15 THINGS TO DO IN SAN MARINO

Best Things to Do in San Marino

Even if it is a small country, there are many things to do in San Marino. You don’t need a car. You don’t need to climb too high or go down too low. Every tourist attraction in this 9-commune republic is right there and easy to reach. You don’t need a San Marino travel guide. All you need is a liter of iced water, a good pair of walking shoes, sunscreen, sunglasses and a baby towel to wipe your sweat while you trek the 61 sq. km. hilly republic.

1. Guaita

Another peak of the San Marino republic is the Guaita which has the oldest tower in the country. The tower was constructed in the 11th century and as towers were back in the day, it also served as a fortress and prison. Today, Guaita is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and welcomes visitors from around the world.

The Guaita together with the Montale were fortresses that defended the nation against the invasion of the Malatesta Family. You can read historical information about what happened then if you personally visit the towers.

2. De La Fratta

De La Fratta is one of the mountains in San Marino, as already mentioned. Unlike the Montale, it is open for tourists and visitors. It is also called Cesta by the residents. You can climb this peak leisurely since it is one of the things to do in San Marino.

The mountain top is overlooking the capital city of the country. It also has a tower which was positioned in the highest top of Monte Titano or Mount Titan. Inside the tower is a museum which was created as a tribute to Saint Marinus. It is a museum of more or less 1,550 weapons from different centuries with artifacts as early as the Middle Ages. Present day weapons are featured there as well.

3. Basilica di San Marino

The Basilica di San Marino is the main cathedral of San Marino City. It is in Piazza Domus Plebis where the Church of St. Peter can also be found. The basilica was created in honor of the country’s founder, Saint Marinus.

The church stood there from the 7th century until the now. But there were major repairs done to keep it from getting ruined. It was well –preserved and one of the main attractions in the country. Known objects used by Saint Marinus were displayed inside the cathedral.

4. Montale

Montale is a mountain in San Marino – one of three mountains in the country. The other two mountains are the De La Fratta and Guaita which will be featured after this. Anyway, Montale has a tower on top but for now, it is not open for public visits. It was built in the 1300’s which served as a prison back then. There is only one entry point to the tower and that is an opening which is 7 meters above ground. It also served as a fortress at one time.

5. Domagnano

Domagnano is one of the municipalities in San Marino with 3,319 residents as of 2013. It used to be known as Montelupo or the Wolves Mountain. In the town’s Coat of Arms, a wolf is part of the design and also the town’s castello. From a high view, the Adriatic Sea can be seen too but its history is largely caused upon the reveal of the Domagnano treasure which was discovered in the town’s castello in the late 19th century.

6. Serravalle

Serravalle is like a mini-kingdom with a castle and a small community. All in all, there are around 10,600 people living in the area as of 2013. It is the most populated commune in the republic. It also serves as a border between San Marino and Italy.

You may want to visit the parish built by Luigi Fonti in 1824 called the Chiesa di Sant Andrea or the Saint Andrea’s Church. This is one of the things to do in San Marino. Also, the San Marino Stadium is the national stadium of the country which showcases football matches.

7. Borgo Maggiore

Borgo Maggiore is another community in San Marino by the foot of Mount Titan or Monte Titano. It is a market town and was termed in the earlier days as Mercatale. The community has a heliport, the only one in the country and it has a Piazza Grande which is the town square. The place is also a shopping destination.

You may also like to visit the parishes or churches in the town located in Cà Melone, Cà Rigo, Cailungo, San Giovanni sotto le Penne, Valdragone, Ventoso.

8. Montegiardino

Montegiardino is a castelli, in Italian, or a community in castled region. It is one of the nine communities in San Marino and is the smallest castle with only 3.31 sq. m. in area. Montegiardino has a population of 915 as of 2014. The small town is home to the only university in the country called University of the Republic of San Marino, which you can also visit.

It has one parish named located in a village called Cerbaiola and the town’s known celebrity is Anita Simoncini, a singer who represented San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest 2015.

9. Maranello Rosso Ferrari Museum

And who wouldn’t want to see a Ferrari and an Abarth!? These are iconic cars that are so rare, they are displayed in museums. If they are seen on the road, then, they are owned by multi-millionaires in the world because these cars are super expensive.

The Maranello Rosso Ferrari Museum is shared by two of the world’s greatest car brands – Enzo Ferrari and Carlo Abarth. There are twenty five Ferrari and 40 Abarth car models exhibited in the museum. The history and other important details about the cars were also documented.

10. Palazzo Manzoni Borghese

The Palazzo Manzoni Borghese is the home to Museo Armi Moderne or the Museum of Modern Weapons. It is a private collection of more than 2,000 guns that were accumulated during World War I and World War II. The museum is within walking distance from another tourist attraction in San Marino which is the Basilica.

Most of the guns on display are military issued and were partly a subject of Hoplology – the study of human behavior while in combat. This could be one of the things to do in San Marino if you are up for it.

11. Piazza della Liberta and Palazzo Pubblico

Palazzo Pubblico means the town hall or the government building of San Marino. They call it the Public Palace and it stands on Piazza della Liberta or what the people call “Pianello”. Everything political happens in this historical building.

The materials used to construct the building came from the caves of Mount Titano. It is a stone building which is a common material back in the day. In 1996, the palace was refurbished to adapt to modern facilities and safety standards.

12. Palazzo Pergami Belluzzi

The Palazzo Pergami Belluzzi is a street in San Marino and that is where the State Museum of the Museo di Stato is located. The museum was established through the resourcefulness and action of Count Luigi Cibrario as he endorsed donations for the museum from various sources worldwide.

It used to be located in the Palazzo Valloni back in 1899 but was transferred to Palazzo Pergami Belluzzi and welcomed tourists and guests in 2001. The museum has four levels which featured archaeological relics of San Marino, San Marino art; paintings donated to the republic and donated archaeological finds from different nations.

13. Wax Museum

They also call it the Museo delle Cere – the San Marino Wax Museum contains 100 wax characters displayed in 40 scenes. They have a figure of Leonardo Da Vinci and Albert Einstein. The recreation of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination is also displayed there. You will see Adolf Hitler there, as well.

This is one of the things to do in San Marino and marvel at the wax figures. But there are instruments of torture in this museum too. In the Middle Ages, instruments of torture was a way to make people accused of crimes and witchcraft talk and confess.

14. Museum of Curiosities

Are you ready to find some curious objects and wonder – why was this ever invented? Well, the Museum of Curiosities in San Marino will surely wrinkle your forehead and raise your eyebrow. For one, they have in their collection the world’s longest fingernails. They also have a German mouse trap from the 18th century and a silver contraption made to protect long nails of Chinese people back in the day.

The museum has about 100 items that are really weird. It should have been named the Museum of Weird.

15. Coin and Stamp Museum

San Marino has a very wide collection of coins and stamps. They also call this museum the Museo Filatelico e Numismatico and it has scudi coins from the 18th century. Scudi or scudo in singular form is the mode of trade or exchange in Italy since 1551. The museum has kept it and preserved for viewing purposes.

The stamps of San Marino show a bit of their history. The earliest collection of stamps was from the 1700’s and it was kept safe and untouched for centuries.