Romagna's Riviera: from art to entertainment
With its 30,000 hotels, 400 restaurants, 500 pizzerias, 1,500 bars, 200 discotheques and 500 bathing facilities, the Riviera Romagnola could be called, no doubts, the European tourism capital. Some 40 kilometers of sun kissed beach stretch from Cesenatico to Cattolica, lined by a seemingly unbroken band of entertainment, dining and swimming facilities.
A favored holiday spot since the 1600's, the Riviera Romagnola experienced an explosive boom in the 1920's largely due to a general change in the character of tourism from a rather elitist experience to one which could be enjoyed by one and all.
Thus, in a matter of decades, Rimini became a hub of international tourism, a central meeting point for the wealthy set on one hand and a comfortable village setting amenable to families and young travelers on the other.
The beginning of the "swinging 60's" marked the onset of another regional boom, as the area attracted many of the most important (and perhaps wildest) celebrities of the day. Antics of the beautiful people in celebrated local discos provided a feast for the press at the time. International playboys, jet setters and wannabe's stormed in from Capri, Forte dei Marmi and Cortina.
Rimini and Riccione, both famed for their explosive nightlife, are favored by fun-loving travelers looking for a more spectacular and unfettered brand of amusement. That is not to say however, that the Riviera Romagnola holds no charms for daytime visitors: each of the region's cities bears witness to a rich, interesting history and cultural past. It's quite easy to lose oneself to contemplation of the past in any of the several local castles, churches or unique monuments. Of particular interest: San Marino, the tiniest and oldest republic in the world, Ravenna, the city of the mosaics and, indeed, Rimini itself with its impressive Medieval fortified castles.
