Discovering Rimini, an important Roman city and touristic destination of world relevance.
After having practised a little on segways, start of the itinerary towards Rimini beach, by a nice bicycle path, up to the lungomare, the seafront avenue. By riding alongside the bathing establishments, we will arrive to the Federico Fellini Square, on which is the Grand Hotel, symbol of holidays in Rimini in the early 20th century, and cross on the way some streets whose names are titles of his films. Through the elegant Viale Principe Amedeo we will get closer to the historic centre and cross the port, once upon a time the end of Marecchia river, whose latin name, Ariminus, gave the name to the town. On the other side is the small and pictoresque Borgo San Giuliano, made of narrow streets of medieval origins. From here we will admire and cross the Tiberius Bridge, a masterpiece of civil and military architecture, built during the 1st century A.D., and take Corso d’Augusto, the Roman decumanus of Rimini, the main axis East-West. The historic centre of Rimini still keeps the shape corresponding to the ancient Roman town. From the Corso d’Augusto we will stop in Piazza Cavour, symbol and seat of the Town Hall, and in Piazza Malatesta, on which is set the Castel Sismondo, built under the last Malatesta who dominated on Rimini, Sigismondo Pandolfo, during the 15th century. We will see the Porta Montanara, the gate that leads to the hillside and the valley of Marecchia river, and Piazza Tre Martiri, where Julius Cesar gave a famous speech to his soldiers after having crossed the Rubicon river. From there we can already notice the renowned Augustus Arch, end of Via Flaminia road and symbol of Rimini, and the Tempio Malatestiano, a masterpiece of local Renaissance, projected by Leon Battista Alberti, and showing works by Giotto and Piero della Francesca. On the way back to the start of the tour, we will see the few remainings of the Roman amphitheatre.