Ancona has it all!

1.Historic Ancona

Ancona is the capital of Le Marche.  This city is definitely worth the visit. Ancona is famous for its large harbours from which numerous ferries depart for Greece and Croatia.  The 15th Century Loggia dei Mercanti however is a site well worth visiting. It was a place where merchants could meet to discuss business. The front of this monument to the history of Ancona is finished in the Adriatic Gothic style. Take a look also  at the Arco di Traiano which was built by the Senate of Rome in AD 100-116 at the harbour.  There are wonderful Renaissance paintings in the Galleria d’Arte  Moderna have to be seen.  The Piazza del Plebiscite is the biggest in Ancona and is overlooked by the Government House and the Church of San Domenico.  There are also the Teatro delle Muse, the Biblioteca Comunale and the Museo della citta in Ancona to be visited.   You’ll be glad to get back to the car after visiting these places in Ancona.

2.  Beaches

If you fancy some sunbathing on a beach, then drive your hire car up the coast about 5 miles from Ancona to Falconara Marittima. Here there is a beautiful beach that stretches for miles.  There’s not a great deal to be found in the town itself but the beach more than makes up for that!  Drive also to Numana as the locals do!  It’s very near to Ancona and is a modern tourist locality, full of wonderful gardens and  fine golden sandy beaches. all of the beautiful beaches around Ancona are perfect spots for sunbathing and enjoying  the Adriatic Sea.

3. Visit Frasassi Grotto

When you’ve rested yourselves lying on the beach, pack up the hire car and head for Frasassi stalactite caves (Grotte di Frasassi) , outside Ancona.  The route insidethe caves covers about one or two km and absolutely worth seeing!!  The temperature in the caves can be a bit chilly so you might need a sweater or long trousers instead of shorts and this is where your hired car comes in handy as you can have extra items of clothing without having to carry them around.  Definitely no high heeled shoes for this terrain!! Photography is usually prohibited. Before going inside the caves you can do some shopping in the little piazza / market square, filled with vendors selling postcards and souvenirs.

4. Eating Out in Ancona

At the Restaurant Della Rosa they serve wonderful salads!  Lunch, dinner or an ice cream here are great!  The Opera della Marca is a real gourmet experience, try the Risotto con Spacacassi amongst many other beautiful and tasy dishes here.  Ancona’s main food is from the sea so look out for Stoccafisso all Anconitano a dish of cod cooked in herbs and vegetables. By the way. one drink you must try is Turchatto which is a strong shot of the bitter Italian Cafe Lungo, black rum and lemon juice.   There are many many wonderful places to eat at in Ancona enjoy sampling as many as you can.