Italy

Rimini's frenetic nightlife and extensive beaches pull in holiday-makers by the tens of thousands. With a staggering 40km (25mi) of sandy beaches in the area and oodles of discos and clubs, the town pulses with fun-seekers searching for nightly fun and games and a slice of beach (in)action.

Before the 20th century

Originally Umbrian, then Etruscan, and then the important Roman colony of Ariminum, Rimini sits at the centre of the Riviera del Sole. The city continued to change hands throughout the Middle Ages, knowing Byzantine, Lombard and papal rule before ending up in the hands of the Malatesta family in the 13th century. Castel Sismondo, a castle at the southwestern corner of the old town, takes its name from Sigismondo, one of the Malatesta family who ruled for a couple of centuries. Sigismondo wasn't your ideal ruler: Pope Pius II - himself no angel - burned his effigy in Rome and condemned him to hell for an impressive litany of sins that included rape, murder, incest, adultery and severe oppression of the people. At the beginning of the 16th century, Cesare Borgia added the city to his list of short-lived conquests but Rimini soon succumbed to Venice, then the Papal States. Rimini, finally its own master, joined the Kingdom of Italy in 1860. Around that time, the town began its development into the tourist mecca it is today, with the foundation of its first bathing establishment.

Modern history

In 1908, Rimini consolidated its position as a popular tourist destination with the construction of the Grand Hotel, which, despite a fire in 1920 and severe damage during WWII, is as grand now as it was then. It has played an integral part in the town's history, as has Federico Fellini - Italy's exuberant film director and winner of more than 10 Oscars - who was born in Rimini in 1920 (and now lies in the town cemetery). As a boy, Fellini regarded the Grand as 'a fable of riches, luxury and oriental splendour' and immortalised the hotel in some of his films, most noteably Amarcord (I Remember). Rimini suffered badly during WWII, with heavy bombardments leaving the town in tatters. It was liberated in 1944, after which reconstruction work began and the town continued on its path to providing seaside entertainment for many Italians. During the 50s and 60s the landscape of the Rimini coast changed dramatically with the construction of hundreds of apartment blocks and hotels; eventually Rimini merged with the towns either side of it creating a developed zone of over 50km. Along with the flats and hotels, dozens of nightclubs were built, turning Rimini into one of the country's premier nightlife destinations.

Recent history

Rimini continues to thrive as a tourist destination into the 21st century...although there was a minor hiccup in 2003, when the Italian Junior Tourism Minister provoked a diplomatic ruckus by describing German tourists as arrogant, 'hypernationalistic blondes'(!). To prove him wrong, the German newspaper Bild organised a publicity stunt that saw 160 German tourists jetted into Rimini for a day-long beach party to show the Italians what a lovely bunch they really are. And it seemed to work - although the junior minister resigned after then Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder cancelled his Italian summer holiday plans.

Top Accommodation

Top Restaurants

Located on the Adriatic Sea near the coast, Rimini's climate is quite mild and pleasant - not prone to extremes - similar to other towns at sea-level in this region of Italy. While winters can be on the chilly side, temperatures rarely fall much below zero, with average winter temperatures ranging from 0-8°C (32-46°F). Summers are relatively mild and sunny with a temperature range of 15-27°C (59-81°F). Rainfall is steady throughout the year, with the largest amount falling in autumn, when humidity can also be higher.

Average weather

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Transport

Getting around

Tram (www.tram.rimini.it, in Italian) buses operate throughout the city. In August, the Blue Line are special late-night buses with onboard music connecting the out-of-town clubs with the city centre, train station and camping grounds. They run all through the night until 6am and for €3 you can hop on and off at will. If you're a seriously dedicated clubber, pick up a seven-night pass for €2.

Taxis (0541 5 00 20) are plentiful.

An open-air stall on Piazzale Kennedy, one of several cycling options, rents out city bikes and mountain bikes.

In summer, there are free multilingual guided walking tours of the old quarter. Just turn up at the Museo della Città's public relations office (Corso d'Augusto 158) at 9am on Tuesday.

Getting there and away

Federico Fellini International Airport (www.riminiairport.com), serviced by numerous European airlines, is located 8km (5mi) from Rimini. Ryanair flies twice daily between London (Stansted) and Forlì airport, 50km (31mi) northwest of Rimini. Buses run to Forlì airport from Rimini's train station to coincide with flights.

There are regular buses to towns all along the coast, including Riccione (bus 11) and Cattolica (buses 11 and 125). Buses run from Rimini's train station to San Marino (45min, six to eight daily) and there's also a daily direct bus to/from Rome (5.25hr).

Trains run frequently down the coast to Ancona, Bari, Lecce and Taranto. Up the line, they service Ravenna, Bologna and Milan.

You have a choice of the A14 (south into Le Marche or northwest towards Bologna and Milan) or the toll-free but quite often clogged S16 autostrada.