wandering around the streets or feeding pigeons in the city centre.

When we got bored in Viserbella, we took the bus number 4 to go to Rimini. You can buy the tickets from kiosks next to the hotel or from the tourist info in the centre of the holiday resort; a one-way ticket costs two Euros. The end of the line was next to the train station in Rimini where you could buy tickets for your return. From here, we started walking into different directions depending on our mood and the weather. Every time we were in Rimini, it was very hot so we did not walk around too much outside the city centre.

Piazza Cavour in the city Rimini

The city Rimini was founded by the Romans in 268 B.C. and has been known for a while as the centre of communications between the north and south of the peninsula. Today, it is a busy holiday resort that prides itself with a 15 kilometres long coast line and an agitated night life.

We didn’t go to the coast and instead enjoyed spending our time in narrow streets and parks that offered some shade from the blazing hot sun. Quite often, we ended up in Piazza Cavour, a square in the historic city centre which is surrounded by cafes, restaurants and important buildings. We admired the impressive building Palazzo dell’Arengo, that was built in 1207 and that incorporates both the Gothic and the Romanesque style. Next to it is Palazzo del Podesta, the former town hall, built in 1334, pleasing the eye of the beholder with its three Gothic arcades. Also a lovely place to visit is the fish market called Antica Pescheria, which has been around since 1747.

Another building we appreciated was Sanctuary of Sant’Antonio di Padova, a small temple in Baroque style. The temple built in 1518 is right in front the church Paolotti — you can’t miss it. The church had been damaged during the First World War and had to be rebuilt in 1963.

In the middle of the square, you can find the bronze statue of Pope Paul V, which has been restored in 1940. Another highlight is Fontana della Pigna, a beautiful fountain, which was restored in 1543 by Giovanni Carrara after it had been damaged by fireworks. This fountain was the only drinkable water source until the public aqueduct had been inaugurated in 1912.

Piazza Tre Martiri

During our visit, Piazza Tre Martiri was always very lively, filled with locals and tourists, who chatted with each other, had dinner or ate ice cream.

Only a short walk away from Piazza Cavour is another square, Piazza Tre Martiri; this is the main square of the city Rimini and it is of utmost historical importance. In 1944, three citizens have been executed here by Nazi forces. By the way: Don’t miss the clock tower known as Torre dell’Orologio, which was built during the 16th century.

A building that caught our attention was Chiesa San Giovanni Evangelista, a beautiful church originally built by Augustinians in the 13th century. It underwent massive restorations in the following years.

The highlight of the church is the 55 metres high tower with its big bell. On the inside, the church has white walls, it is decorated with frescoes, has a wooden crucifix and a few paintings.

Castle Sismondo

On the last day, we visited the castle Sismondo built by Sigismund Malatesta, the leader of the city at that time. In 1821, the castle was transformed into barracks for the local military police. After years of decadence, the building is now being used for expositions.

The rest of the time we spent in the city Rimini, we sat in a small park in the centre and ate fresh pineapple or honeydew melon. Of course, during the siesta, people all over town would suddenly vanish; most shops and restaurants close up for a few hours. Still, there are always a few that remain open so we always managed to have lunch somewhere. The people we met were always very friendly, although they were a bit surprised to see us at that time of day. One time, we were the only customers in a restaurant; Alina had a salmon carpaccio with orange and Deian breaded seafood.

The few days we spent in Rimini, we enjoyed our stay a lot, but next time, we would rather visit in spring or autumn. We would also like to walk along the beach and listen to the waves of the sea; and of course, we would love to experience cultural activities or visit some holiday resorts nearby.