Two faces of Rimini

I didn’t expect to like Rimini all that much, if I’m honest. I’d visited before with my parents when I was twelve, and all I could remember was the beach and the pool at the hotel we stayed in. When you type Rimini into google (the fountain of all knowledge, right?!) all that comes up are tales of the beach, bars and clubs. It seemed like that was all there was to Rimini.

This couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Sure, the seemingly endless stretch of beach and the bars and clubs are there in abundance, and there’s many people who are attracted just by these features, but there’s so much more to Rimini.

On my first full day in Rimini I walked towards the old town through the quiet park and arrived at L’arc d’Auguste. Dating back to 27 BC it was once party of the city gates and today stands alone today as an imposing reminder of the rich history which lies beneath the surface of the city.

Passing through the archway I entered the old town, Centro Storico. It’s full of real Italian charm, unique boutique shops and striking architecture. My favourite part of the city was the area across the Tiberus Bridge, San Guiliano. Here I found an old fisherman’s town, with quaint, colourful houses and painted murals on almost every building. The area was quiet and peaceful compared to the rest of the city and I was captured by the tranquility and lack of other tourists. It seemed we were the only ones there.

Whilst Rimini might seem on the surface to be little more than a beach and party town, it also has rich culture, history, charm and authenticity. The old town, Centro Storico, was so much more than I was expecting.

The newer area of the city is a great area for partying and relaxing on the beach if that’s the type of holiday you enjoy. Everyone is different and, whilst I do love a good party (there’ll be a post on Rimini’s vibrant nightlife coming soon!), I always crave a bit of culture and history when I’m travelling. Rimini had both of these, and I think that’s the reason I enjoyed it so much more than I expected to. I left having had a great time, and with a far better impression of Rimini than I possibly imagined.

I guess I shouldn’t always trust google…!