Routes, fortresses and castles

Time: 4.45 h; length: 8 km; altitude difference: +709/- 727; difficulty: E
In commemoration of Remembrance Day in Gemmano "The Cassino" of the Adriatic, we will take a historical walk along the most significant paths and places of the Second World War, which took place along the Eastern Gothic Line. We will see the shelters where many locals found shelter from the bombardments and we will give voice to the stories and memories of those people who experienced the tragedy of war first-hand.

Time: 2h (excluding breaks) Length: 6 km; altitude difference: +226/- 57; difficulty: E
A panoramic alternative for families, completely immersed in nature, we will discover the different habitats that characterise our Onferno Reserve, we will learn many interesting facts about the plants and animals that live in this beautiful area, and why not, what better time to take a nice photo with a crazy backdrop? We will go as far as Monte Croce, talk about the ghost town and then return to the starting point - in short, a trek for true nature explorers!

Time: 3.10 h (excluding breaks) Length: 9 km; altitude difference: +/- 370 m difficulty: E
Known primarily for its caves and the bats that live there, we would like to propose an alternative programme to better discover the Onferno Nature Reserve in all its different facets. Rich in different habitats and a Site of Community Importance (SCI), the Reserve is also home to a conspicuous variety of plant and animal species. Through trekking, we will enjoy, tickled by the sun's rays, the scents, colours and unique panoramic views, until we reach Monte Croce and then descend to Pian di Castello. Finally, through woods and cultivated land, we will close our loop by returning to the car park in front of the caves.

Time: 2.30 h (excluding breaks) Length: 7 km; difference in altitude: +/- 310 m difficulty: E (with good training)
Let yourself be enchanted by the green blades of grass and the hills with their sinuous shapes, the silence, the scents and the light wind that tickles your hair. Beautiful trekking along the ridges of the Onferno Reserve, ideal for all those who need to regenerate and immerse themselves in nature. There are many panoramic viewpoints that allow a beautiful view also of the surrounding hills of the Reserve.

Symbol of Malatesta power
This fortress dominates the middle Conca and Ventina valleysand is part of the strongest and most coherent chain of the Malatesta defence system. It is perhaps the most characteristic of the Malatesta castles for its round shape and for the elevation of the rock, which has an anomalous, almost surreal appearance, for being smooth and faceted, compact and crystalline. No wonder it is remained in the eyes of Giovanni Belliniwho reproduced it in the background of at least two of his paintings.

The castle in the hills
Historical references to the Rocca (one of the medieval castles in the Rimini area) date back to the end of the 9th century and refer to Frederick Barbarossa, the struggles between Guelphs and Ghibellines, the tragedy of Paolo and Francesca, and the long rule of the Malatesta family (1248/1471). It is to a Malatesta, to Sigismondo Pandolfo (scholar, warrior and architect) that we owe the rebuilding of the fortress as a fortress; the jobs were completed in 1447 and gave the complex the appearance it still retains today.

The Marecchia Valley Castle
It is a castle of feudal originswhose Fortress was built on the ruins of a Roman 'castrum' in the 11th century, perched on the top of a rugged cliff in a strategic position over the Marecchia valley. A stone construction so compact, so iron that even today those who look at it so high in the skyappears as a vigilant sentinel on the borders of three regions and two states.

Centuries of history enclosed in the fortress 
In the fortress of Mondaino, both the boundary walls and the northern gate, on a large scarp base, bear updates attributable to Sigismondo Malatesta, and form a very picturesque nucleus, also due to the insertion between them of a scenic 19th-century square, semicircular and porticoed.

The fortress overlooking the sea 
La Fortress of Gradara represents a magnificent example of 12th-14th century military architecture that majestically dominated a hillside a few kilometres from the sea. Begun 900 years ago by the Degriffo family, it was enlarged and embellished over the centuries by the various feudal lords of Gradara: the Malatesta, Sforza and Della Rovere families.

The imposing castle overlooking the valley
The Fort has existed sinceRoman era; it presents itself today with therenaissance layout due to the Sienese architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini, to whom Federico da Montefeltro entrusted the task of adapting the fortress to the new firearms. Today, many visitors are also attracted by Cagliostro's place of imprisonment and death.

A leap into the Middle Ages
Castle of very ancient origin which, over the centuries, has experienced a difficult fate of dispute between the Malatesta and Montefeltro families because of its unique and strategic location. The narrow passage of the gate tower, similar to a drawbridge, leads into a medieval village restored to its former glory and rightly cited among the most beautiful villages in Italy.

Abroad within a few kilometres!
Lindependence of the Republic has very ancient origins, so much so that San Marino is considered the oldest republic in the world. Tradition dates its foundation to 3 September 301 A.D., when Saint Marinus, a Dalmatian stonecutter from the island of Rab who had fled the persecutions against Christians by the Roman Emperor Diocletian, established a small Christian community on Mount Titan, the highest of the seven hills on which the Republic stands.
The owner of the area, a wealthy woman from Rimini donated the territory of Mount Titano to the small community, which named it 'Terra di San Marino' in memory of its founder. The small capital encloses a historical, museum, architectural heritage of inestimable value.

The 15th century fortification
The so-called 'rock' fortress remains the firmest and most visible although altered by adaptations and restorations, and is together with those of Montebello, San Leo and Santarcangelo, one of the most beautiful and interesting in the entire Marecchia Valley.

A piece of history in the city
Understood not only as military garrison but also as residential and representative venue of the lord in the city, the castle was inhabited since 1446while the ramparts of the outer walls date to a later period, after Sigismondo's death. In its present state, the castle has lost its original form, which is represented by the commemorative medal by Matteo de' Pasti and the fresco by Piero della Francesca in the Malatesta Temple.