rimini Archives - ResponsiBo Travel

5 favourite daytrips from Rimini, Italy

November 17, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Italy

Besides being a nice destination, Rimini is perfect for going on daytrips because of its location. In this blog I will share my 5 favourite daytrips that I did from Rimini and how to get there by public transport.

San Marino

The idea of a country in a country sounds so weird to me. However, Italy has two countries in the country: San Marino and Vatican city. From Rimini, you can get to San Marino in approximately 30 minutes by bus. You will get dropped off at the spot that is the most interesting for tourists. This is a small castle like settlement on a hill with paths going up to the towers. Along the way up you will pass a lot of tourist shops and restaurants. Besides the fact that this feels a bit like a tourist trap, it also feels like your going back in time. The little castles feel like a fairy tale. You do not need a awful lot of time up here, in about 2 to 3 hours you will have seen everything. I would suggest to just walk around and enjoy the beautiful views of San Marino and Italy.

How to get there and back?

There are two bus organisations operating between Rimini and San Marino: Benedettini and Bonelli. For both organisations I would suggest to buy a ticket of 5 euros (one way) in advance on the opposite side of the train station in Rimini. The bus to San Marino leaves from multiple stops like Arco di Augusto or in front of the trains station and I would suggest to check the updated timetable.

Ravenna

I love this little Italian city, which is also why I visited it multiple times. Ravenna is mostly known by its beautiful mosaic. On many street corners you can enjoy a small mosaic art piece, but the main attraction here is the Basilica di San Vitale. This big basilic has the most beautiful mosaic work inside I have ever seen in my life. With bright colours and gold shimmering in the sunlight this cathedral is a must-see when visiting Ravenna. On the same ground there is a small mausoleum where you can enjoy another beautiful and mosaic covered building. Furthermore, there are a few more places where you can see mosaic, but I think the two listed above are the best.

Another place worth to visit is the basilica di San Francesco, in which you can see a part covered in water. When you throw a small coin in the machine, the lights will turn on and you can see the water in the church. Also, if you are lucky you can see the fish swimming in the water. The next stop is Dante Alighieri’s tomb, this small tomb is dedicated to the famous Italian philosopher Dante Alighieri who lived from 1265 until 1321. My last tip for Ravenna is to have a visit at the Biblioteca Classense. This town library is covered in beautiful paintings and covered in mosaic floors.

How to get there and back?

From Rimini central station there is a direct train to Ravenna. You can buy your ticket at the station at the Trenitalia ticket machines. The train ride will take you around an hour and during this trip you will pass the station of Cesenatico, which will also be covered in this blog. Do not forget to validate your ticket before you board the train!

Bologna

The next daytrip option is the city famous for it Tagliatelle al Ragu and it often called the food capital of Italy: Bologna. In a day you will probably not be able to see everything and so this city is actually worth more days. But for this blog I will share the main highlights.

Besides good food, Bologna has a lot of nice buildings and streets to offer. One of the main squares is called Piazza Maggiore (the Big square). Here you will find a nice church and some streets for a great aperitivo! If you have never heard of the concept of Aperitivo I would like to refer you to one of my previous blogs about food in Rimini (button).

If you are feeling active and you like good views, I can recommend climbing the Due Torre. One of these towers (the highest one) is available for visitors and wooden steps will bring you up the roof. From the tower you can search for the second tower which seems gone, until you find it! From here you have a beautiful view over the city and you will understand why Bologna is called ‘La Rossa’ (red).

Enjoy some nice food at one of the pizzerias or osterias, I will share my favourites in my Bologna city guide and if you still feel active afterwards, you can walk all the way up to Basilica di San Luca. More information about this hike and more about Bologna will soon be on my website so stay tuned!

How to get there and back?

From Rimini station there are multiple direct trains to Bologna. It depends on the speed and time when you book how much it will cost. Most of the trains take around 2 hours and will cost a bit less than 10 euros one way. The station of Bologna is in the centre and after a 10 minute walk you will reach Piazza Maggiore. You can buy your train ticket again at a Trenitalia ticket machine. Do not forget to validate your ticket before you board the train!

Padua

This city is a bit further away than the others, but if you have time, definitely worth a visit. I did this in one day but Padua deserves more days. This cosy city is full with students which means that there are a lot of nice bars to drink or eat. Futher, Padua offers a beautiful and big cathedral: Basilica di Sant’Antonio. Another signature spot of Padua is the Prato Della Valle which is surrounded by multiple statues. And of course: you should not miss Palazzo Bo. Not only because it has my name haha, but because it is the oldest anatomic theatre in the world and is now home to the School of Law.

How to get there and back?

The easiest and cheapest way to get to Padua from Rimini is by taking the Flixbus. You can buy tickets in advance on their website. The ride takes around 4 hours and the bus provides you with WI-FI and comfortable seats.

Cesenatico

This last daytrip is especially nice when you go in the December period before Christmas. I visited this place when my parents came to Italy in the beginning of December. The whole town is covered in Christmas lights and the boats are decorated with Christmas stories. The little fishers village gets a romantic and cosy atmosphere with Christmas music playing on the speakers. Here I just suggest to walk around and enjoy the boats and the lights. If you decide to go in Summer, there is also a nice beach where you can go for a swim or work on your tan.

How to get there and back?

From Rimini station you can get a direct train in the same direction as Ravenna. This will only take you around 25 minutes and costs around 3 euros one way. You can buy the ticket at the station at a ticket machine of Trenitalia. Do not forget to validate your ticket before you board the train!

Rimini: so much more than parties and drunk tourists

October 18, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Italy

When you think of Rimini, you probably think of young party people going to clubs to get drunk. Rimini is famous for its big clubs and long beach. However, after living in Rimini for half a year, I think that Rimini has so much more to offer and is definitely worth a visit. In this blog I am going to share my favourite spots of Rimini and why Rimini is also worth a visit during the winter

Rimini: not just beach and clubs

Maybe not a lot of people might know that Rimini not only has a beach, it also has a very cute and old city centre. One of my favourite parts of Rimini is the area around the Ponte di Tiberio. This old bridge has 5 arches and was finished already 20 AD. When you cross this bridge coming from the city centre and immediately turn right you will arrive in my favourite street of Rimini called Via Marecchia. This little street has the cutest little pastel coloured houses like pink, yellow and blue. The flowers outside the windows of these houses and the wall paintings are the finishing touch.

During my time in Rimini I loved walking through this little street and watching the houses. At the end of the street you can turn right again and here is a bridge build on the water from where you can have a beautiful view on the Ponte di Tiberio and some of the cute houses. When you go back to the Ponte di Tiberio you will see on your left hand side a nice park, take the stairs down and you will see another nice wall painting. In spring and summer this park is very popular for chilling in the grass and enjoying the sun.

Arco di Augusto and surroundings

Another main sight of Rimini is the Arco di Augusto, which is located on the other side of the city. When you go through this arch you will see a big nice park that leads all the way to the beach. Everyday we walked through the park and underneath the arch which functioned as a gate to the city.

After this arch you will find two main squares: Piazza Tre Martiri and Piazza Cavour. You can recognize Piazza Tre Martiri by its big sun on the ground and the tower: Torre dell’Orologio. If you are coming from the Arco di Augusto and you reach the Piazza Tre Martiri and you turn right, you will reach the Tempio Malatestiano. If you reach the square from the arch and you go straight, you will reach Piazza Cavour. This square is surrounded by an old theatre: Teatro Amintore Galli and a building of what I think is the municipality building of Rimini. In the middle of the square you will find a nice fountain and on the opposite side of the municipality building you will see the Antica Pescheria, or what we always called ‘La Cantinetta’. In the early days this functioned as a fish marketplace, now it is used for nights out and meeting up with friends.

Piazza Tre Martiri

Why come to Rimini in the winter?

During the winter, the clubs alongside the beach close, the beach is not filled with sunbeds anymore and most of the tourists are gone, but the young people still want to party somewhere. This is the moment that going out moves from the beachside (with clubs like Coconuts or Carnaby) to the city centre to the old fish market. Here there are little bars like Neropaco, Guenda and Vinolta where you can have a nice drink and dance. On busy days the bars are packed with people and the fish market gets filled with people chatting outside. This felt so much cosier than going to the big clubs.

Besides going out in the winter, the city also gets fully decorated with Christmas lights. Big Christmas trees are put on every square and all the streets are lit by little lights. Rimini turned into a magical place during the winter and the good thing is: you can still enjoy world’s best ice cream!

My 12 favourite places to eat or drink in Rimini

October 18, 2019

by Bo with No Comment Italy

Italy, famous for its kitchen. With pizzas, pastas, spaghetti, risotto, lasagne, bruschetta and limoncello as examples there is something to like for everyone. Maybe this is also why I love this country so much and loved living here. When living in an Italian city you will definitely try out a lot of nice restaurants. At least that is what I did.. In this blog I am going to share my 12 favourite places to or drink in Rimini. Yummmm..

1. Il Cortile in Centro

Let’s just start immediately with my, by far, favourite restaurant in Rimini: Il Cortile in Centro. Here you can try out all kinds of pizza with the most creative combinations and ingredients. The staff is very friendly and the place is almost every night full, so make sure you book in advance! I have to be honest with you.. of all the times that I went to this restaurant I only tried two pizzas. This is because the one that I tried out first (Cedronella), became my favourite pizza ever immediately. With fresh burrata, mashed eggplant and sundried tomatoes. I had struggles choosing another pizza because this one was soooo good! I miss this place so much..

2. La Mi Mama

This second restaurant was my favourite for all other Italian dishes, like pastas. They have the most amazing vegan tagliatelle here. Everything is freshly made and they also offer the regions dish: piadine. Unfortunately they do not offer a vegetarian one. This restaurant is colourful and cosy and I love every dish as they also offer a lot of vegan and vegetarian options.

3. Loving hut

This little lunch restaurant is located near the campus of Rimini (Bologna University) and serves all kinds of vegan dishes. The atmosphere here is cosy and relaxed and it is very nice to have an all vegan restaurant. They change their menu every once in a while, which keeps in fun to try new things.

4. The White Bakery

If you had a tough night out and you are craving for a good breakfast, this is your place to be. The White Bakery is decorated in full American style and offers all kinds of pancakes, waffles and other sweet stuff. These dishes are super heavy but also so nice! This was our go to if we were craving something sweet.

5. Osteria de Borg

This restaurant is located on the other side of the Ponte di Tiberio and looks like a real Italian living room. They offer traditional dishes like tagliatelle con funghi. Very nice restaurant if you want something typical Italian.

6. Pastamadre

I visited this tiny restaurant with my mother when she was in Rimini. It is located close to the beach and only has 2 or 3 tables. The owner of the restaurant makes everything fresh and has 2 different dishes to choose from every day. I had one of the best eggplant lasagnes ever. He also uses only bio products, so do not look weird when he serves you wine in a paper cup!

7. Flower burger

Flower burger is located near the beachside. In this little restaurant chain you can order all kinds of vegan burgers in different colours with different ingredients. The different burgers make a very colourful atmosphere.

8. Bar Lento

This bar is perfect for when you have lots of work for school but cannot stand that boring room of yours anymore. Sit down and order a nice cup of coffee or one of their fresh lunch dishes. I loved to come here with my laptop and work the afternoon. In the bar there is also a small shop with cute vintage looking items.

9. Ice cream at La Romana

In this list of places a good ice cream place cannot miss of course. If you have never been here, you do not know what really good ice cream is. With the smallest size cone you can choose white or dark melted chocolate for in your cone. After that you can choose 2 flavours which are delicious and top it of with some whipped cream. In Italy it was always time for ice cream: experienced something good? Celebrate it with ice cream. Bad grade? Eat your feelings away with ice cream. Feeling bored? Just go for ice cream. Winter or summer it does not matter, Romana is your place to be!

Aperitivo

The last part of this blog is about a tradition in Italy that I love very much. This tradition is called: Aperitivo. Italians eat their dinner quite late, but before they go for dinner they do an aperitivo. This means that around 6 o clock you go for a drink and enjoy some nice snacks from a buffet. When you buy a drink, the aperitivo is (most of the times) for free! I will list my 3 favourite aperitivo bars in Rimini as this is a tradition that you want to experience!

10. La Hora Feliz

This small bar is perfect for drinking nice cocktails before going out or enjoying a drink and trying their aperitivo. Plates with fish, pasta, meat and salads are standing in the back of the bar waiting for the visitors to fill their plates. Of course, you should not eat too much if you want to go for dinner afterwards.

11. Etoile

This is another nice bar with blue painted walls and very nice choices for aperitivo. We often switched between La Hora Feliz and Etoile.

12. 3sei5

This is maybe not the best bar food-wise, but 3sei5 is the place to be for every football or sports match! Try to be here during an Italian champions league match and experience the fire of Italian supporters.