3980 Le Marche - Where to go

Hi
My personal favorite part of Le Marche is what is referred to as the 'Golden Triangle' - the area around Sarnano, Gualdo, Monte san Martino and down the Tenna river valley. Rolling hills and slightly more gentle terrain than further north - great views of the Sibillini mountains. I think the Aso valley just a bit further south is very beautiful too. If you have a chance to travel round I would recommend visiting the north and Urbino which is a beautiful town then heading south perhaps down to Ascoli Piceno - (some great photos of that here) having had a couple of days in the Sibillini.
If you want to spend some time at the coast try Grottamare or round the Conero area. I love the way Grottamare tumbles down to the sea and the motorway goes under a big tunnel there so it feels like it does not interfere so much with the coastline. I prefer slightly inland - the beaches feel very old fashioned to me, some of the resorts strike me as stuck in the 70's but the seafood restaurants are great. Others may argue and prove me wrong here!
There are plenty of lovely agriturismos to stay in - would recommend the Contrada Durano near Smerillo and Amandola but if you are going in August do pre book your accomodation - its the only time it gets busy.
Its a wonderful part of Italy - you do hear English quite often but its not nearly as full of tourists as Tuscany and the welcome from the locals is always very warm and generally meals are multo economico. Be warned because it is hilly and the roads are very windy that to get anywhere takes a while - don't be too ambitious and try to get everywhere - you'll be shattered!
Have a great trip.

Marina

If I were visiting LeMarche, I'd make sure I'd...
Visit Ascoli Piceno (the town). Jam-packed with towers, secret roads, tragic history, amazing cathedrals, Mediaeval festivals, museums dedicated to the ancient Piceni, the small, dark woodpecker-worshipping inhabitants of the Ascoli area...don't forget to have a coffee in Caffè Meletti, art-deco + very nice aniseed liqour...very easy place too,as it's not your typical hilltop town but flat and easy to walk around.
Then, dinner in a seafood restaurant: there are many in SanGiorgio + vicinity.
Shopping: you can find plenty of Prada, Tod's, and much more in the Sant'Elpidio area.
Fermo at dusk is quite a sight, + aperitivo in the Piazza with the swallows is relaxing.
Visiting Civitanova's fish market at dawn is a real education!
Go to Appignano in Macerata province, it's home to a few really old potters who're still going strong.
Sferisterio opera festival in Macerata (tough to get tickets though!)
The more I write the more I realize how much I love living here...!
Enjoy yr trip.

If visiting the Grottammare area then try staying at La Campana just outside Motefiore del Aso. Great place / great people / great prices and all produce produced themselves. They are on the web somewhere.

The wonderful thing about Le Marche is that you would be very unlucky to find a place that you would not want to return to. Like the last post we visited Grottammare last year and had a wonderful week in June that on coming back to the UK we booked again for September. We stayed at the Villa Helvetia just back from the seafront and on the main road, it was like taking a step back in time. The hosts were wonderful as were the breakfast. The Osteria Orancha in the old town and the Tropical seafood restaurant on the seafront - literally on the sand, were a dream.
Further North we enjoy Porto Sant Elpido with a great selection of restaurants.
Furthere in land we have stayed in Camerino and enjoyed the old town with great eateries.
You really are spoilt for choice in this region. How about sticking a pin in the map and just go for it!

Wherever you end up, have a great time.

David
[url]www.casafalerone.com[/url]

I have put some information on places to visit on the site holidayinmarche.com along with photos and short write-ups on the towns etc. Hope it helps you decide some places to see.

I will add something about northern Le Marche: the area around Urbino. Urbino is not the only fab place to see in this area, as it's filled with tiny hilltop towns like Mondavio, Barchi, Piobbico, San Leo, Urbania, just to mention a few of them.
The Furlo Gorge (Gola del Furlo) and Frasassi Caves (Grotte di Frasassi) and the Sasso Simone e Simoncello Park, are some of the natural beauties that you can find here.
The architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini worked for the Duke of Montefeltro for some years and built a huge number of forts, towers, castles that still dominate the area.
You can see paintings of Piero della Francesca, Raphael and many more in Urbino's Ducal Palace. Urbino itself with its Ducal Palace (the first Palace in Renaissance, not a Castle like in the Medieval times!) is a place that you will not forget!

Also bear in mind that Gradara and Pesaro have so much to offer too.
Gradara is a wonderful medieval walled city and so lovely and peaceful at this time of year.
For such a small place there are wonderful restautants too. La Botte, Mastin Vecchio and Osteria della Luna to name but a few.
The montefeltro area and a drive over Monte Nerone will leave you begging for more and hopefully you will become dedicated to the Northern Marche region.

Marche is such a great choice if you are looking for a very unspoilt region, the tourist office are saying that it's the whole of italy in one county.

There are medieval hilltop towns right across the region, castles, fabulous churches and long sandy beaches, as well as the designer shopping mentioned in an earlier post.

Luckily for us, my brother has been in the area for over 12 years and with many italian friends, we have been shown areas unknown to tourists - especially the great fish restaurants in and around Ancona, the resort of Portonovo at the base of Monte Conero, National Park - personally for me the Napoleonic Fort that's a four star hotel, is just incredible.

If you do come, try the agriturismo Acchipicia, close to Portonovo - its a little jewel and the found is fabulous. My advice would be to make your way from Ancona airport to Portonovo and discover the rocky cove of Sirolo, thn slowly down to the San Ginesio area and then on to Ascoli Piceno - other great places to stay are the Palazzo Guiderocchi or Casa in Collina.

Hope you enjoy your visit

Yes I agree with the above posting which says to try Portonovo and the fortino napoleonico a wonderful hotel and good restaurants on the beach there too.
I have been living in Le Marche now for nearly 20 years long before tourism took hold and it is true that many out of the way places still exist.
A stop in Portonovo and then head North especially if you are looking for Italy's medieval capital village of Gradara and the artistic delights of Urbino.
Sant'agata with it's famous truffles (puts alba to shame) and for motorbike fans a visit to the little village of Tavullia to visit where the legend Rossi is from.
A visit to Gradara in July when they hold the historic pageants and the burning of the castle (asseddio al castello) which is one of the most stunning firework displays in the entire country.
Yes, people are marketing Le Marche as "all of Italy in one region" and also as "the new tuscany".
It has much to offer.
The Riviera Romantica is a unique and lovely little triangle made up off Gradara, Gabicce and Cattolica and has something to suit everyone from medieval walled villages to sandy beaches to the san bartolo national park.
Being right on the border of Romagna it has the best of 2 regions and certainly Italy's best known region for food with fresh fish in abundance.
Using this area as a base you can easily discover most of the region within day trips and Ancona is an easy 30 minute drive away too.
For shopaholics the international designers behind the Alberta Ferretti, JP Gualtier and Iceberg names are locals who can be seen on all the world's catwalks but also as normal people in the bars and restaurants of Cattolica.
Tod's outlet is a mere 40 minutes drive too.
For lovers of nightlife and theme parks as an extra now and again, Riccione is only 20 minutes away and so near enough to reach easily but far away enough if you don't miss them.