Le Marche: An Italian Region Worth Discovering!

Hi everyone,

Le Marche? Where’s that?

That’s what we hear more than 9 times out of 10... This region is actually little-known, or at least only its Adriatic coastline, just below Rimini, rings a bell.

Yet it’s a beautiful region, bordered to the east by the Adriatic Sea and to the west by the Apennine Mountains, with thousands of hills in between—many topped with charming little villages. A very rural area, quite affordable, starting to showcase its heritage, and not yet overrun by tourists... so what are you waiting for?



The distances look short, but the roads are long: aside from the fairly fast routes running from the hinterland down to the coast, following the paths of small rivers that rise in the Apennines and flow into the Adriatic, all the other roads—especially the cross-country ones—wind and twist. They reveal stunning landscapes at every turn but also force you to adjust your sense of time. We stayed in two different spots, each about 30 or 40 km from the coast—first in the north of Le Marche, near Fossombrone, at Isola di Fano, and then in the south, at Montalto delle Marche.

Since this region is still a bit "under the radar," I had some trouble finding information while planning the trip... So this travel journal aims to introduce you to the region through photos and share a few tips along the way.

First up, some views of the landscapes!







More to come in the next post!

First week: Northern Le Marche Location: Isola di Fano, near Fossombrone. Close to a direct road leading to the Adriatic, near Fano, in less than 30 minutes.

In this part of Le Marche, there are still few vineyards—those are located a bit further south, starting from Jesi. The hills are mostly covered with small cereal fields or sunflowers. In August, we had a beautiful palette of green (corn), ochre, brown, and yellow, with the freshly plowed earth itself having a rather pale color, similar to the clay used by potters.







By the way... this earth is also used to make bricks, and most buildings are made of a light, almost blond brick, as you’ll see in the upcoming photos. Many villages are surrounded by well-preserved brick walls. Coastal towns like Pesaro or Senigallia also retain parts of their fortifications and often feature a small brick fort where the old port used to be (I say "used to" because few of these coastal towns have kept their original ports).

Here’s the village of Corinaldo:











To be continued in the next post!

Gorgeous. 🙂 I went close by to San Marino and wanted to visit Urbino, but I ran out of time. Lovely descriptions and photos. Thanks for sharing!

Beautiful. 🙂 I went close by to San Marino and wanted to visit Urbino, but I didn’t have enough time. Great descriptions and photos. Thanks for sharing!

Urbino: stunning, I’ll post some photos. San Marino: that’s where we didn’t have time to go, even though we really wanted to stop by!!

For sharing: my pleasure!

Best regards

(continuing from the first week)

Another village near Corinaldo, smaller but ultimately livelier: Mondavio.

Here again, you can see the beautiful ramparts, highlighted and brought to life with reproductions of siege engines (catapults) in the moats.





Later, as we wandered around during this first week, we saw plenty of villages built on the same model, all in just as good condition!

Our real crush during this first week was Urbino (a UNESCO World Heritage site). The city is definitely worth a detour—its architectural heritage is stunning, especially the Ducal Palace, where you can freely explore the underground rooms. It’s really impressive! When you park at the foot of the city, below the ramparts, the view is amazing.

At the same time, you don’t get the feeling of being in an open-air museum just for tourists (which isn’t the case in any of the towns or villages in Le Marche).

















More to come in the next post!

(continuation of the first week)

Here are some pictures of Pesaro, a quiet little town with a few points of interest—but our main reason for being there was the Rossini Festival (opera). We came for that and spent two wonderful evenings!















Rossini’s birthplace:



Another discovery—this time culinary—was the Michelin-starred restaurant "La Madonnina del Pescatore" in Senigallia. Here, we’re in the realm of haute cuisine, which we enjoy trying from time to time, though that doesn’t stop us from loving countryside inns too! The vibe is different, and you’re not looking for the same things. They offer several high-end tasting menus with attentive, "classy" service in a hushed but not stuffy atmosphere. A wine pairing was available, featuring extraordinary Italian wines. The focus was on fish and seafood, of course. Prices reflect the experience but are still 20 to 30% cheaper than in France. Still on the topic of taste, we discovered a white wine worth trying: Verdicchio di Jesi or di Matelica. Verdicchio is the grape variety, making up 85 to 100% of this wine. It’s dry, fresh, with subtle fruity notes and something very delicate. So that was our first week—we were already enchanted by our trip. One last little view of this beautiful countryside...



Coming up in the next posts... the southern part of the Le Marche region...

Hi Fabienne,

Thanks for this travel journal. It’s a destination I don’t know at all—I can’t wait to read more! Especially since we’re both from Lille!

Two 5-day getaways this year—one in Puglia and one in Naples—have really sparked my curiosity for new discoveries.

Laurence

Hi Fabienne,

Thanks for this travel journal. It’s a destination I don’t know at all—I can’t wait to read more! Especially since we’re both from Lille!

Two 5-day getaways this year, one in Puglia and another in Naples, have really sparked my curiosity.

Laurence

Hi Laurence, The pleasure’s all mine! We’ll definitely run into each other at the *braderie* then!!!! Cheers,

Second week: in the south of the region, in Montalto delle Marche, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, 30 minutes from the coast (Pedaso).

Huge crush on this province.

The wheat fields have given way to vineyards, olive groves, and countless orchards, making it much greener. The hilltop villages are even more numerous (almost every hill is topped with one), and beautiful limestone complements the bricks. Beyond the hills, the Sibillini Mountains (Monte Sibillini) cast their tall gray silhouettes.

I’ll let you admire the landscapes.

Here are some photos of villages:













The villages are also a bit livelier, with festivals happening just about everywhere (the sagra of pork, porcini mushrooms, pasta, and more).

Here’s the decoration in Montefiore dell’Aso for the pork festival.

Montalto delle Marche, where we were staying, hosts a 3-day festival for kids every year. The whole community gets involved, with stalls scattered throughout the village, all based on fairy tales...









And then there are the markets, of course—ahhh, the porchetta! (Here in Offida)













Offida, where the photos above were taken, is also a charming town. Check it out in the next post!

As mentioned in the previous post, here are a few photos of Offida, which could be a pleasant base in Le Marche...











To add to this post, a little detour to Ancona. I’d read mixed reviews about this city, but personally, I’d say Ancona is definitely worth a half-day stop. Beyond the industrial outskirts and the port—which is actually a ferry terminal for Croatia and Greece without much visual appeal—the old town is really charming, with squares, beautiful churches, and a stunning duomo on a hill. Great restaurants too. We stopped there on our way south, and it’s a stop we really enjoyed.









The Adriatic Sea, seen from the Duomo square (at the top of the hill).

Thanks Fabienne for this beautifully illustrated story—it’s giving me so many ideas! Marie

Thanks Fabienne for this beautifully illustrated story—it’s giving me ideas! Marie

You’re welcome, Marie! That’s exactly what it’s for! Happy travels, Fabienne

With all that, I still haven’t told you about our three favorite discoveries of the week! But, suspense—let’s take a little detour to the coast first!

I should mention that neither of us is really a beach person. We’re more into the "hinterland"—hikes in the countryside or cultural and historical visits. But still, a nice little swim in the sea is super refreshing—the taste of salt on your lips, the iodine-filled air...

Le Marche must have about 200 km of coastline, I think. All kinds: private beaches where you pay for a sun lounger and umbrella (but you get amenities like restrooms, parking, etc.), and public ones (there are quite a few, alternating with the private ones). The one we stopped at had "coarse" sand, even small pebbles, but I’m sure there are fine-sand beaches too. The water’s warm this time of year. There are quite a few waves, and the slope can be pretty steep (so watch out with kids)—that’s probably why there are breakwaters 50–100 meters offshore along most of the coast. The coastal strip is narrow, so it’s become quite built-up, and many beaches are right next to a railway line that runs the entire length of the coast.

One spot we really loved was the beaches south of the "Riviera del Conero." Conero is a small mountainous area—a nature park—south of Ancona, overlooking the Adriatic (it’s actually a big hill jutting out over the sea). We regret not having more time to explore it, especially taking a boat for a day trip to beaches in coves that are only accessible by boat. Maybe next time! Still, we really enjoyed the beaches south of the mountain range. First for the view, and also because there’s more open space than the beaches squeezed between the railway line we saw elsewhere. We went to a public beach with a large private, secure parking lot. Here are a few photos—I promise the colors are true to life.











Note: It’s not fine sand. No breakwaters, so there are waves, and as you can see in one photo with a swimmer from behind, the slope drops off quickly—waist-deep water just 1 meter from shore... so, again, not great for young kids...

For wine lovers—even serious ones—we made a great discovery: Rosso Conero. Excellent. It’s not a light summer wine (15% ABV), but it pairs perfectly with meat. We brought some back!

Since I’m on the coast, I’ll add that unfortunately, we couldn’t find those charming little fishing ports you see elsewhere in Italy (we visited a fairly large one in Porto San Giorgio near Fermo, but it lacked the charm of small ports with colorful boats). Maybe they exist but are well hidden—if anyone on this forum knows of any in Le Marche, I’d love to hear about them! Here are some photos of Porto San Giorgio’s port:





"The" Queen Mary... did it Brexit too? ;-)

Next post... our best of!!!!

As mentioned in the previous post, here are our highlights of the week:

1) The city of Ascoli Piceno, a medieval treasure. While the Romanesque churches have certainly suffered from earthquakes (not too much externally, but entry is restricted while essential consolidation work is underway), even without that, the city is well worth a major detour. The old town is a beautifully preserved architectural ensemble, made of travertine, a lovely limestone with small holes that give it a nice texture.

The icing on the cake? We're in Le Marche, so you can stroll peacefully away from the crowds you'd find in some Tuscan cities (like San Gimignano, for example).

2) The Sibillini Mountains, which I’ll cover in a future post—a paradise for shepherds and hikers.

Here are some photos of Ascoli Piceno to start:

First, the streets of the old town:





Details of some palaces:



Many ancient doors:



Facades adorned with beautiful windows:



The churches (mostly Romanesque):











To be continued...

Ascoli Piceno, continued

Many medieval residential towers (or "tower houses" like those in San Gimignano for those who know it).











And finally, the stunning Piazza del Popolo

Finally, the last place we discovered with immense pleasure: the Sibillini Mountains (just the name is dreamy, right?). The Monti Sibillini form part of the Apennine mountain range.

You can cross them to reach Umbria via the SP 89, then SP 477, and finally SP 134 to arrive in Visso. A little side note: Visso must have been a stunning village, but unfortunately, it’s very close to the epicenter of last winter’s earthquake and was heavily damaged. The small road to Umbria was also damaged and partly closed—at least in the Umbria-to-Visso direction. We were able to pass in the other direction, though.

Just look at these views! We would’ve loved to see the spring colors here. It seems like a hiker’s paradise, and we were lucky enough to spot many birds of prey, including a young eagle, up close. Lots of traditional sheep herds, too, with beautiful sheepdogs keeping the wolves away.



















There you go! I’ve finished sharing our discoveries in this region, which we explored with great pleasure.

All I can say is: don’t hesitate to visit—it’s welcoming and authentic!

Wow! I was planning to visit Le Marche sometime in the not-too-distant future, but now I'm not hesitating—I'm going in 2018! And kudos for the great imagery and the precise, concise commentary.

Hi Philippe, Thanks for the comment! And I completely agree with your choice! Best regards, Fabienne

Thanks, Fabienne, for the great write-up! I only know Urbino, but the rest of the Marches looks more than interesting.

If you don’t know Garfagnana or the northwest tip of Tuscany starting from Lucca, it’s also worth the detour.

Great travel journal! It really makes you want to go! (especially when you have a similar travel style and sensibility) I’m seriously considering this region for next autumn... especially since a well-known low-cost airline offers flights to Ancona.

Hello, I’ve been wondering for a while about the appeal of visiting Le Marche. Thanks to you and your excellent travel journal, which is very well illustrated, I now understand that this destination is a great choice. Thank you. If you read this post, could you let me know how you chose your accommodations: guesthouses, hotels, etc.? Any tips you might have to share (if you have the time)? Best regards, Catherine

Thanks for this discovery! When did you go there? What was the weather like—temperature-wise? Did you find any interesting hiking trails?