When Rimini is mentioned, most people will probably start by thinking of its beaches and vibrant nightlife during the summer months. It is less well known that the city also boasts a very beautiful historic centre, with a multitude of monuments and ancient churches. The main street is Corso d’Augusto.
Rimini travel guide
Useful information
Tourist office
Tourist information office: Rimini’s Ufficio Informazioni Turistiche is in the Parco Federico Fellini.
Tourist tax
Like most bigger Italian cities, Rimini has a city tax (imposta di soggiorno). The amount to be paid per night depends on the kind of accommodation you have chosen. For 5 star hotels this is 4 Euros per person per night, for 4 star hotels 3 Euros, for 3 star hotels 2 Euros and for 2 star hotels 1 Euro. If you are staying in a 1 star hotel, a hostel, a B&B, affittacamere (guesthouses) or Airbnb, you pay 0,70 Euros per person per night.
Town hall
The town hall is in the Piazza Cavour 27 – 47921 Rimini. Phone: +39 0541 704111.
Public transportation
Railway station: Rimini has five railway stations. From the central station, there are direct trains to most major towns in the area and even to Rome. The other stations are only used for regional trains to smaller cities in the direct surroundings.
Rimini has its own Federico Fellini International Airport.
Tourist attractions
Most of Rimini’s famous sights are along or close to the main street Corso d’Augusto. The city’s two most beautiful squares, Piazza Cavour and Piazza Tre Martiri, are located along this street and further passes the Cathedral (Tempio Malatestiano), the Domus del Chirurgo and the Ponte di Tiberio.
The Corso d’Augusto starts at the Arch of Augustus.
The most famous buildings in Piazza Tre Martiri are the San Francesca di Paolo Church and the Bramante-designed Tempietto di Sant’Antonio di Padova.
The castle is called Castel Sismondo.
If you have only one day to visit, the city, our top 10 tourist attractions Rimini tells you what are the main must-sees.
A brief history of Rimini
The territory was inhabited first in the Bronze Age. Before the Romans founded Ariminum in 268 BC, peoples such as the Etruscans, Umbrians and Gauls had already lived in the area.
Since it was an important road junction, Rimini grew rapidly and became a Roman municipality at the end of the first century BC.
The barbarian invasions led to a partial destruction of the city.
Around the middle of the 8th century, King Pepin the Short of the Franks donated Rimini (and several other cities) to the Church of Rome. This “Donation of Pepin” would later become the legal basis for the Papal State.
In the 11th century, thanks to the natural harbor at the mouth of the Marecchia, Rimini started a new period of prosperity.
However, struggles with nearby Cesena and Pesaro, and the more general animosities between Guelphs and Ghibellines put an end to this positive aera.
From the early 13th, till the beginning of the 16th century, the Malatesta family ruled Rimini. Then, the city became property of the church again, which lasted until the foundation of the new Italian State. The only interludes were the occupations by Napoleon and subsequently by the Austrians.
During World War II, Rimini was again almost completely destroyed. Reconstruction proceeded fast, however, and in the 1950s the city became a huge tourist favorite.
Curiosities
The original name of Ariminum derives from the Latin name (Ariminus) of the Marecchia river.
How to get to Rimini by car
Rimini is located along the E55 highway. The SS72 leads to San Marino.