7 Best Things to Do in Santarcangelo di Romagna

1. Walk Around the Old Town

The old town in Santarcangelo is bursting with charm. Our first full day here was a Friday and after waking up, we drove into the center for a cappuccino and pastry (of course). We were expecting a small, sleepy town but instead were greeted by a buzzing market and plenty of local shoppers.

We initially thought the market was only in the main square, Piazza Ganganelli, but quickly learned that it swept though most of town. While at first I wasn't pleased that my views were hindered, I quickly fell into step.

The market was lively and had a nice mix of clothing, household items, and even fresh food. The locals we chatted with while picking up some figs and in Raf's case some new clothes, were welcoming and surprised to find us in their quiet corner since most tourists flock to nearby Rimini or San Marino instead.

I'm not sure if this market occurs every Friday or not but if your trip happens to coincide with it, lean in!

With or without the market, you'll quickly realize that most of the old town is really small. There are a few compact alleyways and then the medieval village (but more on that specific zone next) but that's really it. Luckily though, they've made great use of the few alleys and each visit was full of life, both in the mornings and in the evenings.

My favorite two streets were:

• Via Aurelio Saffi: This street is built on steps and is the best place for an evening aperitivo. The bars here take over, making the ambiance cozy and simply a lot of fun.
• Via Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour (another mouthful): This street runs into Via Saffi and is another one with a few bars, cafes, and shops. I'm a sucker for dangling street lights and that's exactly the vibe you get here.

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2. Head Up to the Medieval Village

From Via Saffi, keep heading up and you'll arrive at the Medieval Village. These are just a few residential streets at the top of the hill that surround the castle, clock tower, and the old aqueduct.

I honestly wasn't expecting much from being and while there isn't much in terms of "sights," it's a really nice neighborhood. At least in the summer, all of the homes had plants and flowers overflowing outside of their windows and around their doors.

It's really quiet up here and not an area where you would plan to eat or grab a drink but really worth doing a slow loop around. Although I didn't enter, you can also visit the castle, Castello Malatestiano from here.

From here, you can also get a view of the city. While I enjoyed it, an old Italian man slowly shuffled over, with the insistence of his wife, only to tell us all it wasn't nice and to shuffle back away.

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3. Visit the Old Printing House

Santarcangelo di Romagna is the place to visit to embrace the old. This town has done a fantastic job of maintaining their cobblestone walkways and architecture but nowhere is this so apparent as in the old printing house.

Located right in the center of town, is the old printing house, Stamperia Marchi, from 1633. Here they've continued to use the same hand printing process since opening their doors in the 17th century. They're home to a mangano, a device built in 1633 that presses and irons the fabrics completely flat due to sheer force, getting them perfectly prepared for the handprinting process.

For a gift that's truly one-of-a-kind, this shop is it. Or, at the very least, it's worth visiting simply to see the patience and artistry that goes into each piece.

Another unique stop in town is also the Button Museum. Yes, that's right, a museum dedicated completely to buttons. Unfortunately it was closed during the time I carved out for this peculiar place. If you go, let me know how it is!

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4. Enjoy a Typical Lunch (&/or Aperitivo)

Santarcangelo di Romagna is located in the southern end of Emilia Romagna, the same region of Bologna and Modena. This region is famous for their food so lucky for you, you can expect a great meal while visiting Santarcangelo.

Although a small town, you'll have plenty of places to choose from. Just keep in mind that most restaurants throughout Italy close from around 3-7pm. Even if on Google Maps it says they're open, there's a good chance their kitchen is actually closed.

In Santarcangelo, you can expect to find all of the typical dishes from Emilia Romagna to choose between. If this is your first trip to the region, consider:

• Tagliatelle al ragù: This is what you likely know as "Bolognese" pasta but is the real version. Raf can't go a day without this dish any time we step foot into Emilia Romagna.
• Lasagna: You think you know lasagna until you try lasagna here. It's creamier and likely even green from the spinach-based noodles they prefer here.
• Passatelli: This is a unique noodle made from breadcrumbs. Although I've seen it in other presentations, it's most often served in a broth. I've never seen passatelli on a menu outside of the region so if you want something different, don't pass this up.
• Piadina: This is a type of flat bread sandwich. It's considered more of a "fast food" and most common for a quick meal or aperitivo. While you can find these all over the country, in Emilia Romagna they're more common and the menus at piadinerie tend to be far more extensive.
• Tigelle: This is a type of bread common in the region and is also more common for aperitivi. These breads are often served with meat or cheese plates but I did see them on many bar menus in Santarcangelo already made into small sandwiches.

While in town, we ate a great lunch at Ristorante Lazaroun and a lazy dinner before the concert at La Piadineria alla Scalinata. I'm not suggesting these are the best places to eat, simply because I didn't try out other spots, but I can say both were delish.

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5. Go Underground

In the hills around Santarcangelo di Romagna are a number of caves and underground tunnels you can still visit today. Unfortunately we didn't have time to plan a trip to one of them but after digging a bit more into it, it actually seems quite easy to visit at least one of them.

The beginnings of these tunnels and caves are still under debate but they've proved helpful for food storage and for evacuations and protection from bombings in WW2. Today, many of these are privately owned and can't be visited but a few are open to guided tours.

Italy Heaven wrote more in detail about their visit to Santarcangelo's underground city if you'd like to read more to decide if it's for you. You can read the full article here.

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6. Take a Day Trip

I'm not suggesting you come to Santarcangelo di Romagna simply to leave again but given the location in the country I do think it could serve as a nice base for further travels.

While most people would choose to stay in Rimini, I'll be honest: I'm not a big fan of that city and wouldn't recommend it. Personally, I think it's lacking a lot of the charm that other cities have and the beach itself is more geared to mass crowds and parties than the laidback beaches I'm attracted to.

Instead, I would suggest Santarcangelo or nearby Cesena as your base. From here you can still get to the shore relatively quickly but have a much nicer town to hang out in otherwise.

Santarcangelo to Rimini is only 9 minutes by train making it an incredibly quick day trip option. From Rimini, you'll also have far more train and bus connections if you'd like to explore further.

A more interesting day trip would be to San Marino, the country within a country. From Santarcangelo, it's only a 30 minute drive to the hilltop center. Just know that public transport takes much longer and would require you to catch a bus in Rimini.

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7. Enjoy a Festival

For such a small town, there really does seem to be a lot going on here.

As I mentioned, we came for the Franz Ferdinand concert, which is a big name for such a small area. They were playing as part of the summer concert series, A Cielo Aperto. This is the same series that brought us to Cesena. I'll definitely keep my eye out on who they bring in next year.

Our trip also coincided with a gelato festival, aka Raf's dream.

There also seems to be a number of festivals geared towards theater, art, and music that takes place throughout the year. For example, the Santarcangelo Festival is the oldest festival in Italy geared towards the performing arts.

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Santarcangelo di Romagna Travel Tips

Our Santarcangelo di Romagna travel guide wouldn't be complete without a few travel tips to ensure your trip here goes as smoothly as possible.

Best Time to Visit

Just like the rest of the region, Santarcangelo gets 4 true seasons so you'll want to plan and pack accordingly. Summer is the busiest month and when the most events and festivals take place. It's a bit of a trade off, with hot and humid weather yet a fun atmosphere to enjoy.

You can expect some businesses and restaurants to close during the winter months but enough people live here year round that I wouldn't expect it to be a ghost town.

Where to Stay

Usually I recommend staying right in the city center so you can explore completely on foot. While I still think that's a great option, especially if you arrive by train or bus, if you have a car, I'd also like to recommend where we stayed. It was a great apartment but better by car.

Consider staying at:

• Budget Stay: Casa Giulietta B&B: There are a few rooms to choose from at this small b&b, just across the street from Piazza Ganganelli and the center of town.
• Mid-Tier Stay: 147MqSuite: This is where we stayed and really loved it. It was a really unique property, the host was very nice and responsive, and had private parking, which is a luxury not often included in Italy.
• Luxury Stay: La Casa della Giuliana: This is a big villa right in the center. This house is ideal for a large group or family that's traveling together and wants a shared space for their trip.

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You're Ready to Enjoy Your Trip to Santarcangelo di Romagna

We've spent a lot of time in the Emilia Romagna region since moving to Italy and truly enjoy it. While I'm not a huge fan of the coast here, I do love the internal cities of Bologna and Modena. My favorite part about the region though are the small charming towns, like Reggio Emilia, Carpi, Cesena, and now Santarcangelo di Romagna.

For a peak at a different side of Italy that many international travelers overlook, I highly recommend a night or at the very least a few hours here.