What's around?
Enogastronomy
Delicious food and great wine are something that the region Marche can offer to its visitors with generosity. There are plenty of cellars surrounded by picturesque countryside and beautiful hills not to mention the fantastic view of the sea coast.
You can taste special products cultivated in the area. For example:
the Antica Cantina Sant'Amico at Morro d'Alba, established since 1850, is one of the oldest family-run wineries still in existence. Here you can find some of the best varieties of red (Lacrima di Morro d'Alba), white (Verdicchio) and rose wines.
Another essential part of the Marche culture is its food. Each area has its typical dishes and it is difficult to suggest something in particular. The cuisine is influenced by a mixture of farmlands and the nearby Adriatic coast. It's genuine, informal, sometimes rustic but exquisite. You should taste the moscioli, the fish stew (brodetto), Ancona stock fish, the vincisgrassi, the crescia, tagliatelle with Acqualagna truffles, the ciauscolo, Ascoli stuffed olives just to mention some of the best known.
Open Air
Biking and walking In the area you can find a lot of ready-built routes that reveal nature's secrets for people looking for adventure or relax in the green. They can be chosen according to difficulty and distance. You just decide the right track according to what you want and go for it! The verdicchio trail - green is an example. It winds through vineyards and olive trees. The best is just before sunset when the sun disappears behind Monte Catria.
Climbing Leopoldo Cartoni cliff of Castelletta on the Revellone Mountain is a great place where you can find both easy and more difficult climbing. It has breathtaking views on the Castelletta village and the San Vicino Mountain. Another example where to practice climbing is at the Valadier Temple near Frasassi. It is surrounded by rocks and cliffs that can be climbed even when it's raining!
Horse riding You can practice this sport in hilly, mountainous areas or along the colorful Adriatic seafront. It is a unique experience that will make you rediscover a new dimension and enjoy the beautiful nature. In Fabriano for example you can find one of the largest equestrian clubs in the Marche. Here you can familiarize yourself with the horse and then embark on real itineraries. (MarcheTravelling.com). The equestrian Centre Pegaso in Apiro is another location to consider, not to mention the many different clubs in the Conero Riviera.
Natural sites, sea and beaches When talking about natural sites to visit both in the hills/ mountains or on the sea the choice is wide and it can offer various destinations. One of the most famous in italy are the Frasassi Caves, a remarkable karst cave system in the municipality of Genga, in the province of Ancona. Other destinations can be the natural regional park "Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi '' or the Valrea waterfalls near Pergola. If you prefer the sea, Senigallia with its velvet beach is waiting for you. The Conero Riviera with Portonovo, Sirolo and Numana will welcome you with their breathtaking views and clear waters.
Abbeys, castles and old villages
The area is full of old abbeys and castles with spectacular views on the hills, the mountains or the coast. The majority are reachable by car driving through roads with green panoramas. Among the many abbeys to visit you can't miss Sant’Elena, a vast Romanesque-Gothic building, which belonged to the "camaldolese" order and looks almost like a fortress. Its present appearance dates 1212. Among the many abbeys Sant' Urbano and San Vittore di Genga are worth a visit.
If you like castles and old villages Arcevia and its 9 castles must be in your itinerary, in particular Avacelli, Castiglioni, Caudino, Nidastore , Piticchio just to mention some. Don't forget to go to Precicchie, a must for the lovers of this kind of atmosphere with its live nativity.
A little bit further in the Pesaro Urbino province, you will find the Gradara Castle. It presents an extraordinary urban and architectural combination. Legend has it that the castle was the scene of the famous and tragic love story of Paolo and Francesca, immortalized by Dante in his Divine Comedy.
Other excursions may include Cacciano, the murales village, Offagna and its beautiful medieval fortress, Pioraco, Sefro, Braccano and Elcito, the Marche Tibet. A visit to Pergola and the Golden Brazen statues museum is a good choice for sure.
Towns
If you feel like visiting some historic and interesting towns, then you have plenty of choice.
They will charm you with art, athmosphere, history, good restaurants, green spaces sometimes overlooking the sea and elegant shops. Why don't you start with Ancona, for example. You will be fascinated by the view on the harbour from the top of the Guasco hill where San Ciriaco Cathedral stands.
In the church the byzantine style perfectly blends with the Romanesque one; it is consecrated to the town patron Saint and it assumed the present style in 13th/14th century. Another amazing part of the town is the " Passetto" and you can't leave without going there. It's the only town beach in Ancona at the end of the Viale della Vittoria where the pine forest overhangs the sea and surrounds the majestic WWI white memorial. A rather unique characteristic of the Passetto waterfront is the presence of many grottos lined up in a row, originally built to garage fishing boats. They are now used as spartan summer retreats and are jealously handed down from one generation to another.
Jesi, Ascoli Piceno, Fano, Pesaro are other destinations which will offer you plenty of things to do and see, with different but equally fantastic experiences.