LE MARCHE

Le Marche is Italy in microcosm. From the beachside resorts along the Adriatic through sloped hill-towns in the centre, it arrives at the jagged mountain range of Monti Sibillini. You’ll want to pick and choose carefully, however. While Monte Conero offers an unhurried coastal holiday and Pesaro teems with history (and, from June to September, holiday-makers), much of Le Marche’s coast is lined with rows of rather depressing high-rise hotels and apartment buildings.

But further inland is where Le Marche really shines. Urbino, perhaps Le Marche’s most famous town to outsiders and chock-full of university students, boasts an impressive display of Renaissance art and history up and down its vertical streets. Ascoli Piceno is filled with a history rivalling any Italian city but remains undiscovered. Equally walkable is the quaint Macerata, with a world-famous open-air opera theatre and festival. The gritty capital, Ancona, has been a bustling port city for 3000 years.

History

Not much is known about the first inhabitants of Le Marche, who lived along the coast as far back as 23,000 years ago. The first archaeological evidence is from the Piceni tribe, whose 3000-year-old artefacts can be seen in the Museo Archeologico in Ascoli Piceno. The Romans invaded the region early in the 3rd century BC, and dominated the area for almost 700 years. At the fall of the Roman Empire, Le Marche was sacked by the Goths, Vandals, Ostrogoths and, finally, the Lombards.

In the middle of the 8th century AD, Pope Stephen II decided to call upon foreigners to oust the ungodly Lombards. The first to lead the charge of the Frankish army was Pepin the Short, but it was his rather tall son Charlemagne who finally took back control from the Lombards for good. On Christmas Day AD 800, Pope Leo III crowned him Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. However, he was never recognised as such by the Eastern Byzantine church, which had control of much of Le Marche’s Adriatic coast at the time.

After Charlemagne’s death, Le Marche entered into centuries of war, anarchy and general Dark Ages mayhem. In central Italy, two factions developed, that of the Guelphs – who backed papal rule – and the Ghibellines – who backed rule by the emperor. The Guelph faction eventually won out and Le Marche became part of the Papal States, held under close watch by a succession of popes, while much of Europe was busy enjoying the Renaissance. It stayed that way until Italian unification in 1861.

National Parks & Reserves

In the 1980s and 1990s mass tourism, almost all concentrated on the coast, threatened to encroach on several natural areas. In response, Le Marche developed no less than 10 national and regional parks or protected areas, including the stunning Monti Sibillini in the far west Apennines and the coastal beauty of the Parco Naturale del Monte Conero near Ancona.

Getting There & Around

Drivers have two options on the coastline: the A14 autostrada (main highway) or the SS16 strada statale (state highway). Inland roads are either secondary or tertiary and much slower. Regular trains ply the coast on the Bologna—Lecce line and spurs head to Macerata and Ascoli Piceno, but it requires some forethought and help from the tourist board to travel between inland towns.

If you’re interested in getting an insider’s and hands-on experience of the region, try Le Marche Tours ( 0733 63 85 88; www.lemarchetours.com). Its South African/German/American owners have been living in a refurbished Italian farmhouse in the Marche countryside for years. They offer hiking, food and wine, and off-the-beaten-track cultural tours, as well as experiential and educational trips (eg photography, creativity workshops, real estate tours). Prices for all-inclusive tours of around a week range from €1550 to €2000.

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ANCONA

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A port town through and through, the main tourist draw of Ancona is leaving Ancona. Embarrassingly lacking in good accommodation, Italy’s largest mid-Adriatic ferry port is trying to develop a tourist infrastructure. Although fairly grimy and tattered around the port and train station, the town does have a fascinating history, a handful of sights to warrant an extra day or two, and the downtown area is very pedestrian friendly.

Orientation

There are two distinct parts to Ancona: the modern sprawl around the train station and the old centre further up the hill. All trains arrive at the main station on Piazza Nello e Carlo Rosselli, and a few continue into the ferry terminal Ancona Marittima. Most hotels cluster around the main train station, a grimy area but busy enough to be safe during the day.

When you exit the station, buses 1/2, 1/4 and 1/5 will take you to the centre of town, and bus 12 takes you to the port. Cross past the first bus lane to the covered bus stop with a sign that reads Porto/Centro. Tickets are available at all tabacchi for €1.10.

MAPS

You’ll find plenty of maps of Ancona and the surrounding area at the excellent newsstand at the main train station or at the tourist information centres, bookshops, hotels and newsstands around town. Ancona can be somewhat confusing, so a good map is highly recommended.

Information

BOOKSHOPS

EMERGENCY

INTERNET ACCESS

MEDICAL SERVICES

POST

TOURIST INFORMATION

Sights

The elegant Piazza del Plebiscito has been Ancona’s meeting spot since medieval times. The piazza is flanked by the baroque Chiesa di San Domenico ( 071 20 67 04; Piazza del Plebiscito; 10am-noon & 5-7pm), containing the superb Crucifixion by Titian and Annunciation by Guercino. That gigantic statue in front is Pope Clement XII, who was honoured by the town for giving it free port status. The fountain in front is from the 19th century, but head instead along Corso Mazzini, where you will see the 16th-century Fontana del Calamo, 13 masked spouts of satyrs and fauns designed in 1560 by architect Pellegrino Tibaldi.

The ornate Teatro delle Muse ( 071 5 25 25; www.teatrodellemuse.org; Via della Loggia), built in 1826, has a neoclassical facade of six Ionic columns which meld with Greek friezes portraying Apollo and the Muses.

The Museo Archeologico Nazionale delle Marche ( 071 20 26 02; Via Ferretti 6; adult/concession/child €4/2/free; 8.30am-7.30pm Tue-Sun, closed Mon except holidays) is in the 16th-century Palazzo Ferretti, where the ceilings are covered with original frescoes and bas-reliefs. Although not the most thoughtfully laid-out display, artefacts range from Greek and Etruscan back to the Bronze and Neolithic Ages.

Museo Tattile Statile Omero ( 071 281 19 35; www.museoomero.it; Via Tiziano 50; admission free; 9am-1pm & 3-7pm Tue-Sat) is the only museum of its kind in all of Europe; this is one museum where you’re supposed to touch the art. All of its sculptures have been created for the blind in order to feel the representations of Roman statues, the Parthenon and St Peter’s, as well as Michelangelo’s David.

CATTEDRALE DI SAN CIRIACO

Via Giovanni XXIII leads up Monte Guasco and Piazzale del Duomo, where there are sweeping views of the city and the port. Here, the Cattedrale di San Ciriaco ( 071 5 26 88; Piazzale del Duomo; admission free; 8am-noon & 3-7pm summer, to 6pm winter) sits grandly atop the site of an ancient Pagan temple, jimmied together with Byzantine, Romanesque and Gothic features. You can take bus 11, which runs from Piazza Roma to Piazza della Repubblica, or get your exercise walking up the steep hill.

ANCONA’S ARCHES

North of Piazza Dante Alighieri, at the far end of the port, is the Arco di Traiano (Trajan’s Arch), erected in 115 BC by Apollodorus of Damascus in honour of the Roman Emperor Trajan. Luigi Vanvitelli’s grand Arco Clementino (Clementine’s Arch), inspired by Apollodorus’ arch and dedicated to Pope Clement XII, is further on, near Molo Rizzo. Keep going, and you’ll come across the enormous Mole Vanvitelliana, designed by Luigi Vanvitelli in 1732 for Pope Clementine. Just past the pentagonal building, on Via XXIX Settembre, is the baroque Porta Pia, built as a monumental entrance to the town in the late 18th century at the request of Pope Pius VI.

Sleeping

Ostello della Gioventù ( /fax 071 4 22 57; Via Lamaticci 7; dm €18; 6.30am-noon & 4pm-midnight) Ancona’s HI youth hostel is divided into a male and female floor with spotless four- to six-person bedrooms and separate bathrooms. What they lack in character they make up for in proximity to the train station and…well, that’s it, actually.

Hotel Gino ( /fax 071 4 21 79; hotel.gino@tiscalinet.it; Via Flaminia 4; s €32, d €40-45, tr €60, all incl breakfast; ) The cheapest of the grotty and interchangeable train station hotels with a slightly shady ‘hourly’ sort of feel, especially with the handful of slot machines on the ground floor (a lift carries you away quickly, though). Thirty minutes’ free internet access and hairdryers kick it up one (small) notch. The breakfast is tiny.

Residence Vanvitelli ( 071 20 60 23, 338 8974705; www.residencevanvitelli.it; Piazza Saffi; studio/1-/2-room apt per night €65/80/95, per week €375/475/575; ) Tucked away in a tiny piazza no more than a 10-minute walk from most of Ancona’s sights is this comfortable, quiet and modern rental. All flats include kitchenettes, Sky TV (€5/10/16 per day/three days/week), and high-speed internet (€2/10 per day/week). The flat is cleaned twice a week and the bed linen is changed once weekly.

Grand Hotel Passetto ( 071 3 13 07; www.hotelpassetto.it; Via Thaon de Revel 1; s/d/tr/ste incl breakfast €120/195/205/215; ) Perfectly located along a private beach. The rooms all come with sea view, terrace, jacuzzi, four-poster iron bed or some combination of the four. Several rooms are interconnected and ideal for families. Stroll to the ascensore to get to the beach or cross the road to the restaurant, reputedly the best in town. Substantial discounts can be had on weekends and around holidays.

Eating

Cremeria Rosa ( 071 20 34 08; Corso Mazzini 61) A cafeteria, bar and gelateria all in one, it’s also on the main drag, perfect for people-watching while eating a sundae as big as your whole head. The adjoining pizzeria serves up pies from €4.50 to €8.

Mercato delle Erbe (Corso Giuseppe Mazzini 130; 7.30am-12.45pm & 5-8pm summer, 4.30-7.30pm winter, Mon-Sat) A picnickers’ mecca. Dozens of booths line this green metal-and-glass-enclosed bazaar. Freshly baked pastries and bread, locally produced cheese and meat, and everything else you would need for a picnic (including plastic cups) are sold here.

Osteria del Pozzo ( 071 207 39 96; Via Bonda 2; meals €30; Mon-Sat) The black-ink squid risotto alone deserves a trip to this Ancona favourite, as does the sea bass ravioli with zucchini and clam sauce. Most locals go for the fixed-price lunch and dinner offers, which range from €10.50 to €16.

Enopolis ( 071 207 15 05; Corso Mazzini 7; meals €36; Wed-Mon) A visit to this restaurant and international wine establishment is worth it simply for the tour of the labyrinthine cellars of the 18th-century Palazzo Jona, as the cellars descend a full three levels under the streets above. With fresh fish as the main event (besides, of course, the wine), you can sit amongst contemporary art or next to an ancient well as you sample the fixed-price menus (€36 to €45) along with recommended wines for each course.

Sot’Ajarchi ( 071 20 24 41; Via Guglielmo Marconi 93; meals €44; Mon-Sat) This small restaurant under the portici (arcade) in front of the port specialises in fish. For your primo piatto (first course) try the pasta con frutti di mare or the minestra di seppie (cuttlefish soup) and finish off with a simple homemade dessert such as zuppa inglese (liquor-soaked sponge with custard) and some biscottini dipped into vin santo (little biscuits in wine).

Drinking

Liberty Cocktail Lounge ( 071 20 34 84; Via Traffico 7-10; 11.30am-2am Thu-Tue, 5pm-2am holidays) The hot spot in town, this art deco inspired cafe would have made Picasso feel right at home. Asian-influenced artwork, Tiffany glass lamps and a classy bohemian crowd will make you want to paint the scene and sell it as a framed poster. It’s off Piazza Kennedy.

Getting There & Away

AIR

Falconara airport (Raffaello Sanzio Airport; AOI; 071 2 82 71; www.ancona-airport.it, in Italian), although it’s expanded in recent years, is still without some services (such as, oh, restaurants). Flights arrive from Munich, Dusseldorf, London, Rome, Florence and Moscow, along with a few more obscure locales like Timisoara and Majorca. Major airlines that fly into Ancona include Lufthansa, Alitalia and Ryanair. Click here for more information on low-cost carriers such as Ryanair.

BUS

Most buses originate at Piazza Cavour except for a few to Falconara and the Portonovo bus, which originate at the train station. See the table below for destinations.

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

Ancona is on the A14, which links Bologna with Bari. The SS16 coastal road runs parallel to the autostrada and is a more pleasant toll-free alternative if you’re not looking to get anywhere fast. The SS76 connects Ancona with Perugia and Rome.

FERRY

Ferry operators have booths at the ferry terminal or check with any of a dozen agencies in town. Ferries operate to Greece, Croatia, Albania and Turkey.

TRAIN

Ancona is on the Bologna—Lecce line, so note whether you’re taking a Eurostar or not, as there can be a substantial supplement. For more 24-hour information, call 848 8880 88. FS Informa, which provides this service, has recently tested a service for providing train information to your mobile phone. See www.trenoproblem.it for an update or to look up information online. See the table below for train destinations.

Getting Around

There are about six Conero Bus services, including bus 1/3, 1/4 and 1/5 which connects the main train station with the centre (Piazza Cavour) and bus 12, which connects the main train station with the ferry port (€1.10); look for the bus stop with the big signpost displaying Centro and Porto. You can check schedules and routes online at www.cone robus.it.

For a taxi, telephone 071 4 33 21 at the train station or 071 20 28 95 in the town centre.

You’ll find Europcar ( 071 20 31 00) across from the train station and Maggiore ( 071 4 26 24) 40m to the left as you walk out. At the airport, there are Avis ( 071 5 22 22; www.avis.com) and Hertz ( 071 207 37 98; www.hertz.com) desks.

GETTING TO/FROM THE AIRPORT

Conero Bus service J runs roughly every hour from the train station to the airport, from 6.05am to 8.15pm Monday to Saturday and line S runs five times a day on Sunday and public holidays. The trip costs €1.70 and takes anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes. Going the other way from the airport into Ancona, line J runs until 11.30pm. The airport taxi consortium ( 334 154 88 99) arranges taxis from central Ancona (€34 to €38), Monte Conero (€57 to €62) and even Macerata (€78 to €87) or Pesaro (€87 to €92).

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PARCO DEL CONERO

Minutes from Ancona but a world unto itself, one of the only sections of the unspoilt Adriatic coastline in Marche, Monte Conero is tiny but visually stunning. This park extends 58 sq km from Portonovo (9.5km south of Ancona), Sirolo (22km from Ancona) and Numana (a further 2km southeast), which borders the tackiness of Porto Recanati further south.

Tiny Portonovo is its own mini-retreat, with one of Italy’s most stunning hotels. Sirolo is more upmarket, surrounded by town walls with gorgeous ocean views but not directly on the water. Numana starts off well on the northern end but slips into the tacky waterfront that the rest of Le Marche seems to favour.

Information

Sleeping

Camping Internazionale ( 071 933 08 84; www.campinginternazionale.com; Via San Michele 10, Sirolo; per person €5-11, tent €10-16, car €2-6, bungalows & chalets €42-122; Easter-Sep; ) Shaded in the trees just a few metres from the scenic beaches below Sirolo is this full-service campsite, replete with hot showers, caravan hook-ups and a children’s playground.

Rocco Locanda & Ristorante ( 071 933 05 58; www.locandarocco.it; Via Torrione 1, Sirolo; d €125-200, tr €185-250, all incl breakfast; ) In town rather than on the beach, the elegant seven-room hotel above the eponymous restaurant feels more intimate than stuffy. Feather-soft sheets and period details like wrought-iron beds and stone walls make this a romantic town hideaway.

Hotel Fortino Napoleonico ( 071 80 14 50; www.hotelfortino.it; Via Poggio 166, Portonovo; r incl breakfast €180-250; ) One of Le Marche’s most stunning beachfront hotels is this former Napoleonic fort shaped somewhat like Mickey Mouse’s head. It practically begs for a romantic tryst. Its stone-built walls, antique furnishings and plush sitting rooms might be enough to bring you inside from the ocean-fronted terrace, and the gilded restaurant (open lunch and dinner daily; meals €39) specialising in local dishes and fresh fish might make you linger even longer.

Eating

Some of Le Marche’s best restaurants are in Parco Naturale del Monte Conero.

PORTONOVO

Il Molo ( 071 80 10 40; Spaggia di Portonovo; meals €27; daily Apr-Oct) Would you like some fish with your seafood? How about clams or mussels? Pasta with shellfish? If you can find it in the ocean within a few kilometres of Monte Conero, it’s on the menu at Il Molo, where most items are courtesy of the fishermen who show up here each morning with their fresh catches.

Giacchetti ( 071 80 13 84; Via Portonovo 171; meals €33; Tue-Sun Apr-Oct) This waterfront mainstay has been serving local glitterati since 1959. Fronted by its own mini-beach and surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, diners in suits sup on seafood soup or spaghetti with Conero mussels, and watch wind surfers and sunbathers.

Susci Bar al Clandestino ( 071 80 14 22; Via Portonovo, Loc Poggio; meals €36; May—mid-Sep) Beyond cool, the Caribbean blue-coloured Susci Bar al Clandestino serves food that is highly recommended by Italy’s food critics. There’s no formality here and, after a swim in the beautiful Baia di Portonove, you can drop in for a taste of its Mediterranean sushi or some tapas.

SIROLO

Rocco ( 071 933 05 58; Via Torrione 1; meals €35; Wed-Mon Easter to mid-Oct) A Slow Food restaurant run by passionate young cooks who base their excellent dishes on the freshest ingredients. A leafy outdoor veranda serves up, not surprisingly, many fish and shellfish meals.

NUMANA

Il Saraghino ( /fax 071 739 15 96; Via Litoranea 209, Loc Martelli; meals €55; Tue-Sun Mar—mid-Dec) Never mind the plastic ‘Baby Farm’ playland next door, as it’ll be closed by the time you’re dining on one of this restaurant’s famed nouvelle dishes – artichokes with gorgonzola or tagliatelle con scampetti (pasta with lobster). The restaurant and its chef have been bathed in awards and accolades for years, but it’s the beachfront location that impresses most visitors.

La Torre ( 071 933 07 47; Via la Torre 1; meals €38) Leave behind quaint stone walls and wood-beamed ceilings for open duct-work and metal furnishings. Stylish wood tables look out over a giant oceanfront window. Fish is the big draw here, but the homemade desserts shouldn’t be missed.

Getting There & Away

Buses from Ancona run sporadically throughout the year, peaking in July and August. See the table on Click here for more information.

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LORETO

Thousands upon thousands of Catholic pilgrims travel here every year, possibly because of the belief that angels transferred the house of the Virgin Mary from Palestine to this spot towards the end of the 13th century, and possibly because they can’t find statues of glow-in-the-dark Jesus statues anywhere else.

While the original basilica started in 1468 was Gothic, Renaissance additions (including some savvy engineering by Bramante) have made today’s imposing Basilica della Santa Casa ( 071 97 01 04, 071 97 68 37; Piazza della Madonna; 6.15am-8pm Apr-Sep, 6.45am-12.30pm & 2.30-7pm Oct-Mar) an architectural masterpiece. Inside, gold-leafed halos, impressive frescoes and religious triptychs create viewing opportunities worth braving the schlock shops. Plus, whether you’ve sinned in Italian, English, Japanese or German, you’re in luck: in addition to several daily masses, visitors can take advantage of multilingual confessionals throughout the day.

Equally fascinating is the Museo Antico Tesoro della Santa Casa ( 071 974 71 60; www.santuarioloreto.it; Piazza della Madonna; admission free; 9.30am-1.30pm & 3-7pm Tue-Sun Apr-Oct), where relics and images from the basilica and throughout history are on display.

On 7 September, Loreto turns out for the Corsa del Drappo, now a race between the various Loreto quarters, but the festive event started out as a cattle and horse market.

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URBINO

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Urbino is most people’s first stop on a trip to Le Marche, and it’s not hard to understand why. The patriarch of the Montefeltro family, Duca Federico da Montefeltro, created the hippest art scene in the 15th century. The famed art patron gathered together all the great artists, architects and scholars of his day to create a sort of Renaissance think-tank. The university here still dominates any social scene. The town’s splendour was made official by Unesco, which deemed the entire city centre a World Heritage Site.

History

By the mid-16th century, central Italy was under papal rule; only the duchy of Urbino remained autonomous. The city and its territories were reigned over by the Della Rovere family, since the Montefeltro family had been left without heirs. The Della Rovere family was, however, linked to the papacy. Two of its members were elected popes (Sisto IV and Giulio II), and Francesco Maria I Della Rovere became commander of the pontifical army.

Orientation

Urbino is outlandishly difficult to navigate in a car, by public transport or on foot, so bring some patience with you. Buses arrive at Borgo del Mercatale, at the western edge of the city. The city’s main car park is located here (mostly hidden underground), but there are several others around the city (shown on the Map). To get to the centre, hike up Via Mazzini or take the €0.50 ascensore to Teatro Sanzio. Take care not to park at Piazzale Roma overnight on Friday as there is a market Saturday morning and your car will be towed away.

You can buy the useful Urbino Mini-guide con Pianta (in English) for €2 from the Piazza Mercatale information point, or from various newspaper and magazine shops in the old town. The main tourist map, Urbino: Piantina della Città, available from the tourist office and at many hotels and sights, is more than sufficient for most travellers.

Information

Sights

PALAZZO DUCALE

A microcosm of Renaissance architecture, art and history, the Palazzo Ducale ( 0722 2 76 01;Piazza Duca Federico; adult/concession €8/4; 8.30am-7.15pm Tue-Sun, 8.30am-2pm Mon) houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Museo Archeologico and Museo della Ceramica. The museum triptych is housed within Federico da Montefeltro’s Renaissance palace, a work of art in itself, as the duke employed some of the greatest artists and architects of the Renaissance to create what was then a modern masterpiece.

A monumental staircase, one of Italy’s first, leads to the piano nobile (literally ‘noble floor’) and the Ducal Apartments. Piero della Francesca was one of the artists employed by the duke, and his work, The Flagellation, adorns the duke’s library. The collection also includes a large number of drawings by Federico Barocci, as well as works by Raphael, Titian and Signorelli.

From Corso Garibaldi you get the best view of the complex, with its unusual Facciata dei Torricini, a three-storey loggia in the form of a triumphal arch, flanked by circular towers.

CHURCHES

Rebuilt in the early 19th century in neoclassical style, the interior of Urbino’s Duomo (Piazza Duca Federico; 7.30am-1pm & 2-7pm) commands much greater interest than its austere facade. Particularly memorable is Federico Barocci’s Last Supper. The basilica’s Museo Albani ( 0722 65 00 24; admission €3; 9.30am-1pm & 2.30-6.30pm) contains religious artefacts, vestments and more paintings, including Andrea da Bologna’s Madonna del Latte (Madonna Breastfeeding) and one by Giovanni Santi (Raphael’s father).

The 14th-century Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista ( 347 6711181; Via Barocci; admission €2; 10am-12.30pm & 3-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-12.30pm Sun) features brightly coloured frescoes by Lorenzo and Giacomo Salimbeni. A few steps away, the Oratorio di San Giuseppe ( 34767 111 81; Via Barocci; admission €2; 10am-12.30pm & 3-5.30pm Mon-Sat, 10am-12.30pm Sun) boasts a stucco Nativity by Federico Brandani.

CASA DI RAFFAELLO

North of the Piazza della Repubblica you’ll find the 15th-century Casa di Raffaello ( 0722 32 01 05; Via Raffaello 57; adult/student €2/1; 9am-1pm & 3-6pm daily Mar-Oct, 9am-2pm Mon-Sat, 10am-1pm Sun Nov-Feb), the house where Raphael spent his first 16 years. On the 1st floor is possibly one of Raphael’s first frescoes, a Madonna with child.

Courses

Università di Urbino ( 800 462446; www.uniurb.it; Via Saffi 2) offers an intensive one-month course in language and culture for foreign students during August for €500. The school can also arrange accommodation in apartments, agriturismi or private homes starting at €200.

Festivals & Events

In May Urbino decks itself out in flowers for the Urbino Città Fiorita festival. The Urbino Jazz Festival takes place in June, while in July the International Festival of Ancient Music occurs. The Festa dell’Duca takes place on the second Sunday in August, when the town’s streets become the setting for a costume procession and the re-enactment of a tournament on horseback. Europe’s only kite-flying competition is held here on the first Sunday in September. Check with the tourist office for up-to-date details.

Sleeping

The tourist office can provide a full list of private rooms and other accommodation options.

Campeggio Pineta ( 0722 47 10; campeggiopinetaurbino@email.it; Via Ca’ Mignone 5, San Donato; per person/tent €7/12; Easter-Sep) Only 2km from the city centre is this campsite, located amid a luscious surrounding of trees. Hot showers, a bar and market await campers. Take the shuttle bus into town.

San Giovanni ( 0722 28 72, fax 0722 32 90 55; Via Barocci 13; s/d/tr €39/60/72, s/d without bathroom €28/44; closed 10-30 Jul & 20 Dec-10 Jan) Fittingly for a university town, these dormitory-looking rooms are good value for the price. Despite the slightly musty smell, beds are comfy enough and the shared bathrooms are clean.

Albergo Italia ( 0722 27 01; www.albitalia.it; Corso Garibaldi 32; s €47-70, d €70-120, all incl breakfast, ) Set behind the Palazzo Ducale, the Italia could not be better positioned. Modern but well designed, the multistorey building is restfully quiet while offering all the amenities of a business hotel. In warmer months, take breakfast on the balcony.

Albergo Raffaello ( 0722 47 84; www.albergoraffaello.com; Via Santa Margherita 40; s €45-65, d €70-115, all incl breakfast; ) The imposing marbled entrance of this former seminary makes way for plain but comfortable rooms outfitted with TVs, minibars and radios. Some rooms have fantastic views of the palace. The proprietors will transport guests to and from any of the car parks or bus stations in town.

Locanda della Valle Nuova ( /fax 0722 33 03 03; www.vallenuova.it; La Cappella 14, Sagrata di Fermignano; per person incl breakfast €55, per week €680; mid-Jun—mid-Nov; ) Ecology and comfort coexist in perfect balance at this six-room working agriturismo. Also an organic restaurant, Locanda della Valle Nuova grows an incredible array of fruit, vegetables, grains and wine grapes plus raises naturally fed cattle and hens. Enjoy a horse ride or a home-grown truffle. It is about 20 minutes from Urbino, but the English-speaking owners will assist you with transport and visiting the local towns. Minimum stay is three nights.

Eating

Don’t miss Italy’s only homicidal pasta – stroz­zapreti (priest-stranglers) – available in most restaurants. One legend has it that the shredded pasta was designed to choke priests who would eat for free at local restaurants. Another says it was the priests’ gluttonous overeating that led to their demise. Either way, if you happen to wear the collar, be careful.

La Trattoria del Leone ( 0722 32 98 94; Via Cesare Battisti 5; meals €24; dinner nightly, lunch Sat & Sun) One of Urbino’s only new restaurants, this city centre trattoria specialises in inventive Marchigiani cuisine such as ravioli with the local Casciotta d’Urbino cheese.

Osteria L’Angolo Divino ( 0722 32 75 59; Via Sant’Andrea 14; meals €32; lunch & dinner Tue-Sat & lunch Sun Jun—mid-Dec) This subterranean enoteca just oozes atmosphere. Arched brick alcoves overflow with wine bottles, available for tastings. Even teetotallers will enjoy this place, as the menu boasts simple but perfectly flavoured pasta specialities, including the much better tasting than it sounds pasta nel sacco (pasta in a sack), which is fresh pasta coated with eggs and breadcrumbs.

La Balestra ( 0722 29 42; Via Valerio 16; meals €20; dinner-midnight) Urbino’s literati and university students congregate amid a vaulted brick ceiling and ancient artefacts adorning the walls. The food goes back in time, as well, with medieval recipes a big hit. Try the speciality, pappardelle del duca (thick ribbon pasta) or the famous strozzapreti.

Il Coppiere ( 0722 32 23 26; Via Santa Margherita 1; meals €23) Follow the unmistakeable scent of black truffle up the stairs to this unassumingly simple restaurant with even better prices (and a good view of the town below). The speciality is cappelletti with mushrooms, cream, tomatoes and truffle (€9), but the caciotta with truffles and fall-off-the-bone stinco di maiale (pork shoulder) are equally delicious local treats.

Caffè Basili ( 0722 24 48; Piazza della Repubblica; 6.30am-2am daily) Urbino students and professionals know it as ‘Bar Centrale’, the best of the piazza cafes. Its outdoor tables get a relaxing dose of afternoon sun. Pastries, sandwiches and gelato are served any time of day, and aperitivi accompany late-afternoon drinks.

Entertainment

The arts come alive in Urbino during the summer season.

The grand old 19th-century Teatro Sanzio ( 0722 22 81; Corso Garibaldi) hosts plays and concerts, particularly from July to September. Pick up a brochure at the main tourist office.

Getting There & Around

There is no train service to Urbino (pick up trains in Pesaro, about 35km away; Click here).

The Pesaro-based Adriabus ( 0800 66 43 32, 0722 37 67 38; www.adriabus.eu in Italian) runs up to 15 services daily between Urbino and Pesaro (€2.75 to €3.55 minutes). Autolinee Ruocco ( 800 901591, 0975 790 33; www.viaggiruocco.eu/portale, in Italian) runs a daily bus to Perugia (€17, 1¼ hours) for which it is essential to book a seat in advance. It leaves from Urbino at 12.45pm and Perugia at 2.30pm. Autolinee Bucci ( 0721 3 24 01; www.autolineebucci.com) runs two buses a day to Rome (€20.89, 4½ hours). Soget ( 0721 54 96 20) buses link with Pesaro (€2.75 to €3, 1¼ hours, 15 daily), where you can pick up a train for Bologna (€8.80 to €16.60, two hours, hourly).

An autostrada and the S423 connect Urbino with Pesaro, while the S73B connects the town with the SS3 heading for Rome. Most motor vehicles are banned from the walled city. Taxis ( 0722 25 50) and shuttle buses operate from Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Mercatale. There are car parks outside the city gates. Note that there is no parking on Piazzale Roma on Saturday morning as it’s market day.

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PESARO

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Geographically, the town of Pesaro is practically perfect. Its beachfront locale adds to the beauty of its winding, ancient pedestrian zone (flat, even!) and backdrop of undulating hills. Too bad tens of thousands of Speedo-clad northern Europeans come here for five months out of the year to do a sardine impression on the beach, and that this beach is backed by a Soviet-looking strip of high-rise concrete hotels. However, the charming historic centre deserves an entire day to wander, and the composer Gioachino Rossini loved his hometown so much he willed Pesaro all of his possessions when he died (be sure to check out Casa Rossini while you’re here).

Orientation & Information

The train station is on the far western edge of downtown, about 2km from the beach. From the train station, walk along Viale del Risorgimento, through the Piazza Lazzarini, where the name switches to Via Branca, Via Rossini and finally Viale della Repubblica. It ends at the waterfront and the tourist office in Piazza della Libertà.

Sights & Activities

In 1792 the famed composer Rossini was born in a typical Pesaro house that is now known as the Casa Rossini ( 0721 38 73 57; Via Rossini 34; adult/under 25yr €4/3, incl entry to Musei Civici €7/4; 9.30am-12.30pm Tue-Sun, 4-7pm Thu-Sun Sep-Jun, to 10.30pm Tue & Thu Jul-Aug). Follow the history of Rossini and opera through the early 19th century via a ser­ies of prints, personal effects and portraits.

Opened in 1860 just after Italian reunification, the town’s original art gallery is now the Musei Civici ( 0721 38 75 41; Piazza Toschi Mosca 29; adult/under 25yr €4/2, incl entry to Casa Rossini €7/4; 9.30am-12.30pm Tue-Sun, 4-10pm Thu, 4-7pm Fri-Sun Jul-Sep, 9.30am-12.30pm Tue-Sun, 4-7pm Fri-Sun Sep-Jun), which also displays Pesaro’s 700-year-old ceramic tradition with one of Italy’s best collections of majolica ceramics. The Pinacoteca houses Giovanni Bellini’s magnificent altarpiece depicting the coronation of the Virgin.

Pesaro has four major beach areas – Levante, Ponente, Baia Flaminia and the free beach. Levante and Ponente are the jam-packed hotel-fronted beaches on either side of the tourist office, so for elbow room, head to the free (open) beach to the south of the city, under Monte Ardizio.

Festivals & Events

In honour of its most famous son, the town hosts the Rossini Opera Festival ( 0721 380 02 94; www.rossinioperafestival.it; Via Rossini 24; box office 10am-1pm & 3-6pm Mon-Fri) around town each summer. Tickets run anywhere from €10 to €125, with substantial student and last-minute discounts.

Sleeping & Eating

The majority of hotels close down from October until around Easter. Most places are square concrete blocks from the 1960s, uninspiring but close to or on the beach. For a room, contact the Associazione Pesarese di Albergatori ( 0721 6 79 59; www.apahotel.it, in Italian, English, French & German; Viale Marconi 57) or try the tourist office.

Marinella ( 0721 5 57 95; www.campingmarinella.it; SS Adriatica km244, Loc Fossosejore; per person/tent/car from €5/5/3, bungalows d/tr/q €60/70/103; Easter-Sep) Drift off to the sound of waves breaking on the beach in your seaside tent. A casual restaurant is on-site, as well as a market, beach volleyball, washing machines, showers and lots of child-friendly activities.

Felici e Contenti ( 0721 3 20 60; Via Cattaneo 37; meals €26; Tue-Sat, dinner Sun) When a restaurant names itself ‘Happily Ever After’, you can bet you’ll retire for the evening both happy and content. Its speciality is fish, but pasta also makes a memorable entrance on the menu. The atmosphere is more sophisticatedly urban than many other Pesaro restaurants and it’s located on a quiet side street in the medieval centre.

C’Era Una Volta ( 0721 3 09 11; Via Cattaneo 26; pizzas from €4; Tue-Sun) The raucous atmosphere is almost as fun as the pizzas, topped with peas, artichokes, speck, pancetta or even patate fritti (chips). No glass of wine is more than €2.80 and an enormous array of pasta dishes can be had for under €9.

Entertainment

The 400-year-old Teatro Rossini ( 0721 3 24 82; www.enteconcerti.it; Via Rossini) was renamed in the composer’s honour, and its grand ceiling and ornate box seats make it a take-your-breath-away spot to catch a concert, especially during the Rossini Opera Festival.

Getting There & Around

The main bus station is on Piazza Matteotti. Bucci ( 0721 3 24 01) operates a service to Ancona (€3.10, one hour and 20 minutes, four daily) and Rome (€19.80, four hours, 40 minutes). Adriabus ( 0800 66 43 32, 0722 37 67 38; www.adriabus.eu, in Italian) runs up to 15 buses daily to Urbino (€2.75 to €3, 55 minutes).

Pesaro is on the Bologna—Lecce train line and you can reach Rome (€16.10 to €26.15, four hours, nine daily) by changing trains at Falconara Marittima, just before Ancona. There are hourly services to Ancona (€3.25, 30 to 50 minutes), Rimini (€2.60 to €6, 20 to 40 minutes) and Bologna (€7.70 to €15, two hours). By car, Pesaro is on the A14 and the SS16.

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GROTTE DI FRASASSI

In September 1971 a team of climbers stumbled across a hole in the hill country around Genga, which turned out to be the biggest known cave in Europe, containing a spectacle of stalactites and stalagmites, some of them 1.4 million years old.

The grotte ( 0732 9 00 80; www.frasassi.com; adult/concession/child under 6yr & disabled persons €15/13/free; 10am-6pm Mar-Oct, 11am & 4pm admissions Mon-Fri, 11am-6pm weekends & holidays Nov-Feb, closed 10 Jan-30 Jan) now has a 1.5km-long trail laid through five chambers where professional guides take you on a 70-minute tour.

Ancona Abyss, the first chamber, is almost 200m high, 180m wide and 120m long. The ticket area and car park are just outside San Vittore Terme, and the entrance to the caves is 600m further west. The whole area deserves an entire day, as you can also check out a Romanesque temple and enjoy one of many beautiful hiking trails.

For €35 to €45 you can have a more challenging experience that lasts for three to four hours and involves passing across 30m chasms and crawling on your hands and knees along narrow passages and tunnels. Book in advance.

To reach the caves from Ancona, take the SS76 off the A14. The closest train station is in Genga, 61km from Ancona or Gubbio and about 2km from the caves’ ticket area; a shuttle bus runs from the train station in summer.

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MACERATA

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Macerata is well off the tourist radar, but offers charming hill-town scenery, great accommodation, one of Italy’s most famous opera festivals and several days’ worth of sights. While the Picena tribe settled the area as a trading centre 3000 years ago, its largest draw these days is the Arena Sferisterio, which holds the opera festival in July and August.

Orientation

Piazza della Libertà is the focal point of the medieval city, contained within the 14th- century­ walls above the sprawl of the more modern development. Intercity buses arrive at the huge Giardini Diaz below. An underground pass leads to a lift that takes you to the bottom of Via XX Settembre in the old town. Follow this road through Piazza Oberdan and along Via Gramsci to reach Piazza della Libertà and the tourist office. If you arrive by train, bus 6 links the train station, which is south of the city centre, to Piazza della Libertà. Other buses climb up Viale Leopardi.

There is paid parking (8am to 8pm) skirting the city walls and if you’re lucky you may even find a space on one of the main squares inside the old city. For free parking, go to the Giardini Diaz where the buses arrive. However, be aware the underground walking path closes at 9pm.

Information

Sights & Activities

One of Europe’s most stunning outdoor theatres is the Arena Sferisterio ( 0733 23 07 35; www.sferisterio.it; Piazza Mazzini 10; adult/student & over 65yr/under 14yr €3/2/free, shows €15-150; tours depart an noon & 5pm summer, noon & 4pm Mon-Sat winter), which resembles an ancient Roman arena but was built between 1819 and 1829. Between 15 July and 15 August every year it’s a venue for the Stagione Lirica, one of Italy’s most prestigious musical events, which attracts big operatic names. In late June every year, the arena plays host to the finals of the Musicultura competition for talented, up-and-coming singer/songwriters as well as a famous guest singer (tickets €5 to €30).

The city centre starts at the Loggia dei Mercanti, next to the tourist office in the Piazza della Libertà. Built in the 16th century, the open-air building housed travelling merchants selling their wares to the area’s villagers. Across the square is the Teatro Lauro Rossi ( 0733 23 35 08; Piazza della Libertà 21; admission from €19; tours 9am-1pm & 5-8pm Mon-Fri), an elegant theatre built in 1774 for the musical enjoyment of the nobility, which now allows well-dressed riffraff to attend.

In Piazza Vittorio Veneto, at the end of the main boulevard Corso della Repubblica, you will find a museum triumvirate in the Palazzo Ricci: the Museo Civico, the Museo delle Carrozze and the Pinacoteca ( 0733 25 63 61; Piazza Vittorio Veneto 2; admission free; 9am-1pm & 4-7.30pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun). Recently reopened after years of renovation, the Pinacoteca has a good collection of early Renaissance works, including a 15th-century Madonna by Carlo Crivelli. The Museo delle Carozze (carriage museum) houses an extensive collection of 18th- to 20th-century coaches. The Museo Civico contains Roman and Piceni archaeological remains. As if this wasn’t enough, there’s also the Municipal Library, which boasts 300,000 texts, many ancient maps and medieval manuscripts.

The 16th-century Museo Palazzo Ricci ( 0733 26 14 87; Via Ricci 1; admission free; 9am-1pm & 4-8pm Sat, Sun & holidays Mar-Dec, daily Jul-Aug) houses a collection of 20th-century Italian pop art and futurists such as Giorgio De Chirico, Giacomo Balla and Renato Guttoso, alongside an impressive display of 18th-century noble furnishings.

Festivals & Events

During the week leading up to the first Sunday in August, in nearby Treia you can witness the annual Disfida del Bracciale, a festival that revives the tradition and folklore surrounding the 19th-century game. Bracciale involves players hitting leather balls with spiked wooden hand-guards that look like a cross between a torture device and a pine cone.

Click here for details on the Arena Sferisterio’s opera season.

Sleeping

Ostello Asilo Ricci ( /fax 0733 23 25 15; ostelloasiloricci@virgilio.it; Via dell’Asilo 36; dm/s/d/tr/f incl breakfast €16/25/40/55/64; ) Housed in a restored school a stone’s throw from the town centre, this quiet hostel has spacious rooms in Venetian plaster and is so tidy that the sheets are even ironed.

Albergo Arena ( 0733 23 60 59; www.albergoarena.com; Vicolo Sferisterio 16; s €45-65, d €65-95, both incl breakfast; ) One of the best breakfasts of any three-star hotel around, Arena has a beautiful display of fresh fruit, juice and pastries. Comfortable rooms include spotless bathrooms with hairdryer and a towel warmer.

Hotel Arcadia ( 0733 23 59 61; www.harcadia.it; Via Matteo Ricci 134; s €40-65, d €65-95, both incl breakfast; ) Owned by the Albergo Arena folks but a step up in comfort, the business-bland hotel on a quiet street not far from the cathedral gives three-star comfort at very reasonable prices. All come with ‘frigobar’, and a few have mini-balconies over the cobblestone streets below.

Hotel Claudiani ( 0733 26 14 00; www.hotelclaudiani.it; Via Ulissi 8; s/d incl breakfast 70/105; ) Macerata’s only four-star hotel is tucked into a quiet side street, just a stone’s throw from the heartbeat of the historic centre. Although laid out for efficient business travellers, the building is a recently restored palazzo of the noble Claudiani family.

Eating

Trattoria Il Cortile ( 0733 23 50 51; Via Lauri 15; meals €19; daily Jun-Sep, Tue-Sun Oct-May) Home-cooked meals are lovingly prepared by the nonna of a boisterous family. Top off a healthy meal of bitter greens with homemade gelato or delectable cakes.

Da Secondo ( 0733 26 09 12; Via Pescheria Vecchia 26/28; meals €30; Tue-Sun) The place in Macerata to try the local cuisine. Follow the town’s history through photos covering the walls as well as in the regional ingredients: pecorino (sheep’s-milk cheese), tartufo (truffles) and osso buco with porcini mushrooms. In summer, dine on the romantic outdoor terrace. Its famed warm chocolate torte caps off a perfect meal.

Osteria dei Fiori ( 0733 26 01 42; Via Lauro Rossi 61; meals €23; Mon-Sat) For an atmosphere that is subdued, warm and homey, this is the place. Try the typical maceratese cuisine and, in the warmer months, sit outside on the welcoming patio.

Caffè Venanzetti ( 0733 23 60 55; Galleria Scipione, Via Gramsci 21/23) Locals have assured us this is the best coffee shop in town. High ceilings and an old-style wood and mirror decor is a visual treat to go along with a delectable pastry case and one of the best cappuccinos in Le Marche.

Getting There & Around

Macerata is off the main railway line, which ensures its tranquillity but requires at least one change, either in Civitanova Marche for most easterly routes (including Ancona and some trains from Rome) or the more time-consuming Fabriano to the west (including Umbria, Tuscany and most trains from Rome). The train station ( 0733 24 03 54) is located at Piazza XXV Aprile 8/10. Good connections include Ancona (€4.20, one hour and 20 minutes, hourly) and Rome (€13.80 to €28.50, four to 5½ hours, eight daily). To reach Ascoli Piceno (€5.60, two hours, 10 daily) change trains in San Benedetto del Tronto and Civitanova Marche (there are two daily direct trains for about double the price).

Buses head to Rome (€21, four hours, three daily, four on Sunday) and Civitanova Marche (€2.25, one hour, hourly). Timetables are available at the bus terminal behind Giardini Diaz ( 0733 26 15 94).

The local orange APM buses leave from either Rampa Zara or Piazza della Libertà. Both the routes and bus numbers change in summer months (July to August). In summer, take Circolare C, 7, 8 or 11 between the train station and city centre. Off-season, take Circolare C, 2, 6A, 6B, 7 and 11.

You’ll find taxis ( 0733 23 35 70) for hire at Piazza della Libertà, at the train station ( 0733 24 03 53), as well as at Giardini Diaz ( 0733 23 13 39).

The SS77 connects the city with the A14 to the east and roads for Rome in the west.

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ASCOLI PICENO

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With a continuous history dating to the Sabine tribe in the 9th century, Ascoli – as it’s known locally – is like the lovechild of ancient Rome and a small Marchigiani village, heavy on the history and food. Weary legs will appreciate its lack of hills and all travellers will appreciate its historical riches, excellent pinacoteca, one of Italy’s unsung perfect piazzas and a veal-stuffed fried olive treat (olive all’ascolana) good enough to plan a heart attack around.

Orientation

The old town lies at the convergence of the Tronto river and Castellano torrente (small river). The train and most buses stop in the modern extension, just east of the rivers. From the station on foot, turn right onto Viale Indipendenza, which turns into Corso Emanuele. From here, you’ll run into Piazza Arringo, the tourist office, the cathedral and most museums. The walk takes around 15 minutes, and the entire town is flat enough to rollerblade around.

Information

Sights

PIAZZA DEL POPOLO

The imposing Piazza del Popolo has since Roman times been Ascoli’s salotto (sitting room). The square, which is rectangular, is flanked on the west by the 13th-century Palazzo dei Capitani del Popolo. Built in the same famed travertine stone used throughout the region for centuries, the ‘Captain’s Palace’ was the headquarters for the leaders of Ascoli. The statue of Pope Paul III above the main entrance was erected in recognition of his efforts to bring peace to the town.

The beautiful Chiesa di San Francesco ( 0736 25 94 46; Piazza del Popolo; 7am-12.30pm & 3.30-8pm) was started back in 1262 as a homage to a visit from St Francis himself. In the left nave is a 15th-century wooden cross that miraculously made it through a 1535 fire at the Palazzo dei Capitani, and has since reputedly spilled blood twice. Virtually annexed to the church is Loggia dei Mercanti, built in the 16th century by the powerful guild of wool merchants, to hide their rough-and-tumble artisan shops.

PIAZZA ARRINGO

The second-largest art gallery in Le Marche is inside the 17th-century Palazzo Comunale. The Pinacoteca ( 0736 29 82 13; Piazza Arringo; adult/­concession €8/5; 10am-7pm Tue-Sun Mar-Sep, 10.30am-5pm Oct-Feb) boasts an outstanding display of art, sculpture and religious artefacts, 400 works in total, including paintings by Van Dyck, Titian and Rembrandt, and a stunning embroidered 13th-century papal cape worn by Ascoli-born Pope Nicholas IV. The gallery was founded in 1861 with works taken from churches and religious orders that were suppressed in the wake of Italian unification. The Museo Archeologico ( 0736 25 35 62; Piazza Arringo; adult/concession €2/1; 8.30am-7.30pm Tue-Sun) holds a small collection of tribal artefacts from Piceni and other European people back to the first centuries AD.

On the eastern flank of Piazza Arringo, Ascoli’s Duomo ( 0736 25 97 74; Piazza Arringo; 7am-6pm) was built in the 15th century over a medieval building and dedicated to St Emidio, patron saint of the city. In the Cappella del Sacramento is what is considered by critics to be Carlo Crivelli’s best work, the Polittico, a polyptych executed in 1473. The crypt of Sant Emidio has a set of mosaics any ceramicist will appreciate, but be sure to look through the locked gates at the ancient tunnels.

The battistero (baptistry) – next to the cathedral and something of a traffic barrier today – has remained unchanged since it was constructed in the 11th century.

VECCHIO QUARTIERE

The town’s Vecchio Quartiere (Old Quarter) stretches from Corso Mazzini (the main thoroughfare of the Roman-era settlement) to the Castellano river. Its main street is the picturesque Via delle Torri, which eventually becomes Via Solestà; it’s a perfect spot to wander. On Via delle Donne (Street of Women) is the 14th-century Chiesa di San Pietro Martire ( 0736 25 52 14; Piazza Ventidio Basso; 7.30am-12.30pm & 3.30-7pm), dedicated to the saint who founded the Dominican community at Ascoli. The chunky Gothic structure houses the Reliquario della Santa Spina, containing what is said to be a thorn from Christ’s crown.

The 40m-high Torre degli Ercolani located on Via dei Soderini, west of the Chiesa di San Pietro Martire, is the tallest of the town’s medieval towers. Palazzetto Longobardo, a 12th-century Lombard-Romanesque defensive position and now the Ostello dei Longobardi (below), a youth hostel, abuts the tower. Just to the north is the well-preserved Ponte Romano, a single-arched Roman bridge.

Festivals & Events

With all the medieval festivals in Italy, when one of them receives an accolade for best historical re-enactment, there’s probably a pretty good reason. Ascoli’s Quintana, held the second Saturday in July and the first Sunday in August, brings out thousands and thousands of locals dressed in the typical costume of the 12th and 13th centuries: knights in suits of armour, ladies in velvet and lace. Processions and flag-waving contests take place throughout July and August, but the big draw is the Quintana day’s joust, when the town’s six sestiers (quarters) face each other in a joust.

Sleeping

For a town with not many hotels, Ascoli has a good range of accommodation. Tourist offices have lists of other accommodation options, including rooms and apartments, agriturismi and B&B options in outlying districts.

Ostello dei Longobardi ( 0736 26 18 62; fax 0736 25 91 91; longoboardoascoli@libero.it; Via dei Soderini 26; dm €16, in winter €18) Oozing atmosphere aside, remember that comfort and warmth were invented after the Middle Ages, so when staying at an 11th-century stone palace-turned-youth hostel, don’t expect much from the plumbing, and ask for an extra blanket in the winter. Two single-sex rooms sleep just eight each.

La Cantina dell’Arte ( 0736 25 56 20, mobile 328 7204823; www.cantinadellarte.it; Rua della Lupa 8; s/d/tr/q €30/50/60/65) The simple rooms come with a bathroom and the quad has a tiny balcony. Even though it’s tucked onto a side street, bring earplugs, as soundproofing hasn’t improved much since the building’s inception in 1748.

B&B Rainbow ( 0736 25 11 76, 320 8082705; incontrididanza@libero.it; Via Salvadori 2; s/d €30/50) He teaches theatre and mime, she teaches yoga and dance, and together the English-speaking couple runs a B&B that’s as warm and inviting as it is casual. Instead of Botticellis or bad landscapes gracing the walls, you’ll find their sons’ artistic creations. Be sure to carry on the LP tradition of cross-cultural conversations over home-cooked breakfasts; Mariangela reports Lonely Planet readers are her favourite guests!

Palazzo Guiderocchi ( 0736 24 40 11; www.palazzoguiderocchi.com; Via Cesare Battisti 3; r incl breakfast €69-199; ) Not many places offer the history, atmosphere and comfort of this 16th-century palace. Fully restored, it maintains the romance of 6m vaulted ceilings on the 1st floor, low wood-beamed ceilings on the 2nd, and frescoes and several original doors throughout. During slow months, palatial rooms can be an absolute steal.

Eating

Cafe Lorenz ( 0736 25 99 59; Piazza del Popolo 5; snacks & gelati €2-7; 10am-2pm) Head upstairs for a convivial drink (drinks and wine €2 to €5) or a light dinner. But the main reason to come here again and again: Lorenz sells takeaway olive all’ascolana (olives from Ascoli) for €3.

Gallo D’Oro ( 0736 25 35 20; Corso Vittorio Emanuele 54; meals €26; Mon-Sat) A bit outside the tourist area and popular with long-time Ascoli residents, this business-casual restaurant has been serving up local fare for decades. Try the appetiser selection of fried goodies.

Rua dei Notari ( 0736 26 36 30; Via Cesare Battisti 3; meals €30) Perfect for a special meal, this elegant restaurant possesses old-world charm in a modern setting. Dishes present as artfully as the contemporary paintings covering the walls. There are meat and pasta dishes as well as starters, including fried goods from Ascoli and pecorino with local honey (€8).

Tigre ( 0763 34 10 00; Viale Indipendenza; 8.45am-12.45pm & 4-8pm, closed Sun & mornings Mon) The most central of Ascoli’s supermarkets, this location has a deli and a good wine selection.

Drinking

Caffè Meletti ( 0736 25 96 26; Piazza del Popolo; 8am-7pm) From the shade of the ancient portico you can sip a coffee or the famous anisette as you gaze onto the perfect Italian piazza. Or sit inside to enjoy the statuesque carved wood stairway and bar. It was once a popular spot for the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Jean-Paul Sartre. The cafe, founded in 1907, fell into disrepair but has since been completely restored to its former glory.

Getting There & Away

Buses leave from Piazzale della Stazione, in front of the train station in the new part of town, east of the Castellano river. Start ( 800 218692; www.startspa.it) runs buses to Rome (€14.50, three hours, four daily) and Civitanova Marche (€4.95, two hours, 12 daily). In Rome, Start buses leave from Viale Castro Pretorio 84 in front of the Biblioteca Nazionale di Roma. Mazzuca ( 0736 40 22 67; www.mazzuca.it) leaves from Piazza Simonetti (buy tickets on board) and serves Montemonaco (€4.10, 1½ hours, four daily), Amandola (€3.70, one hour and 10 minutes, six daily) and other towns near the Monti Sibillini range. At 6.30am daily, Amadio ( 0736 34 23 40) runs a service to Perugia (€17, arrives 11am) and on to Siena (€25, arrives 12.30pm) from in front of the train station.

Ascoli Piceno is on its own spur line from San Benedetto del Tronto, which is easily reached on the main Bologna to Lecce line along the Adriatic coast. There are good connections to Ancona (€4.20, one hour and 10 minutes), but Macerata requires one or two changes (€5.60, two hours, 10 daily).

From the A14 motorway, exit at San Benedetto del Tronto and follow the superstrada (expressway) for Ascoli Piceno. From Rome, take the Antique Salaria or A2 motorway L’Aquila—Teramo. Follow the state road Piceno—Aprutina for Ascoli Piceno.

MONTI SIBILLINI

The beautiful Parco Nazionale dei Monti Sibillini covers some of the most scenic mountains in central Italy. The area is filled with mystical valleys, ancient hamlets, infinite expanses of wildflowers and soaring peaks (10 are more than 2000m high).

Monti Sibillini straddles the Le Marche—Umbria border. For tourist purposes, the region is divided into four slopes for all tastes: flowering, magic, sacred, historical.

The area is paradise for anyone interested in outdoor activities and wildlife. Walking trails crisscross the area. Rifugi (mountain huts) welcome hikers every few kilometres with a restaurant and a warm bed (most open summer only; maps with phone numbers and opening details are available at all local tourist offices).

There’s a good driving-circle around the mountains, which visitors can easily reach from Norcia (in Umbria) or Ascoli Piceno, Macerata or Ancona. From the southwest, start in Norcia, heading to Castelluccio. Follow signs to Montemonaco, Montefortino and Amandola. Just past Montefortino, take the road marked for Madonna dell’Ambro, which will take you to the Gola dell’Infernaccio, Monti Sibillini’s waterfall masterpiece. Backtrack to Montefortino and continue on the circle.

Although not technically in the Monti Sibillini national park, the largest and prettiest town is Sarnano, on the SS78, which leads to Sasso Tetto, the main ski area in Monti Sibillini. From the main ski area, the road drops down to Lago Fiastra. To continue on an equally stunning drive, circle around to the SS209 through the Valnerina in Umbria.

Information

There are 15 ‘Casa del Parco’ visitors information centres, several of which are open daily, including Amandola ( /fax 0736 84 85 98; Via Indipendenza 73; 9.30am-12.30pm & 4-6pm Easter-Sep). Each tourist office carries a plethora of books, maps, brochures and guides to satisfy every cultural or natural interest, from monasteries to mountain-biking trails.

Check out www.sibillini.net, the area’s official website, which is mostly translated into English and has loads of information on camping and hotels, hikes, outdoor activities and services.

Sleeping & Eating

Montespino ( /fax 0736 85 92 38; Montefortino Cerratana; person/tent €4.15/6.20, 2-/4-/6-bed bungalow €26/39/47; Jun-Sep, weekends only mid-Sep—Dec; ) With a view of Monte Conero and surrounded by a forest full of trees, this campsite seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere but it’s just a few kilometres off the SS78 between Macerata and Ascoli Piceno. Full service with a restaurant, bar, market, bocce court, swimming pool and children’s games.

MAGIC MOUNTAINS

Sibylline: the very word has become synonymous with occult and mysterious things, and for centuries the rugged, wild world of the Monti Sibillini has stirred the imagination of writers. In the Middle Ages, this mountain range of 20 summits was know as a realm of demons, necromancers and fairies. The name derives from the famous legend of Sibyl, thought to be able to foresee the future and reputed to live in a cave below Mt Sibylla, one of the three highest peaks of the range.

Whether or not you believe these ancient stories, you can’t help but be entranced by the magic of these mountains that straddle Umbria and Le Marche. As you climb, the vegetation changes, from oaks, European hops and flowering ashes to beechwoods higher up. Higher still you find rough grazing land and rare, precious species of flowers like Apennine edelweiss. In the summer, the northernmost part of the park is filled with blooming orchids, liliaceae, narcissuses and alpine aster. The creatures that live in the mountains are just as wild. There are wolves, wild cats, roe deer and porcupines, while golden eagles, goshawks, sparrowhawks and peregrine falcons soar overhead.

The 700 sq km set aside in 1993 as a national park also contain other evocative reminders of an ancient world. There are abbeys and medieval towns nestling at the bottom of the mountains, and churches with late-Gothic frescoes, castles and lookout towers erected by valley dwellers to defend themselves against Saracen raids. In the valley of Lago Fiastro is the Grotta dei Fratti (The Friars’ Cave), an impressive ravine hollowed out by water that served as a refuge in the 11th century for the Clareno monks. Norcia is the birthplace of St Benedict, the patron saint of Europe. It’s the starting point for many excursions including to the Abbey of Sant Eutizio, in the comune of Preci, founded at the end of the 5th century and famous for the skills the monks developed in healing the sick with medicinal herbs from the Sibillini mountains.

Ristorante/B&B Osteria del Lago ( 0737 5 26 69; Via San Lorenzo al Lago 19, Lago di Fiastra; r €40-85; meals €21) During the shoulder seasons, have a mountain lake all to yourself while eating the best cinghiale in Le Marche. A few homey rooms grace the top floor of the simple family-owned trattoria. Nearby are dozens of walking trails that go throughout the Lago di Fiastra area.

Casa Sibillini ( 0736 85 90 44; www.casasibillini.com; Via dei Tiratori 11, Montefortino; s/d/apt incl breakfast €40/60/80; ) The English-owned B&B is a gracious home appointed with well-appreciated­ touches – an indoor brick oven, a comfortable living room area filled with books, and a home-cooked breakfast each morning. Fountains of information about the area, the owners can help you plan your day or trip around the mountain.

Hotel Paradiso ( 0737 84 74 68; www.sibillinihotels.it; Piazza Umberto I, Amandola; s €40, d €62-100; ) It’s not easy to find or to reach, but this private retreat hamlet is worth the slog for the view alone. With 40 comfortable rooms (most with balconies), an impressive restaurant (breakfast €5, lunch and dinner €20) and the surrounding baroque-style year-round theatre, tennis courts and romantic arched walkway, the unassuming-looking hotel offers everything you need in a mountain holiday.

La Quercia della Memoria ( 0733 69 44 31; www.querciadellamemoria.it; Contrada Vellato, San Ginesio; per person €30-40; meals €25; ) Follow the pandas to this one-in-a-million find. About 15 minutes off the Monti Sibillini route, but so worth the drive. On the weekends, dine in the biologico (organic) restaurant on home-grown and -ground wheat bread or stay in the refurbished stone houses, where dozens of sustainable building touches include radiant floor heating made from wine bottles, a grey-water system and solar power.

Getting There & Away

Monti Sibillini is best reached by bus from Ascoli Piceno or Macerata. The services are heaviest when school is in session, so can be spotty for tourists. It’s best to check with tourist offices in Ascoli or Macerata or with the bus companies themselves, including Contram ( 800 443040) in Ascoli Piceno or Start ( 800 037737) in Macerata. There is no train service in the mountains; the closest stops are in Ascoli Piceno to the south and Tolentino to the north.

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SARNANO

Though not technically in Monti Sibillini, Sarnano is the largest town near the range, and the most hospitable. Its red-brick facade charms all who visit.

The Sarnano tourist office ( 0733 65 71 44; iat.sarnano@regione.marche.it; Largo Ricciardi 1; 9am-1pm Mon-Sat, 3-6pm Tue-Fri) has walking and climbing information and details of accommodation in the park.

Fabulously located just outside of Sarnano, the family-friendly campsite Quattro Stagioni ( 0733 65 11 47; www.camping4stagioni.it; Loc Brilli; 2 people& caravan €18-27, extra person €5-6, 4-person bungalows €40-80; ) has two separate pools for adults and children, table tennis, a discotheque and courts for just about everything: bocce, tennis and soccer. It’s open all year and has a restaurant, market and pizzeria. During high season it offers instruction in swimming, horse riding and even aerobics classes. Bungalows come with kitchenettes and have full bathrooms.

Albergo La Villa ( 0733 65 72 18; www.hrlavilla.com; Viale della Rimembranza 46, Sarnano; s €35-45, d €52-60; ) The bench in the flower-filled garden is reason enough to stay here, but the dead silence, five-minute walk into town, price (rooms with shared bathroom are less expensive), adjoining restaurant with local treats (rabbit, truffles, lamb etc) and children’s play space make this an excellent choice for families or couples.

On the Sassotetto road lies the sparklingly modern Novidra ( 0733 65 71 97; www.novidra.com; Via DeGasperi 26; s €50, d €90-150, all incl breakfast; ) serving weary skiers, view seekers and spa aficionados. Although the long corridors feel a bit spooky, rooms are comfortably designed for those visiting the next-door spa, with soft sheets, plush bathrobes and a full cadre of toiletries.

The stone staircase leading to the cavernous interior of Ristorante Il Vicolo ( 0733 65 85 65; Vicolo Brunforte 191a; meals €23; Thu-Tue) is a hint as to the history found in the restaurant’s dishes – hare, wild boar and grilled pork. The house antipasto ‘della nonna’ is a mix of Marchigiani specialities and international flavours, such as chickpeas with curry.


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