It goes without saying that Tuscany is beautiful, and we have all found ourselves sighing wistfully whilst gazing at pictures of golden hued vineyard-lined rolling hills at sunset. However, it is also undeniable that Tuscany is a well-trodden tourist destination and nobody wants to spend precious holiday time squeezed between tour groups and their omnipresent buses just to take a picture of the aforementioned beautiful sunset. But where else can one enjoy rolling vineyards and golden grain fields topped by crumbling castles and masterpieces of Medieval and Renaissance art?
The answer is in Le Marche, a region that offers all of that and even more! Known as ‘Italy in one region’, it has retained its authenticity and remains one of the very few places in Italy to have escaped mass tourism despite its miles of untamed coastlines, medieval hilltop towns full of art and culture, its hidden beaches, its patchwork quilt countryside and its three national parks. The region was isolated by geography and history: it is cut off from western Italy by the Apennines and from the sixteenth to the late nineteenth century it was ruled by the Pope.
Direct daily flights fly from London to Ancona, the region’s capital, but the town of Urbino is the true crown jewel of the area and remains little changed from the days when Duke Federico of Montefeltro set up his celebrated court here in the second half of the 15th Century. The town boasts an intact and extraordinary historical centre as well as being the birthplace of Raffaello and as such, of Renaissance itself. Some of the most impressive mountain scenery is found to the south of the region amidst the Monti Sibillini, whose peaks are often covered with snow until the late spring and also host the Frasassi caves, some of the most spectacular limestone caves you are ever likely to visit.
Just south of Ancona lies the Riviera del Conero, a national park facing the Adriatic Sea featuring vertiginous cliffs, white sandy beaches and blue-emerald waters. The Conero is perfect for adventure seekers but families with younger children may prefer to enjoy the umbrellas and sun beds on hire on the beaches of Fano and Senigallia, two charming medieval resort towns with quaint historical centres and majestic roman fortifications.
