We want to go to Cessena to visit the grave site of someone that fought and died in Italy during WWII. Any suggestions for how to get there, are there places to stay there or is it more of a day visit and stay somewhere else? We are not renting a car.
Thanks
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16231 posts
By train from Bologna. Cesena is on the Bologna - Ancona train line. It's a pretty old town with a nice fortress belonging to the famous Malatesta family, there is also an abbey on top of a hill. A nice piazza as well. And that's all I remember. I've never stayed there, just dropped by on the way to the beach towns nearby. It makes an interesting (half) day visit. If you go in summer, I would stay somewhere between Rimini a Riccione. That area is the most popular area for beach goers in Italy (although the sea isn't that great), primarily because it is not that expensive. Huge beaches and plenty of entertainment for the young generations. Accommodations galore as well, as you can imagine, to accommodate the tens of millions of Germans who descend from the north to enjoy some Mediterranean at bargain prices (that area is very reasonably priced). I like Riccione better, but without car maybe Rimini has more transport options. From there you can also take a bus up to the Republic of San Marino, that way you can say you've visited two countries (and if you go to the Vatican, you can visit 3 countries for the price of one).
Posted by
Cesena, Italy
791 posts
I lived in Cesena for a little over two years. While I loved my Italian home Cesena is'nt very big. Centro is nice but not very big. Rocco Malatesta and the abbezzia are worth a visit. There are plenty of hotels in Cesena. Casali is generally thought to be the best in town. I stayed there for several weeks. Close to centro, the train station and has one of the best gelato places in town right across the street. You could walk to the abbey but it would be a bit of a hike. Assuming you want to visit the WWII cemetery. Off of Via Cervese it's also walkable from Casali but a little bit of a hike. It's tucked away between a soccer feild and Portafiore ristorante ( a good place for a meal). There's only a little sign on the side of the road to let you know it's there. The cemetery itself is very small. PM me if you have any questions and I'll help out as best I can.