San Marino is a fairytale-like little country in the middle of northern Italy. The historic center is easily walkable and well preserved, it really feels like you are walking around during medieval times. No matter where you walk in the historic center, you are rewarded with incredible vistas. It is perfect for a romantic getaway. In my earlier post, I recommended 2-4 days here. I think that traveling anywhere is best done unhurried and relaxed. Now, you could definitely breeze through San Marino in a day or two but if you have the time then it is the perfect base for exploring the surrounding area, provided you have a car.

Here are my top three picks for the best day trips from San Marino: San Leo, Rimini and Santarcangelo di Romagna.

San Leo

San Leo is a small municipality located in the Rimini Province in Italy, just a 30 minute drive from San Marino center. It is listed as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy and has been awarded the Orange Flag for sustainable tourism.

This tiny medieval town is home to a fortress (Forte di San Leo also known as the castle of San Leo) situated high above the town at 600 meters above sea level as well as a Romanesque architecture church (San Leo Cathedral) dating back to the 12th century. In the same square as the cathedral there is also the Parish Church that dates back to the 7th century and a watch tower.

Go here for lunch and afterwards have a walk around the village, exploring the ancient sites and museum as well as the quaint shops and local artist galleries.

For lunch, I recommend Osteria La Corte di Berengario II. In our party of five, everyone’s dishes were nothing short of delicious and prices were more than fair.

To start, I had a mixed crostini platter with an assortment of local delicacies. To my surprise, my favorites were lardo and truffled mushrooms. Yes, lardo as in lard. I promise it is delicious.

Freshly made ravioli. A solid choice and I enjoyed it very much, however if I could go back I would have gotten the pappardelle al ragù cinghiale tagliate a punta di coltello or wild boar pappardelle. My dining companion graciously offered me a bite and it was hard to resist stealing his plate. I’d been let down by this exact dish a few times in Italy, but at Osteria La Corte di Berengario II it was a showstopper.

Rabbit stuffed with wild fennel and sausage. Fall off the bone tender and perfectly balanced in flavor.

Crostata is a typical dessert in this region similar to a pie or tart. I’ve had a few and this one was by far superior with its filling of chocolate, hazelnuts and ricotta.

As you can see, San Leo was lovely but it landed first place on my list of best day trips from San Marino because the meal was one of my favorites I’ve had in all of my travels throughout Italy.

Rimini

Rimini is a rather large beach town that is quite crowded in summers with Italians, Germans and Austrians. Beach goers are tightly packed in an organized grid of umbrellas and sun loungers belonging to different beach clubs along the 15 kilometers stretch of soft sand. It’s not a very natural beach by any means but the family atmosphere is fun. The main center is walkable and full of little squares while the historic old town is full of charm and well worth a visit. Rimini can be a bit overwhelming due to the size and sheer number of people during the busy season but all that buzzy energy just adds to the holiday atmosphere.

The Arco d’Augusto: constructed in 27 BC and named in honor of Caesar Augustus.

Piazza Tre Martiri: a historically rich square dominated by a clocktower.

Malatesta Temple: a seemingly unfinished cathedral and home to religious and decorative works.

Museo della Citta: an ancient artifact and art museum.

Ponte di Tiberio a Roman bridge from 20 BC that stands in near perfect condition.

Whether you spend your time indulging your inner archaeologist or fashionista, carve out some time for creamy gelato at Gelateria Bio Santa Colomba.

Maybe a sugar rush isn’t your jam. Have an aperitif at a bar instead!

If you have one full day in Rimini, spend the morning at the beach followed by lunch also in spiaggia. Then enjoy an afternoon walking around the city at your own pace. Come evening, head to the Ponte di Tiberio before taking a lovely stroll through the colorful mural-filled historic old town.

It has a homey residential vibe. It feels like you’re walking through a little village.

Now that you’ve walked off your earlier gelato, it’s time to mangia!

La Esse Romagnola is an Italian restaurant that offers traditional recipes with a slight modern twist. The terrace is studded with twinkling lights and hanging plants and the food is just as gorgeous.

We started our meal by sharing fried zucchini blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and a trio of different cassoni romagnoli which are Roman handpies reminiscent of empanadas.

Onto the pastas…

Fresh pasta filled with cheese over minty pea puree, topped with crumbled sausage and wild fennel.

Freshly made pappardelle pasta with wild boar ragu. Sorry to say, it was alright but not my favorite. I found the pasta rolled too thick for my liking and I would have preferred the meat to be more tender and fall apart.

Rabbit stuffed with sausage and wild spinach, wrapped in pancetta, served with a seasonal vegetable ratatouille.

Santarcangelo di Romagna

San Leo is the the little village that feels like you’re stepping back in time. Rimini is the large beach town with a busy city center. And Santarcangelo? It’s a small town that retains some village feel while adding artist flair. Poets, actors, scholars, and artists call this medium-sized village home. Medieval style stone work dominates the buildings as do murals and other forms of street art.

For over 40 years, Santarcangelo has hosted the Santarcangelo dei Teatri– an exciting arts and theater festival. The town is also home to a castle, monuments, museums and even ancient underground passageways. And of course there is a plethora of shops, restaurants and bars. I really just enjoyed walking around- it is gorgeous especially in summer and spring with all the flowers displayed throughout the town.

Thank you for reading my post on the best day trips from San Marino! These were all places I particularly enjoyed. Have you been to any of these? The Emilia-Romagna region is full of beautiful towns, villages, and sites. If you’re looking for day trips a bit further away, check out this post on the ultimate Emilia-Romagna road trip.