Rimini, for a relatively small city, has a huge amount of things to do, and here we’ve tried to give you an introductory broad choice of what’s on offer. We’ve tried to take into account Rimini for sightseeing, for the sports enthusiasts, for the young and the old, and for families.
Obviously it’s just an introduction – feel free to browse around visit-rimini for more info.
And, without further ado, and in no particular order
1 Walk back in time over the Ponte Tiberio
Rimini’s Ponte di Tiberio – the Tiberius bridge is 2000 years old, and links the city centre to the picturesque Borgo San Giuliano. It’s hard to describe the feeling of walking across this sturdy, beautiful bridge, following the footesteps of people from the time of the Roman Empire (Rimini was founded by the Romans, as Ariminum), while surrounded by modern life – cars, bicycles, mopeds etc. The bridge also takes a special place in most of Rimini’s big festivals including the Notte Rosa
2 Drink a morning Cappucino in Piazza Cavour
Rimini’s city centre is charming, and perhaps its most charming square is Piazza Cavour. The centre of the city’s administration, since the middle ages, it’s always a lively place (in particular on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when it’s taken over by the weekly market stalls). There are a number of cafes here, where you can sit down and enjoy a morning cappucino (never after 11.00am!), while watching the world pass by.
3 Go cycling around Rimini
Because Rimini is relatively small, and flat, it makes it an ideal place for cycling around – indeed, during the summer months, it seems like the whole city abandons their cars in favour of vintage bikes. The city has also invested heavily in bicycle paths, which mean you can pass up and down the lungomare seafront with ease (particularly good for families with small children. There’s also the long stretch of parkland that connects the seafront (Piazzale Kennedy) all the way to the Augustus Arch. Many of the hotels in the city make Bicycles available to guests, so try to avail of it – it’s definitely the easiest way to enjoy the city.
4 Tour Roman Rimini (Ariminum)
One of the ways to focus your choices in Rimini, is to choose one particular aspect of the city to enjoy. One of these is to tour Roman Rimini. The city was founded by the Romans, and has a number of important and well preserved ruins. To make it easier for you, we’ve detailed a full walking tour of Roman Rimini here.
5 Enjoy Sports on the Beach
Rimini’s beachfront is divided up and licenced out to operators who manage the beach umbrellas, bars, etc. Some visitors dislike this parceling out of the huge beachfront – though there are a number of free beaches, and legally guaranteed access to the seashore – but whatever you think of that, the advantage is that there are loads of facilities on offer. Head down to the beachfront and you’ll see the beach volleyball courts, beach tennis, and lots of other activities – some beaches even have fully equipped gyms! Most facilities are free to those who have hired a lounger/beach umbrella – enquire with the local attendants.
6 Discover the roots of the Renaissance, in the Tempio Malatestiano
Rimini’s most famous church, the Tempio Malatestiano is a beautiful and intriguing monument – the first masterpiece built by the ‘renaissance man’ architect Leon Battista Alberti, commissioned by Rimini’s ruling lord Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta. The Tempio, with its classical influences, and use of the zodiac, was described by Pope Pius II – a sworn enemy of Sigismondo Malatesta – as being “full of pagan gods and profane things”. Hosting important artworks by Giotto, Agostino di Duccio, and Piero della Francesca, the Tempio Malatestiano is one of the key works of Italian architecture from the 1400s.
Our list of 14 things to do in Rimini continued:
7 Eat a Piada or Cassoni
Ask a non-Romagnolo Italian what she/he thinks about when thinking about Rimini, and 9 out of 10 will say ‘La Piada! or ‘Piadina‘. The region is famous for its simple but unbelievably tasty flat-bread. You’ll get it in most restaurants in Rimini, often instead of bread, but there are also various take-out restaurants/stands dotted around Rimini that specialise specifically in Piada with different fillings (prosciutto crudo for example, or stracchino e rucola, a cream cheese with rocket). Just as good are Cassone, which are filled, folded and sealed parcels made from the same pasta as the piada. They are to piada what a calzone is to pizza.
8 Buy some knickers in the open market!
On Wednesdays and Saturdays Piazza Cavour and the area around the Castel Sismondo are taken over by the open market. Stall holders set up and call out their wares in a bustling atmosphere that’s hard to find in much of Northern Europe/US. Italians are always on the look out for a good deal, and the market is a place to get it. You can find everything from knickers through to stylish clothes, pots and pans, and general household goods. A good place to pick up shoes and leather goods.
(the market has been temporarily re-located to Piazzale Gramsci, while rebuilding work continues on the Teatro Galli).
9 Take a walk along the Nuova Darsena
San Giuliano Mare, on the far side of the port canal is one of Rimini’s brightest new areas – and at the heart of it is the nuovo darsena, or pier. Part of a massive redevelopment, you can see concerts here and special performances, but even shorn of events the pier is beautiful to walk on – particularly in the early morning or early evening. You can see the luxury yachts moored in the harbour, and view small boats, fishing boats etc returing up the port canal. It’s also a good place to head on a morning run.
10 Enjoy one of Rimini’s special events – big and small!
Rimini is famous for the big events it holds throughout the summer. There are various annual festivals like the Notte Rosa, the Cartoon Club, as well as the Italian national holiday of Ferragosto. Add to this the fact that the local neighbourhoods hold annual summer parties, and even different beachfronts hold special party nights, and you’ll see that there’s always some big/small event close by.
11 Remember cinema’s Maestro Federico Fellini
The work of Oscar winning director Federico Fellini is filled with references to the Rimini of his youth – not least in his beautiful and bitter Amarcord. You can walk around Rimini and check out various Fellini related sites, from the monument to Fellini in the town cemetery (where he is buried, alongside his wife the actress ) through to the iconic Grand Hotel. The famous Fulgor cinema is currently undergoing rennovation, but when it is finished (in the spring of 2016) there will be a space dedicated to Fellini and the material from the Fellini Foundation.
12 Enjoy the murals in Borgo San Giuliano
Once the city’s poorest Borgo or neighbourhood, the Borgo San Giuliano is now probably the trendiest. Part of the re-birth of the Borgo has been the imaginative spirit which saw residents develop the bi-annual Festa del Borgo, where the narrow cobbled streets get taken over by theater, music and performance. One of the traditions for the Festa was that house walls got painted with murals for the festival’s theme. Some of the murals outgrew the festival and have remained permanent fixtures, making a stroll around this charming neighbourhood all the more magical!
13 Go to one of the Adriatic Riviera’s Theme Parks
Rimini is a great base for going up and down the Adriatic Riviera, and within a short stretch of coast you have some world class theme parks. In Rimini itself you have both Italian in Miniatura and Fiabilandia which are worth a visit, while in nearby Ravenna there’s Mirabilandia; in Riccione there’s Aquafan and OltreMare; in Cattolica there’s the giant Acquario. Most of the parks offer a second day free entrance, and some have team up to offer discounts.
14 Head to the hills and do some Wine Tasting
Rimini is the perfect place for people who can’t stand the beach! Counter-intuitive perhaps, but if you look inland from the sea, you’ll see straight away that there’s a rich and varied hinterland – and the hills here are perfect for viticulture and wine production. While not as famous as Tuscany’s Chianti-shire, there is plenty of world class wine produced in Romagna, and you can tour nearby wine and food producers in Rimini’s hills, following the Strada
dei Vini e dei Sapori dei Colli di Rimini (The Wine and Tastes Route of the Rimini Hills), a route organised by an association of local producers. If you don’t fancy a trip into the hills, not to worry – the association organises regular events in Rimini where you can taste wonderful Sangiovese wine and local salumi and cheeses.