Visit Rimini

Rimini has a number of large parks,and green space (most equipped with free swings/slides/games for children), which make walking or cycling around the town pleasant all year round.

Parco Alcide Cervi

This is a personal favourite, and a park popular with locals and tourists alike both for its functionality (it connects the seaside with the old town like a long shaded green corridor), and beauty. The park, named after Alcide Cervi – head of the Cervi family, whose seven sons became heroes of the Italian resistance movement, begins in viale fiume, a small road intersecting with the main beachfront strip of viale Amerigo Vespucci. The park continues towards the town centre, with an underpass where the railway line bisects it. It’s shaded marvelously making it perfect for picnics and walks – watch out for the bikes though, as it’s main path is busy particularly in the evening as people head home from the beach.

Just after the railway underpass the park narrows, and on the right hand side there is a small enclosed area for dog-owners to bring their pets to play off their leash.

As you arrive at Via Roma it appears that the park has finished – but this isn’t the case! Cross the road and head to the end of the car-park, and the park continues – this time with the added scenery of medieval city walls to your right. If, instead you turn to your right on Via Roma and walk a hundred yards you’ll see another piece of the park which contains Rimini’s ruined Roman Amphitheatre – well worth checking out!

Let’s go back though to the section with the medieval walls. If you continue straight through the park it will bring you up to the Arco di Augusto (the best views of which are arguably to be had from Parco Cervi). There is also a large games area for children with swings, slides and climbing frames (all nicely shaded, a handy tip when the sun is beating down elswhere!).

There is also an intriguing sculpture by local artist Elio Morri, entitled Resistance, which was unveiled in the park to commemorate the role of the resistance in the liberation of Italy (Rimini, remember, was on the front-line in 1944 and saw fierce fighting between fascist forces, and the resistance and allied forces).

The park is also host to various events when the nearby Borgo San Giovanni celebrates its annual street party.

Parco Cervi – Google Maps link

Piazzale Fellini

This grand looking shaded mini-park which goes from the large roundabout at Lungomare Claudio Tintorni, through to Viale Principe Amedeo contains three Rimini landmarks – The imposing Grand Hotel, the

Parco XXV Aprile (also known locally as Parco Marecchia)

Head over to the other side of town, to the famous roman bridge the ponte di tiberio and you’ll find Rimini’s other main park, the Parco Marecchia (though its official name is Parco XXV Aprile – commemorating Italian liberation day). This is the largest green space in the city (234.790 m²), and was created in part when the river Marecchia was diverted from its traditional course (which saw it arrive exactly at the Ponte di Tiberio – which nowadays crosses an artificial canal that goes to the port). The river was diverted to alleviate the danger of flooding, and in the process it has created a large green area ideal for families to take walks in nearby the historic city centre.

You can enter the park either from the busy Via Circonvallazione Occidentale, or via the car park on Viale Tiberio. The park has a large playground for children, lots of wooded paths, and often plays host, near to the ponte tiberio, to peacocks (who have been known to stray on to the ponte di tiberio occasionaly, causing chaos and once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunities!).

From the Parco XXV Aprile you can take special boat tours arranged to pass under the mighty Roman Ponte di Tiberio (). It’s also usually the setting for a magnificent fireworks display at the culmination of the bi-annul Festa del Borgo San Giuliano.

For nature lovers, it’s also the starting point of a hiking/bicycle route that goes all the way up into the hills to the town of Torriana.

Piazza Ferrari

Piazza Ferrari is the greenest of the main squares in the town centre, and has a busy playground area perfect for children to relax, play, and make friends. At its centre, though, is one of Rimini’s newest/oldest attractions – the domus del chirugo – which apart from its magnificent roman mosaics is worth visiting just to see the new visitors centre, complete with its rooftop vegetation and design which blends into the green space of the piazza.

An insider tip: Piazza Ferrari for reasons best known to physicists, scientists and local weather observers tends to be the coolest place in the whole city! If the heat is getting to you, pop over to Piazza ferrari and enjoy the cool breeze.