WHAT TO DO

Le Marche is an amazing region encompassing all that is best in Italian geography, culture and commerce. Bounded by the Sibilini Mountains to the west and the Adriatic coast to the east, and lying half way down the boot, this unspoilt region offers a wide range of activities.

Mountains

The mountains are home to the Sibilini National Park, a 70000 hectare wild nature reserve boasting spectacular landscapes, wild flowers and wild animals including eagles and even wolves.

The adventurous visitor can find rock climbing ,hang gliding and paragliding, rafting and kayaking. The small ski resorts of Bolognola and Santa Maddalena are usually open between December and March and offer an ideal place to try skiing out for the first time without committing to a ski holiday per se, as well as offering fn skiing for the more experienced.

The resorts are small and manageable and so it is possible to spend half a day skiing and the rest of the day doing something else. Lake Fiastra is an artificial lake, with crystal blue waters. It is deliciously cool in the heat of the summer and a great alternative swimming destination to the seaside. Other spectacular natural features include Valle dell’Acquasanta with its gorgeous waterfalls, the Furlo Gorge, the impressive Frasassi Caves and the Grotta dell’Orso. Between the mountains and the sea are the foothills and the plains.

Commerce and light industry is concentrated in the river valleys and plains while each hill is topped by ancient hill towns, each more charming that the last. These towns are living history; schools housed in medieval monasteries, restaurants in ancient cellars. Each town is worth exploring, each will have it’s own history, it’s own traditions and dishes. All share the mindful pace of life that makes a holiday in Le Marche the perfect antidote to the everyday stresses of day to day living.

Piano Grande – not to be missed!

It is an extraordinary place to visit any time of year but especially if you are here in late June and July we highly recommend a visit to the Piano Grande and the little village of Castelluccio perched above the plain. Strictly speaking it is actually in Umbria, just a few kms from the border with Marche but very easily reachable from mid Marche. Castelluccio was almost completely abandoned until a few years ago but is now 2/3 way through an amazing restoration bringing the place back to life and with a number of good places to eat and stay overnight. In early summer the plains flower and the colours attract photographers and artists from all over the world – it is really rather special.

Seaside

With 180 km of coastline, much of it beach, Le Marche offers the genuine Italian seaside experience. Most beaches are privately owned, and each section of beach is run by a concession which usually includes a bar/restaurant often with very good shower/toilet facilties and play areas for kids. You pay to rent the loungers and umbrellas.

There are also small sections of free beach in most resorts, ask for spiaggia libera. There are busy port towns like Ancona, sophisticated Riviera resorts like San Benedetto del Tronto, Porto san Giorgio and Senigallia, and charming fishing villages such as those on the Conero peninsula.

But you don’t have to stay on the beach to enjoy the sea! We can help you rent a boat for the day (half day) for up to 6 people with a 40 horse power engine from Numana Marina – it costs much less than you might think, you can take a picnic and see the fabulous Conero beaches from the best angles offshore. It is a fantastic day out. Run by the Societa Cooperativa Numanese you can book on 0039 0719330847.

If you don’t want to drive your own boat it is possible to have a day cruising with crew doing all the work on a beautiful motor yacht owned by the La Torre restaurant in Numana who supply a fantastic 4 course meal too. Minimum 6 people, maximum 12 www.latorrenumana.it/ristorante-matrimoni-numana-ristorante-matrimoni-conero.html

For those who prefer to get around without an engine why not try paddleboarding? Our friends at www.sup-italia.com/ offer full or half day tours either on the sea or on the beautiful inland lakes – they tell us it is very easy to do even as a total beginner and it is all the rage for all ages!

Shopping

Marche is the heart of the Italian leather industry with Prada, Todds and Nero Giardini all having factories and outlets here. Every town and most villages will have a market once a week. These markets are not tourist markets; they are the real shopping for people living in a rural area, the place where you buy everything from children’s clothes to pots and pans.

While there are stalls selling cheap junk there are also expensive stalls that are in effect the mobile branch of upmarket shops. Some markets have specialities eg Civitanova Marche market on a Saturday is particularly good for shoes. Many towns also host monthly antique or flea markets and the artisans sell their locally made items during most fairs and local festivals.

History

While Le Marche is not as famous as other regions of Italy it is certainly not lacking in culture and history. From Urbino the birthplace of Raphael through Macerata down to Ascoli Picano in the south of the region there are traces throughout of all the occupiers of the area from the Gauls, the Romans and the Papacy.

Le Marche is a region steeped in history where medieval buildings form the backbone of the villages and towns, bridging the centuries between far off history and the modern day. The Roman enclave of Urbsaglia is among a few well preserved legacies from those times in the South. In the North you can see the remains of the Via Flaminia (including the Furlo Tunnel) that used to connect Rome and the Adriatic sea and the amazing mosaics of the Domus del Mito in Sant’Angelo in Vado.

Culture

The cultural offerings of Le Marche may arguably be more low key than those of more well known regions they are none the less impressive. This is not a place of queues and coachloads of tourists. Here you need to unearth the treasures for yourself. MarcheOwnersDirect is invaluable to help you as all our property owners have intimate knowledge of their own areas; knowing the hidden gems on offer, opening times, seasonal treats and much more.

From authentic Marchigiane (ie of Le Marche) folk culture, music and crafts, through Renaisance art, inluding gems by Crivelli (who died in Marche), Titian’s Ancona Alterpiece, Piero della Francesca masterpieces and Raphael’s La Muta, through to the annual Sferisterio Opera Festival in Macerata, Antique Music Festival in Urbino, and Pesaro Rossini Opera Festival, every summer Le Marche offers something for every cultural taste. We even have Christmas Markets here in Marche too!

Although strictly speaking Food and Wine are a separate section, they also feature as something “to do” not only to consume. In this region food is still produced in traditional ways. Here you can visit the producers of cheese, meats, wines and olive oil. Again MarcheOwnersDirect can introduce you to the best food based experiences within reach of your chosen accommodation.

While there is plenty to do in Le Marche it is also a region where time can really stand still, where you can recharge your batteries and learn to enjoy the smaller things in life. A place where every cappuccino is made with love, every gelato to ancient family recipes and every dish in most restaurants made by hand, from local ingredients. This is a place where children are welcomed, not just tolerated. A region where tradition is observed, and then reported on Facebook. A region where food is grown all around you, all sorts of scraps of land utilised to provide a family with fresh vegetables.

Activities

Forestcamp – Smerillo

For a wonderful experience for all the family, why not come and have a day out with the beautiful donkeys and knowledgeable Marco in Smerillo. Here you will explore the forest and find out all about the fossils hidden away. Great fun for children and adults alike (but if you are small you get to ride the donkeys!).

There are 3 different trips –
EXCURSION BASE: Walk through the woods and medieval village, you will learn the basics on donkeys, we discover the fossils of the Pleistocene, we explore some trails of the forest and you can learn a bit ‘of history of the area.
ONE DAY TOGETHER: Hike from Smerillo to Montefalcone and return, through the woods and the various environments that make it up, with the possibility to spend a whole day with our friends donkeys for a deeper mutual understanding. Stop at a nice picnic area. Packed lunch on request.
SUNSET HIKE: Easy tour, with a stop in one of the most scenic terraces on the Sibillini to admire a dazzling sunset behind the magical mountains, in the companyof the donkeys, peaceful grazing. Return in the dark. Just click here for more information and prices.