Le Marche area

My wife and I went there in 2008. We stayed here: http://vallenuova.it, which was great.

We enjoyed the region very much but it also gave us perspective on what a place without tourists looks like. We went to towns that didn't appear to have anybody around.

I hope to return someday.

-Matt

I was there in June and wrote a few trip reports: Pesaro to Urbino, Macerata, Ascoli Piceno, and a few other places. Beautiful, small cities and towns. It calls me back. I had been to Urbino over twenty years ago, it hasn't changed much, which is a very good thing.

Few American tourists, great food, mountains and beaches. Great value for €€.

PM me if you have specific questions.

We used this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marche-Touring-Club-Italy-Guides/dp/0749523441 and found it helpful. There isn't a lot published about the region, although you can find some websites with English descriptions online. We really liked Pesaro.

Matt, Zoe and John,

Thanks to each of you for responding to my forum post. Great tips and suggestions from all of you which I want to explore. Sounds like the Marches is definitely going to be where we will spend one of our weeks.

Sometimes I just google images of places and that helps me decide. Urbino, Macerata and Ascoli Piceno are not to be missed, in my opinion.

I agree Zoe, in addition, I like to get personal experiences and recommendations to validate what I've read online or in travel guides. Thanks.

My Mom is from Le Marche! In Le Marche you can lodge and dine right there on the beach, if you go Spring, Summer, and Early Autumn, you can have your pick of hotels and ristoranti!

In off-season, most places shut down but Not all, I often travel there in "Winter" and stay at Hotel Gabbiano, Porto San Giorgio, in between the train station and the Adriatic Sea, both of which are near the Sea! In season, Gabbiano has a ristorante downstairs, in off-season the staff will make morning coffee to order and serve you exquisite pastries in the Lobby, which is spacious and beautiful. Some staff speak English!

This breakfast was free and very good but I high-tailed it to the Beach to a cafe/ristorante open all year round! If you walk a short straight line from the hotel door to the Beach, this beautiful cafe/ristorante is right there. The owner always tells me to pick any table outside, so I always sit at the water's edge where I can watch the Sun strike the water on the Horizon and light up the Sea to the water's edge near me while sipping my coffee and munching my favorite pastry! OMG!

And the owner never lets me wait and carry my own order! I have to go choose a table outside and he comes out later with a tray held at shoulder level so proud and happy to serve me even tho I am quite far from the door! LOL! He never minded, he'd look for me in the morning, I'd sit there with my mountain coat on, my beanie cap, and Never want to leave!

Grottammare is a tad south of Porto San Giorgio on the train, where my Grandparents married at the turn of the last century, still a beautiful beach town, very romantic!

Mom lived at Porto D'Asco, actually Porto D'Ascoli, but Mom always said Porto D'Asco, another beach town on the Adriatic, a tad south again on the train, Via Mare, the direct street to the beach from downtown! Mom lived on Via Mare, house still there, mid-point between the town and the beach, a mile from town, another mile to the Sea!

I have more family at San Benedetto del Tronto, another beach town a tad south again on the tracks. The tracks run alongside the Adriatic Sea, the beaches are sandy and sunny all year round and always open! I usually stay at Hotel Gabbiano and just travel on the train!

If you like the Sea and beach living, you can have it in Le Marche all year long!

I spent a week last month in Pesaro and it is one of my favorite destinations in Italy. Shopkeepers, restaurant and hotel staff as well as the staff in the TI are welcoming and helpful. The town itself is lovely, a great launching pad for trips to Urbino and Rimini (for Piero Della Francesca fans) and the Brodetto at Angelo di Mario is worth the entire trip. I plan to return next year to add in trips to Ascoli Piceno and Macerata.

I found a link I had saved: http://www.le-marche.com/Marche/ They have info on the region as well as an email newsletter.

While we like to research in advance, I'd say also be open to chance. For example we were driving back to Bologna from Pesaro and saw an town up on a hillside that looked like it had a castle. So we ended up visiting Gradara and found it had a delightful medieval street leading up to the castle. As we were leaving they were doing a falcon flying demonstration. Total serendipity that we found the place! And there are dozens more towns just like this.

The Adriatic coast is very popular with Italians but is less well known to English-speaking tourists. But as in much of Europe it is very seasonal. We were there in early Sept one year and while the water was great and the weather delightful, many businesses were closed for the season including many of the beach chair/umbrella rental places.

John,
When you mention that during one of your September visits, things were closing up for the season. Were you referring to just beach type places or throughout the area? We don't plan on spending much time at the beach, but moreso inland in the tiny hamlets and villages.

I was referring to the restaurants and other places in shore towns where we were visiting. We saw this in Pesaro, Polignano a Mare, etc. Not everything was closed, but a number were especially those closest to the beach.