Vespasian's Roman tunnel through the gorge, the Della Rovere Ducal Palace, the Church of the Dead with its mummies and the home of the Befana.
Inland, along the via Flaminia: a gorge between rock walls hundreds of metres high, where the Romans carved a tunnel through the mountain, and Urbania, the ancient Casteldurante, city of ceramics and the Della Rovere court. For those who want nature, history and a curiosity to tell about back home.
Times are a guide: driving times are worked out without traffic, then come the visits and ten minutes at every stop to park. In summer towards the coast and at rush hour allow extra time.
A state nature reserve: the river Candigliano flows between sheer limestone walls, where golden eagles nest. In 76 AD the Emperor Vespasian had a tunnel of about 38 metres carved by hand through the rock to allow the via Flaminia to pass through: you can still walk through it today, alongside a smaller, older tunnel. Just below are the 1922 dam and the emerald green lake.
Always open to visitors.
The summer residence of the Della Rovere dukes, on the river Metauro. The town was called Casteldurante and was renamed Urbania in 1636 in honour of Pope Urban VIII. Inside the palace is the civic museum with the majolica of Casteldurante, famous in the Renaissance, and the maps and globes from the dukes' library.
Reduced opening hours out of season: check before visiting.
Behind the altar, in a chapel, eighteen natural mummies are displayed, bodies that preserved themselves thanks to a mould that dried them out. They were collected by the Confraternita della Buona Morte, which buried the poor; the guide tells the story of each one. More curious than macabre, but think twice with small children.
Visit with the custodian, separate ticket.
Urbania has declared itself the official home of the Befana: there is her house in the centre and in early January a big festival with Befanas descending from the tower. The rest of the year it is a nice stop for families.
Open especially during the Christmas period.
How long it takes from each town, the drive back included. Tap a town to see the plan from there.
Almost every old town has a limited traffic zone (ZTL) with cameras: park outside and walk in. The fine reaches your home, abroad too. ZTL and car parks town by town
Romagna Transfer picks you up at your hotel, drops you in front of every stop and brings you back: no parking, no ZTL, and the wine is yours to enjoy.
Rossini's birthplace, Piazza del Popolo and Palazzo Ducale, Giovanni Bellini's altarpiece, the Cathedral mosaics and Pomodoro's Sphere by the sea.
5 h 50 from Bologna Fiera Half day
The plan
The Arch of Augustus on the Via Flaminia, the Fountain of Fortune, the Malatesta Court and the two Perugino paintings in Santa Maria Nuova
6 h 00 from Bologna Fiera Half day
The plan
The panoramic road along the cliff, Villa Imperiale (in summer), the villages of Fiorenzuola di Focara and Casteldimezzo, the view from Gabicce Monte.
6 h 35 from Bologna Fiera Full day
The plan
The Rocca Roveresca in Mondavio, the intact walls of Corinaldo, the Piaggia, the Pozzo della Polenta and the house of Saint Maria Goretti.
7 h 00 from Bologna Fiera Full day
The planItaly's most famous caves, the Ancona Abyss, the neoclassical temple inside the rock and the Romanesque abbey of San Vittore.
8 h 15 from Bologna Fiera Full day
The planThe sanctuary of the Holy House of Loreto, Palazzo Leopardi with the poet's library and the Hill of the Infinite.
8 h 10 from Bologna Fiera Full day
The planTrips written by our editors from the facts of our monument pages and the official sites. Opening days and hours change: the note under every place tells you what to check before you leave. No prices: you find them on the museums' sites.
