Recently we did a day trip to San Marino from Rimini. The Republic of San Marino does not have a train station. Nor does it have an airport, although the nearby airport of Rimini has added “and San Marino” to its name. Travelling to San Marino is thus not as straightforward as to other countries. We went by bus. But actually many foreign visitors to San Marino travel there by cable car!
San Marino is a tiny independent state near the Italian town of Rimini – and completely surrounded by Italy. It was one of many small city republics that thrived in Italy in the Middle Ages. For instance, Florence, Milano, or Siena were all such city states. However, San Marino is the only one that somehow outlasted all the others, even after the unification of Italy in the 19th century. The Sammarinese trace their history back to 301 AD. Definitely, the city had city walls in the 10th century. Later it was briefly occupied a few times, but since 1740 San Marino has continuously been free and independent.
Travelling to San Marino by bus
“This bus stop is not served in winter.” The sign at the terminal stop of the San Marino shuttle, opposite Rimini Main Station, leaves us puzzled. Is March still winter? Does that mean the bus is not running at all? Travelling to San Marino may be somewhat eccentric, but is it impossible in winter? After all, the city is located on a mountain top. We begin imagining some sort of inaccessible Snow Queen Castle when the San Marino shuttle bus arrives almost on time.
After a brief ride through suburbs and fruit plantations, we pass an international border sign. Republic of San Marino, Speed limit … The bus stops in a cluster of industrial structures at a stop called “Outlet”, and one of the passengers gets off. For an extended shopping trip, we assume, as San Marino has considerable lower taxes than Italy. The bus immediately turns and leaves the state territory of San Marino again. We then cross more of those international border signs as the main road skirts along the outer perimeter of San Marino. By now, we can see the mountain. Alas – no snow!
Taking in a mountain and some villages in San Marino
Monte Titano, just over 700 m high and quite steep, rises above the surrounding area. The state of San Marino consists of Mount Titano and a few other hills and some flatter land. Its total area is just 60 square kilometres. On the foot of the mountain the bus passes the lower cable car station. There are parking lots next to it, and most of the Italian tourists who travel to San Marino driving their own car will take the cable car up from here. There is just not enough space on the mountain for all those cars! But there are some smaller parking areas.
From the final bus stop, steep cobbled streets lead further up the mountain. Picturesque townhouses line the streets, covering the mountain top in four or five rows. The mountain is so steep that nearly every house offers a view. Soon we arrive at Liberty Square, the Piazza de la Libertà. San Marino’s Statue of Liberty is a mediaeval queen in a leather jerkin. In fact, the statue is a gift dating from the late 19th century. That’s the same time as the city hall behind her which also looks very ancient and fortified but was rebuilt in 1889. Neo-gothic was in high fashion at that time – and even that romantic re-invention of the old city is today part of the UNESCO World Heritage inscription. To pay for the costly reconstruction, the Sammarinese just sold a few noble titles to rich European industrialists.
San Marino, a micro-state surviving from the Middle Ages
The small city hall is the seat of the parliament of the Republic of San Marino. Nevertheless, it is open to visitors when no parliament sessions are in progress. The tiny republic is indeed an independent state and not even a member of the European Union. But even so, the political leaders of San Marino do not need to make a lot of political decisions. The country closely follows Italian policies and is in an economic and monetary union with its larger neighbour. That includes the use of the Euro, which makes a day trip to San Marino from neighbouring Italy very easy.
However, the republican tradition is held high. Just as the Roman Republic had two consuls, the Republic of San Marino elects two equally-ranked heads of state. They only govern for half a year until the next election! So, if you are a citizen of San Marino, your chances of being head of state at one point are quite high. Conveniently, all those elections and investitures are great opportunities to show off colourful mediaeval-looking uniforms and parades. After all, tourism is one of the main sources of income of this landlocked mini-country.
Swords, wands, and witches
The winding cobbled streets of San Marino City look a bit like a mediaeval theme park. And guess what, you can buy magic wands and knights’ armour in every other shop. That is – the other shops sell either perfumes (for the duty-free feeling) or weapons. Not only swords and sabres, mind you. You can buy all kinds of handguns, automatic weapons, crossbows, and military equipment. Reading up on the regulations after our day trip to San Marino, we learn that the small state has one of the laxest gun laws in Europe. But of course, you are not allowed to export them from San Marino…
Three castles on the mountain ridge
Along the top of the mountain, three old castles and towers are linked by strong walls and fortifications. We stroll along the Passo delle Streghe, a fortified pathway between two of the towers. Its name means “Steps of the witches”, and old legends have it that witches were sometimes dancing on the rocks of Monte Titano at night. On an afternoon in late March, nobody is dancing on the mountain. A couple of somewhat bored tourists walk back and forth, most of the cafés and shops are closed. One of the castles contains a weapons museum. Unfortunately it is also closed for renovation.
Eventually, we end up with a coffee and pistachio croissant in one of the streets near the city hall before catching the bus back to Rimini.
A day trip to San Marino – is it worth it?
Visiting San Marino City took us 5 hours, and we didn’t feel like there was much more to see. In summer it’s probably nice to sit on a café terrace on the mountain catching a breeze. If you are interested in old weapons such as swords and crossbows, the shops and museums are worthwhile. But then, our day trip to San Marino was easily arranged from Rimini and not expensive, either. As we passed Rimini anyway on our way to Ravenna (great history! beautiful mosaics!), it was a nice detour which we didn’t regret. We stayed a night in Rimini because we liked the name, the cheap beach image and the Frederico Fellini connection.
Another very small country in Europe we visited is Liechtenstein. Read about our “long-distance” hiking trip in Liechtenstein and about everything else we experienced while travelling in Liechtenstein, and how we liked it.
How to do a day trip to San Marino from Rimini?
The direct bus leaves opposite the station several times a day and costs 5 Euro (2022) per person one-way. The Kiosk (Tabacchi) nearby sells tickets and also has a timetable of the buses. You can also buy the ticket on the bus.
NB: We were not sponsored in any way for this blog article about a day trip to San Marino. We paid all expenses ourselves.
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Italy is one of my favourite country’s and San Marino has just opened my world to somewhere I didn’t even know existed. So thank you and most definitely want to take the cable car to visit next time I’m in Italy.
Dear Jason, we were aware of San Marino, but had no idea where exactly it is. When we came to Rimini we realized that it is doable as a day trip and off we went!
We were certainly glad we had a chance to visit San Marino when we stayed in Italy. Although we did not go just for the shopping! I was quite surprised though when we saw all the weaponry for sale. We enjoyed the views from the top and if we had more time might have hiked to all towers. But it was an easy trip on the bus to visit when we were there.
Dear Linda, I think a few hours is enough to get a feel for the city. We hiked all the towers and walked all the streets and were done after half a day. But we also enjoyed our visit!
I’d like to try cable riding because it seems exciting. The city in which it is located is magnificent and fascinating; it is situated on a mountaintop, so I know it will undoubtedly give me extra breathtaking views. The “Steps of the Witches,” on the other hand, intrigues me. San Marino may be a little city, but it looks like it has plenty to offer.
Wow! This is definitely interesting to visit. I am curious how is the crime rate in the area given that they have lax gun policies. It would be nice to see the castles too. Thank you for sharing about your trip.
Dear Clarice, the crime rate is quite low, despite the lax gun policies. San Marino is quite a wealthy and safe country.
I would love to spend a day wandering through the winding cobbled streets of San Marino. The cable car ride up and walking the castle walls would be the highlights. Good to know 5 hours is enough time to see it all.
Dear Sherianne, you might need more time, if you also want to take advantage of the tax free shopping.
How amazing that you can get to an entire country by… cable car! I would love to do that! San Marino looks indeed like it’s stopped time and it is still in the medieval times. Those walls and the castle on the mountain ridge looks pretty spectacular! It’s good to know that you can easily do a day trip to San Marino, from Rimini.
I love these day trips and am always excited at the opportunities available when visiting a particular city. Wandering through the cobbled streets of San Marino must be such a great feeling. Cable car rides are always nice to get a bird’s eye view of the place and would love doing that when there. The sights inside the gun shop looks scary with all the weapons. And also the fact that they are so easy to procure by locals without much regulations. But San Marino looks a beautiful place to visit otherwise.
I’ve been thinking about a trip to San Marino, so thanks for this detailed article. These little countries surrounded by other countries are so fascinating and as a history buff I’m very intrigued by this fortified little country. Thanks for the tip that the buses don’t operate in winters! The medieval city looks so charming. I should plan my trip after checking if those castles are open.
Dear Bushavali, actually we could not really find out, if the buses do not run in winter at all or if they are just running from a different bus station. Because of Corona the tourist information had limited opening hours too and there was no up-to-date information on the website of the bus company. But I think, they do run in winter, maybe less frequent.
When I read the headline, I wondered where this was (I thought California!), but then the opening image reminded me of The Great Wall. San Marino looks like such a lovely place to visit, and I’m glad that you discovered a lesser-known place. It’s always fun to head to more obscure destinations to get a true feel for a country!
Dear Jennifer, San Marino is one of a few micro-nations in Europe. Besides San Marino, these are Monaco, Andorra and Liechtenstein. They are all quite tiny, but nevertheless properly recognized countries.
What a great trip idea as a day trip from Rimini! I haven’t been to San Marino yet. And I had no idea that the Republic of San Marino does not have a train station and airport. The view from Monte Titano is fabulous. Also, the castles on the mountain ridge are outstanding. I’m surprised about the weapons – it’s so easy to buy it there.
San Marino shines in the summer! Looking down from the top at night is all twinkling lights all the way to Rimini.
We live around 5 hours from San Marino and still haven’t been. It does look great for a day trip but nothing more than that. The streets are what I love about old Italian towns (though technically not Italy but still!). On our next visit to Emilia Romagna, we will make a detour to San Marino.