Rimini – An Ancient Bathing Centre at the Adriatic Sea

Rimini is a city and the most popular bathing location at the Adriatic coast in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna. The world-famous party metropolis has about 146,000 inhabitants and is characterised by Mediterranean climate, long sandy beaches and a water temperature of up to 24 °C in summer.

Rimini was founded by the Romans in 268 BC. As a strategic trade hub between the Po Plain and the Adriatic Sea, the city's harbour quickly developed into one of the most important ones at the Adriatic coast. Testimonies of the period of Roman rule are the Arch of Augustus from 27 BC, the remains of the amphitheatre built in the 2nd century, the Tiberius Bridge (Pinte di Tiberio) and the archaeological site of the Surgeon's House (Domus del Chirugo). From the 13th to the 16th century, Rimini was ruled by the aristocratic Malatesta family. During this time, the city flourished and developed into a significant site of culture and art. Sigismondo Malatesta (1417-1468) brought artists like Filippo Brunelleschi, Piero della Francesca and Leon Battista Alberti into the city and ordered the construction of buildings such as the Malatesta Temple (Tempio Malatestiano).

The cuisine in Rimini is similar to the one in Emilia-Romagna and Marche. You find piadina, a kind of thin flat bread, home-made pasta like passatelli or cappelletti, fish and local vegetables on every menu in the city. The harbour (Marina di Rimini) and the beach promenade are popular meeting points with tourists and young locals. There is a great number of bars, restaurants, discos and clubs. Therefore, it is not a surprise that Rimini has been known as a party city for decades, especially among teenagers. Over 20 clubs, shows, cultural as well as sports events, lively meeting points and exhibitions leave no room for boredom. In addition, the party metropolis is a popular bathing centre. The first bathing beach was opened in 1843 and attracted countless rich citizens and aristocrats, which is why Rimini quickly became a spa and health resort. After the city was reputed to be a German holiday centre in the 1960s, it is now one of the most popular and most frequently visited bathing resorts in Italy. More than one thousand hotels, a beach which is 15 kilometres long and over 200 bathing beaches (bagni) make Rimini the perfect holiday destination.

The most popular leisure activities in Rimini are definitely sunbathing and relaxing at the seaside. In addition, you can do all kinds of water sports at the long beaches. The historical city centre is also worth a visit. To explore Rimini and its impressive past, holidaymakers can take part in a city tour which takes them to the most worthwhile monuments from June to September. If you want to see more of Italy, you should visit the leisure park Italia in Miniatura, which is Italy's greatest miniature park. On an area of 85,000 m², you see numerous famous monuments from Italy and other parts of Europe. There are several golf courses in and around the city, a motorsport racing circuit (Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli) and a harbour, where golf and motorsport fans as well as sailors get their money's worth.

The best time for a trip to Rimini are the summer and autumn months, when the weather is wonderful and temperatures are pleasantly warm even in the evening and at night. However, youn should note that the beaches, which are full of people during the day, are closed during the night and are guarded by security service personnel.