Italy's Adriatic Riviera consists of 70km of sandy beaches and the home to Europe's busiest holiday resort in Rimini which offers some of the best value beach Hotels in Italy amongst the amazing 3,000 Hotels operating along the coastline. The province of Rimini includes the resort of Milano Marittima to the North and Riccione and Cattolica to the South. All the resorts are easily accessed from the excellently located Rimini Airport. North West of the coastal resorts of Emilia-Romagna's Rimini is the city of Bologna. Host to Italy's oldest university and a city destination in its own right. Bologna has an excellent train service to the Adriatic resorts of Rimini, Riccione and Cattolica that all have their own train stations. High speed trains to Rome take only one hour, Venice is only an hour away and the Tuscany cities of Florence and Pisa likewise.
Its no fluke that Rimini is Europe's most visited resort. The huge beaches not only offer safe bathing but lots of activity. Like all Italian coastal areas, the beaches are cleaned and groomed religously. No matter how busy they are, there is always your own place and your own space! Lots of childrens play areas, watersports and more athletic activities like beach volley in abundance,
The evenings begin in one of the many bars offering free mini buffets with 'apres beach' special offers and cocktails. The medival town area of Rimini along with the beach area shops and restuarants then start to bustle as the night draws-in. And, for the party people there are night clubs in the Adriatic that match anything in the Med! Just think of Ibiza and Cyprus ..... and add a touch of stlye and class ...and you've got the typical Adriatic nightclub!
Riccione is the well-heeled neighbour directly along the coast to the South. Just like Rimini it has history going back to 500 BC. Style and elegance make Riccione a favourite destination for some of Italy's 'movers and shakers'. There's no shortage of designer boutiques and no shortage of Euros flowing through the tills. Cattolica is different altogether. It's fishing village origins have nver been lost and the resort has been popular with British visitors for 40 years.
With so much beach its easy to forget that there is so much history with the old town of Rimini, the medieval towns just inland and of course the Republic of San Marino. If beach, history and style aren't your 'cup of tea' you'll be delighted to know that the province of Emilia Romagna is famous for its food. It's the home of many pasta dishes that have become famous worldwide and some that are only served in this part of Italy!