Charming San Marino

A tiny, picturesque country encircled by Italy, San Marino is the oldest surviving constitutional republic in the world, dating back to AD 301. It’s noted for its postage stamps and tax-free shopping.

For my son, Mark, and myself, I arranged a two-day trip to San Marino for October ’11 through Hotels.com (800/246-8357). For two people, round-trip air from Rome to Rimini, Italy, and two nights in San Marino, including breakfast, cost $1,100.

This was my first experience with Hotels.com, so I called Alitalia to verify the reservation and e-mailed the hotel. Everything went as planned.

The Rome-Rimini flight took one hour on a commuter airline, Darwin (phone, in New York, 212/845-9579; Los Angeles, 213/985-2670, or San Francisco, 415/413-0888), booked through Alitalia. (The Darwin airline ticket counter is hard to find at Rome’s FCO airport because it’s shared with other airlines. Check at the information desk in Terminal 3 for its location.)

In beautiful sunny weather, we arrived in the capital, the City of San Marino, built on hills and surrounded by an ancient wall. Cobblestone streets lead you up and down, and everywhere you turn there is something photogenic.

Prominent are the three towers: Guaita, dating to the 11th century; Cesta, from the 13th century, and Montale. Every street is lined with shops, and it was easy to take a break at one of the many cafés and enjoy the breathtaking views.

San Marino’s Public Palace, which opened in 1894, is the seat of government in the republic. The Basilica of Saint Marinus is one of the largest and most beautiful buildings in town and contains the remains of Saint Marinus and a statue of the saint.

There are several museums. Museo di Stato (State Museum) houses archaeological and historical items. The Museum of Agricultural Culture & Tradition has plants of the area. There is also a Museum of Curious Objects and a Museum of Torture Instruments. I skipped that last one.

We stayed at the Grand Hotel San Marino (Viale Antonio Onofri, 31, 47890 San Marino Città, Repubblica di San Marino; phone +378 0549 992400, fax 992951), one of the largest hotels in the historic Old Town.

It is a full-service hotel, and they can arrange any sightseeing, a taxi back to the airport, etc. Some of the rooms have balconies that overlook the countryside.

We had dinner at the hotel the first evening and it was excellent. The two of us had antipasto, lasagna ravioli, grilled meats, lemon sorbet, dessert, mineral water and half a bottle of wine for €60 (near $79). We enjoyed it and ate there again the next night.

San Marino is charming, tourist-friendly and a joy to visit. We found information at www.visitsanmarino.com.

HENRIETTA HALLAQ
Tucson, AZ