We left the school  in comfortable coaches armed with our cameras and wearing comfortable walking shoes for another wonderful excursion.  This time the excursion was to the Hill top town of San Marino.

San Marino is a European country, which is entirely encircled by Italy. The Republic of San Marino sits at 700 meters above sea level on Mount Titano. The 61-sq-km republic is Europe’s third-smallest state after the Vatican and Monaco.  The Republic of San Marino was founded in 301 A.D. and is the most ancient European Republic. It is 15 km from the Romagna Riviera

The views from this hill top town are breathtaking over looking the valleys and the Adriatic coast

Access to San Marino is simple as passports are not required and shopping is easy as the euro is also used in this republic.

It is a favourite destination for day trips and is well worth the visit. There are many attractions – shopping, scenery, restaurants, cafes, monuments, museums and typical tourist stops. Hundreds of souvenir stalls line the streets selling everything from handbags to San Marino stamps. San Marino’s gold coin, famously known as Scudi, you can buy as a souvenir.

San Marino is also famous for wines. There are a number of wine cellars in this country. You can also buy some bottles of wine from San Marino markets

San Marino is just a short distance from the Romagna Riviera and offers 2 shopping outlets and 2 shopping centres plus hundreds of fabulous shops. There is a lighter tax in many cases here which makes it more convenient to shop in the Republic for better bargains which include clothing, shoes, perfume, cosmetics electronics etc and petrol plus more.

For those looking for famous named accessories and clothing at good prices, a visit to the 2 outlets, the San Marino Factory Outlet in Rovereta and the Queen Outlet in Dogana is a must.

Another attraction worth visiting is the changing of the guards in Palazzo Pubblico or Government Palace. The ceremony of changing the guards takes place from the month of April to September on every half hour from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM. The guards wear golden epaulets and leather helmet of white and red ostrich feathers.

Whether your interest is shopping, restaurants, museums, art, views, relaxing, walking, photography, you will find it here in San Marino. And, if you would like to spend more time here there are a number of great hotels.